"What I wish," said Isabella, "is first that you unfasten these ligatures, which although soft, yet fatigue me, because they restrain me."
They did as she desired speedily, and then Isabella seated herself upon the bed, holding Auristella with one hand and Ruperta with the other, and making Constance and Felicia Flora sit as close as they could to her on the bed, forming thus a lovely group, and with a low voice and tearful eyes she thus spoke:—
"Ladies, I am the unhappy Isabella Castrucho, whose parents bestowed on me noble birth; fortune gave me large possessions, and Heaven conferred on me the gift of some degree of beauty. My parents came from Capua, but I was born in Spain, and brought up there in the house of an uncle, whom you saw here, and who belonged to the imperial court. Ah Heavens! must I go so far back to trace the origin of my misfortunes! Living then in my uncle's house, and left an orphan by my parents, who, dying, bequeathed me to his guardianship, it happened that there arrived at court a young gentleman, whom I afterwards saw at church, and looked at to such purpose; (and do not for this pronounce me bold and forward, ladies, but consider I am but a woman;) I looked at him in the church I repeat, and the impression I received was such, that when I returned home his image was constantly before my eyes; I could not get the recollection of his looks out of my head. It ended in my making inquiries concerning him, and what was his quality and character, and what he was doing at court, and whither he was going; and the result of my inquiries was, that I heard he was called Andrew Marulo, the son of Juan Baptista Marulo, a gentleman of this city, more noble by birth than rich in worldly goods, and that he was going to study at Salamanca. During the week he remained I found means to write him a note, and tell him who I was, and what property I possessed; as to my looks, he could form his own opinion, having seen me at church: I also told him that it was my uncle's intention to marry me to a cousin of my own, so as to keep my fortune in the family,—a man who was neither to my liking, nor suited to me at all, which is the truth. I bade him seize the opportunity that offered itself, and not by refusing it give himself cause for future repentance; and I begged that he would not consider my forwardness as a reason for denying me his esteem. His answer was, that having seen me very frequently in church, for myself alone, without any of those advantages of birth and fortune of which I spoke, he would have preferred me to all others, and would, if it were in his power, gladly make me mistress of the whole world; and he implored me to continue firm and faithful in my feelings for him, at least until he could leave a friend of his at Salamanca, with whom he was going to that city to finish his studies. I replied that I could promise him this, since my love was not impetuous or indiscreet—quickly kindled, and as quickly extinguished. He then parted with me at the call of honour, not wishing to desert his friend, and with many tears which I saw him shed as he was going through the street where I lived on the day of his departure, he went, yet never left me; I too went along with him, and yet I did not depart the following day; who would believe it? In how many ways doth misfortune bring about the accomplishment of her ends to the unhappy; the following day, I say, my uncle resolved to return to Italy, and take me with him; and I could devise no excuse, nor feign sickness, for my pulse was strong, and my complexion healthy; my uncle could not have believed that I was ill, but that I was averse to his matrimonial project, and so sought for means to escape going. I found a moment in which to write and tell Andrew what had happened, and that I was forced to depart, but that I would try and go by this city, where I would feign myself possessed by the evil one, and so gain time for delay to allow time for him to leave Salamanca, and come to Lucca, where, in spite of my uncle and of the whole world, he should be my husband; that my happiness and his own depended upon the haste he made. If this plan pleased him, if my letter reached him, and it must have done, for the posts are safe and certain, he will be here before three days have passed: I, on my side, have done all I could; I have a legion of devils within me, for is it not that to have an ounce of love in one's heart, when hope afar off is flattering one's affections? This, ladies, is my story; this, my madness, this, my illness, my love-sick thoughts are the demons which torment me; I feel no hunger, because I expect the fulfilment of every desire; nevertheless, doubt and anxiety pursue me, for as the saying is, there is many a slip between the cup and the lip. Help me, then, dear ladies, in keeping up my imposture, and assist me by persuading my uncle, if I am not better, to delay our journey further for some days; perhaps it may please Heaven to bless me with the coming of my Andrew."
We need not ask whether the hearers were not greatly astonished at the story of Isabella, since the story was in itself a wonder, and must strike as such the ears of all who heard it. They offered their services to assist her in her devices, and to obtain delay, in hopes of soon seeing the end of them, as they were not able to wait much longer themselves.
CHAPTER XXI.
The fair Isabella made haste to assume the part of a possessed one again, and her four new friends to support her by confirming the idea of her illness, and that she was verily possessed by an evil spirit; and truly love was such, since it could make a woman seem a demoniac.
Things were in this state, and evening coming on, when the physician returned to pay a second visit, and by chance he brought with him Juan Baptista Marulo, father of Andrew, the lover. As they entered the sick room, he said, "Look at this young lady, Señor Juan Baptista; is it not a pity that a demon should have possession of so fair a body, but we console ourselves with one hope, and that is, that the evil spirit said he would go away when your son Andrew should arrive, and we are expecting him every instant."
"So I have heard," said the Señor Juan Baptista, "and I should rejoice if anything of mine were to be the harbinger of such good news."