by touch, word and look; you gave me all I sought!
Why try to excuse it now? You are as much my wife as ever you were
Fabio's--nay--you are more so, for you love me--at least you say
so--and though you lied to your husband, you dare not lie to me. I tell
you, you DARE NOT! I never pitied Fabio, never--he was too easily
duped, and a married man has no right to be otherwise than suspicious
and ever on his guard; if he relaxes in his vigilance he has only
himself to blame when his honor is flung like a ball from hand to hand,
as one plays with a child's toy. I repeat to you, Nina, you are mine,
and I swear you shall never escape me!"

The impetuous words coursed rapidly from his lips, and his deep musical
voice had a defiant ring as it fell on the stillness of the evening
air. I smiled bitterly as I heard! She struggled in his arms half
angrily.

"Let me go," she said. "You are rough, you hurt me!"

He released her instantly. The violence of his embrace had crushed the
rose she wore, and its crimson leaves fluttered slowly down one by one
on the ground at her feet. Her eyes flashed resentfully, and an
impatient frown contracted her fair level brows. She looked away from
him in silence, the silence of a cold disdain. Something in her
attitude pained him, for he sprung forward and caught her hand,
covering it with kisses.

"Forgive me, carina mia" he cried, repentantly. "I did not mean to
reproach you. You cannot help being beautiful--it is the fault of God
or the devil that you are so, and that your beauty maddens me! You are
the heart of my heart, the soul of my soul! Oh, Nina mia, let us not
waste words in useless anger. Think of it, we are free--free! Free to
make life a long dream of delight--delight more perfect than angels can
know! The greatest blessing that could have befallen us is the death of
Fabio, and now that we are all in all to each other, do not harden
yourself against me! Nina, be gentle with me--of all things in the
world, surely love is best!"

She smiled, with the pretty superior smile of a young empress pardoning
a recreant subject, and suffered him to draw her again, but with more
gentleness, into his embrace. She put up her lips to meet his--I looked
on like a man in a dream! I saw them cling together--each kiss they
exchanged was a fresh stab to my tortured soul.

"You are so foolish, Guido mio" she pouted, passing her little jeweled
fingers through his clustering hair with a light caress--"