"O my aunt! I have done nothing! Indeed, indeed,"—and a great sob breaks in and cuts her speech. "I have done nothing."
"What!" cries the marchesa, her fury again roused by such a daring assertion. "What do you call nothing? Do you deny that you love Nobili?"
"No, my aunt. I love him—I love him."
The mention of Nobili's name gave Enrica courage. With that name the sunlit days of meeting came back again. A gleam of their divine refraction swam before her. Nobili—is he not strong, and brave, and true? Is he not near at hand? Oh, if he only knew her need!—oh, if he could only rush to her—bear her in his arms away—away to untrodden lands of love and bliss where she could hide her head upon his breast and be at peace!
All this gave her courage. She passes her hand over her face and brushes the tears away. Her blue eyes, that shine out now like a rent in a cloudy sky, are meekly but fearlessly cast upon her aunt.
"You dare to tell me you love him—you dare to avow it in my presence, degraded girl! have you no pride—no decency?"
"I have done nothing," Enrica answers in the same voice, "of which I am ashamed. From the first moment I saw him I loved him. I loved—him—oh! how I loved him!" She repeats this softly, as if speaking to herself. An inner light shines over her whole countenance. "And Nobili loves me. I know it." Her voice sounds sweet and firm. "He is mine!"
"Fool, you think so; you are but one of many!" The marchesa, incensed beyond endurance at her firmness, raises her head with the action of a snake about to spring upon its prey. "Dare you deny that you are his mistress?"
(Could the marchesa have seen the cavaliere standing behind her, at that moment, and how those eyes of his were riveted on Enrica with a look in which hope, thankfulness, pity, and joy, crossed and combated together—mercy on us! she would have turned and struck him!)
The shock of the words overcame Enrica. She fixes her eyes on her aunt as if not understanding their meaning. Then a deep blush covers her from head to foot; she trembles and presses both her hands to her bosom as if in pain.