never was there a creature so nobly
sincere. She's a girl in heart, not in mind. Think of her sacrificed to
this man thrice her age!'
'She differs from other girls only on the surface, Nevil. As for the
man, I wish she were going to marry a younger. I wish, yes, my friend,'
Roland squeezed Nevil's hand, 'I wish! I'm afraid it's hopeless. She did
not tell you to hope?'
'Not by one single sign,' said Nevil.
'You see, my friend!'
'For that reason,' Nevil rejoined, with the calm fanaticism of the
passion of love, 'I hope all the more... because I will not believe that
she, so pure and good, can be sacrificed. Put me aside--I am nothing. I
hope to save her from that.'
'We have now,' said Roland, 'struck the current of duplicity. You are
really in love, my poor fellow.'
Lover and friend came to no conclusion, except that so lovely a night
was not given for slumber. A small round brilliant moon hung almost
globed in the depths of heaven, and the image of it fell deep between
San Giorgio and the Dogana.
Renee had the scene from her window, like a dream given out of sleep.
She lay with both arms thrown up beneath her head on the pillow, her
eyelids wide open, and her visage set and stern. Her bosom rose and
sank regularly but heavily. The fluctuations of a night stormy for her,
hitherto unknown, had sunk her to this trance, in which she lay like a
creature flung on shore by the waves. She heard her brother's voice
and Nevil's, and the pacing of their feet. She saw the long shaft of
moonlight broken to zigzags of mellow lightning, and wavering back to
steadiness; dark San Giorgio, and the sheen of the Dogana's front.
But the visible beauty belonged to a night that had shivered repose,
humiliated and wounded her, destroyed her confident happy half-infancy
of heart, and she had flown for a refuge to hard feelings. Her
predominant sentiment was anger; an anger that touched all and enveloped
none, for it was quite fictitious, though she felt it, and suffered from
it. She turned it on Nevil, as against an enemy, and became the victim
in his place. Tears for him filled in her eyes, and ran over; she
disdained to notice them, and blinked offendedly to have her sight
clear of the weakness; but these interceding tears would flow; it was
dangerous to blame him, harshly. She let them roll down, figuring to
herself with quiet simplicity of mind that her spirit was independent
of them as long as she restrained her hands from b
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