“The law will give you no freedom in such a case,”—interposed Lucio with a kind of satirical urbanity—“A judicial separation on the ground of incompatibility of temper might be possible certainly—but would not that be a pity? Her ladyship is unfortunate in her tastes,—that is all!—she selected me as her cavaliere servente, and I refused the situation,—hence there is nothing for it but to forget this unpleasant incident, and try to live on a better understanding for the future——”
“Do you think”—said my wife, advancing with her proud head uplifted in scorn, the while she pointed at me—“Do you think I will live with him after what he has seen and heard to-night? What do you take me for?”
“For a very charming woman of hasty impulses and unwise reasoning,”—replied Lucio, with an air of sarcastic gallantry—“Lady Sibyl, you are illogical,—most of your sex are. You can do no good by prolonging this scene,—a most unpleasant and trying one to us poor men. You know how we hate ‘scenes’! Let me beg of you to retire! Your duty is to your husband; pray heaven he may forget [p 374] this midnight delirium of yours, and set it down to some strange illness rather than to any evil intention.”
For all answer she came towards him, stretching out her arms in wild appeal.
“Lucio!” she cried—“Lucio, my love! Good-night!—Good-bye!”
I sprang between him and her advancing form.
“Before my very face!” I exclaimed—“O infamous woman! Have you no shame?”
“None!” she said, with a wild smile—“I glory in my love for such a king of worth and beauty! Look at him!—and then look at yourself in the nearest mirror that reflects so poor and mean a picture of a man! How, even in your egoism, could you deem it possible for a woman to love you when he was near! Stand out of the light!—you interpose a shadow between my god and me!”
As she uttered these mad words, her aspect was so strange and unearthly, that out of sheer stupefied wonder, I mechanically did as she bade me, and stood aside. She regarded me fixedly.
“I may as well say good-bye to you also,”—she observed—“For I shall never live with you again.”