The Resources Of Quinola Part 15

Faustine That girl ought to be forever lost to him.

Quinola But he would die, senora.

Faustine He must be very much in love with her.

Quinola Ah! that is not my fault! All the way here from Valladolid I have a thousand times argued the point, that a man like he ought to adore women, but never to love an individual woman! Never--

Faustine You are a pretty worthless rascal! Go and tell Lothundiaz to come and speak with me and to bring his daughter with him. (Aside) She shall be put in a convent.

Quinola (aside) She is the enemy. She loves me so much that she can't help doing us a great deal of harm. (Exit.)

SCENE EIGHTH

Faustine and Fregose.

Fregose While you expect the master, you spend your time in corrupting the servant.

Faustine Can a woman ever lose her habit of seduction?

Fregose Senora, you are ungenerous; I should think that a patrician lady of Venice would know how to spare the feelings of an old soldier.

Faustine Come, my lord, you presume more upon your white hair than a young man would presume upon his fairest locks, and you find in them a stronger argument than in--(She laughs). Let me have no more of this petulance.

Fregose How can I be otherwise than vexed when you compromise yourself thus, you, whom I wish to be my wife? Is it nothing to have a chance of bearing one of the n.o.blest of names?

Faustine Do you think it is too n.o.ble for a Brancadori?

Fregose Yet, you would prefer stooping to a Fontanares!

Faustine But what if he could raise himself as high as to a Brancadori? That would be a proof of love indeed! Besides, as you know from your own experience, love never reasons.

Fregose Ah! You acknowledge that!

Faustine Your friends.h.i.+p to me is so great that you have been the first to learn my secret.

Fregose Senora! Yes, love is madness! I have surrendered to you more than myself! Alas, I wish I had the world to offer you. You evidently are not aware that your picture gallery alone cost me almost all my fortune.

Faustine Paquita!

Fregose And that I would surrender to you even my honor.

SCENE NINTH

The same persons and Paquita.

Faustine (to Paquita) Tell my steward that the pictures of my gallery must immediately be carried to the house of Don Fregose.

Fregose Paquita, do not deliver that order.

Faustine The other day, they tell me, the Queen Catherine de Medici sent an order to Diana of Poitiers to deliver up what jewels she had received from Henry II.; Diana sent them back melted into an ingot. Paquita, fetch the jeweler.

Fregose You will do nothing of the kind, but leave the room.

(Exit Paquita.)

SCENE TENTH

The same persons, with the exception of Paquita.

Faustine As I am not yet the Marchioness of Fregose, how dare you give your orders in my house?

Fregose I am quite aware of the fact that here it is my duty to receive them.

But is my whole fortune worth one word from you? Forgive an impulse of despair.

Faustine One ought to be a gentleman, even in despair; and in your despair you treat Faustine as a courtesan. Ah! you wish to be adored, but the vilest Venetian woman would tell you that this costs dear.

Fregose I have deserved this terrible outburst.

Faustine You say you love me. Love me? Love is self-devotion without the hope of recompense. Love is the wish to live in the light of a sun which the lover trembles to approach. Do not deck out your egotism in the l.u.s.tre of genuine love. A married woman, Laura de Nova, said to Petrarch, "You are mine, without hope--live on without love." But when Italy crowned the poet she crowned also his sublime love, and centuries to come shall echo with admiration to the names of Laura and Petrarch.

Fregose There are very many poets whom I dislike, but the man you mention is the object of my abomination. To the end of the world women will throw him in the face of those lovers whom they wish to keep without taking.

Faustine You are called general, but you are nothing but a soldier.

Fregose Indeed, and how then shall I imitate this cursed Petrarch?

Faustine If you say you love me, you will ward off from a man of genius--(Don Fregose starts)--yes, there are such--the martyrdom which his inferiors are preparing for him. Show yourself great, a.s.sist him! I know it will give you pain, but a.s.sist him; then I shall believe you love me, and you will become more ill.u.s.trious, in my sight at least, by this act of generosity than by your capture of Mantua.

Fregose Here, in your presence, I feel capable of anything, but you cannot dream of the tempest which will fall upon my head, if I obey your word.

Faustine Ah! you shrink from obeying me!

Fregose Protect him, admire him, if you like; but do not love him!

Faustine The s.h.i.+p given him by the king has been held back; you can restore it to him, in a moment.

Fregose And I will send him to give you the thanks.

Faustine Do it! And learn how much I love you.

(Exit Don Fregose.)