Then she seated herself on the window-sill, with her face pressed against the pane, as overwhelmed with confusion, shame, and distress as if she were the culprit. At the end of some minutes, standing with her terrified gaze fixed on the park, she saw another figure running with strange swiftness toward the house. She could not repress a cry of horror, and sprang to her feet as if she were worked by a spring; then stumbling in the dark through the furniture, she reached her sister's room, but it was all in darkness. For a moment she thought of calling her, but then she recollected that Ventura could not sin so close to her and her children. A few steps further, on turning the corner of a passage, she saw a light, and ran toward it. In the Persian chamber, of rotunda form, somewhat isolated from the rest of the house, there was a light; and she gave two little knocks at the door, saying through the keyhole:
"It is I, Ventura. Open! Gonzalo is here."
The door was then opened, and Ventura appeared, paler than death. The Duke of Tornos was at the other end of the room, and was turning to the window, with intent to jump out of it. But Cecilia ran toward him, and catching him by the arms, she cried:
"No, not that! It will be no use—Ventura, escape—To the kitchen! Gonzalo climbed up by papa's room."
The girl spoke in an imperious falsetto tone, with her eyes flaming.
Ventura required no repetition; for she precipitately left the room.
Then Cecilia forcibly dragged the duke to one of the sofas, and said:
"Sit down."
The magnate looked at her in stupefaction, and asked:
"Why?"