“If it had been anyone in England, or anyone unknown to us, he would have answered my question at once, and without hesitation,” replied Crescenz, with unusual decision of manner.
Hildegarde, struck with the reply, experienced herself a feeling of curiosity which greatly surprised her. She walked on in silence, and soon heard her sister continue in a very low voice—
“I am sure you did not think of me!”
“Certainly not,” he replied, in the same tone; “you are too kind and too gentle to place the life even of an enemy in such jeopardy.”
Crescenz seemed not quite to know whether she were satisfied or disappointed. She would have liked to have been his lady-love, would have wished to imagine that he would have picked up her glove at such an imminent risk; yet his manner and words implied nothing flattering to the supposed Cunigunde; and although she did not quite understand his meaning, she knew that he had said that she was kind and gentle, and she felt that she ought to be satisfied. Not so Hildegarde; she understood well the vanity and callousness of the character sketched in a few words by Schiller; she fancied that Hamilton disliked her, and an irresistible impulse made her turn on him, and say, abruptly, “You thought of me!”
The blood mounted to his temples, and seemed to take refuge in his hair, as he returned Hildegarde’s glance, yet hesitated in answering; but he could not deny it, and replied, after a moment’s consideration: “Thoughts are not subject to control; you have no right to make me answerable for them.”
“I have no intention of doing so,” she replied; “I care too little about you to give myself the trouble of convincing you that you do not understand my character in the least. On the contrary, I confess that were you disposed to play the part of the knight, perhaps I might throw down my glove, and be glad to get rid of you on any terms.”
“Even were I to be torn to pieces in your presence by the wild beasts? I did not think you were so cruel!” said Hamilton, amused at her irritated manner.
“The danger for you would not be very great. You are the last person in the world to do any thing of that kind.”
“Do you doubt my personal courage?”