lustrous
orbs looked full into his, swimming in liquid Oriental languor, yet
flashing out beams of consuming fire.

Yet Paullus Arvina felt the glance, like an electrical influence, through
every nerve and artery of his body, and trembled at its power.

It was a minute before he could collect himself enough to speak to her,
for all the rest had moved away a little, and left them standing together;
and when he did so, his voice faltered, and his manner was so much
agitated, that she must have been blind, indeed, and stupid, not to
perceive it.

And Lucia was not blind nor stupid. No! by the God of Love! an universe of
wild imaginative intellect, an ocean of strange whirling thoughts, an Etna
of fierce and fiery passions, lay buried beneath that calm, bashful,
almost awkward manner. Many bad thoughts were there, many unmaidenly
imaginings, many ungoverned and most evil passions; but there was also
much that was partly good; much that might have been all good, and high
and noble, had it been properly directed; but alas! as much pains had been
taken to corrupt and deprave that youthful understanding, and to inflame
those nascent passions, as are devoted by good parents to developing the
former, and repressing the growth of the latter.

As it was, self indulged, and indulged by others, she was a creature of
impulse entirely, ill regulated and ungovernable.

Intended from the first to be a tool in his own hands, whenever he might
think fit to use her, she had in no case hitherto run counter to the views
of Catiline; because, so long as his schemes were agreeable to her
inclinations, and favorable to her pleasures, she was quite willing to be
his tool; though by no means unconscious of the fact that he meant her to
be such.

What might be the result should his wishes cross her own, the arch
conspirator had never given himself the pains to enquire; for, like the
greater part of voluptuaries, regarding women as mere animals, vastly
inferior in mind and intellect to men, he had entirely overlooked her
mental qualifications, and fancied her a being of as small moral capacity,
as he knew her to be of strong physical organization.

He was mistaken; as wise men often are, and deeply, perhaps fatally.

There was not probably a girl in all Italy, in all the world, who would so
implicitly have followed his directions, as long as to do so gratified her
passions, and clashed not with her indomitable will, to the sacrifice of
all