They held their breath to taste the sweetness of that kiss to the full.
Passing through the Via due Macelli the carriage drove up the Via dei
Tritone, turned into the Via Sistina and stopped at the door of the
Palazzo Zuccari.
Elena instantly released her captive, saying rather huskily--
'Go now, good-bye.'
'When will you come?'
'_Chi sa!_'
The footman opened the door and Andrea got out. The carriage turned back
to the Via Sistina and Andrea, still vibrating with passion, a veil of
mist before his eyes, stood watching to see if Elena's face would not
appear at the window; but he saw nothing. The carriage drove rapidly
away.
As he ascended the stairs to his apartment, he said to himself--'So she
has come round at last!' The intoxication of her presence was still upon
him, on his lips he still felt the pressure of her kiss, and in his eyes
was the flash of the smile with which she had thrown that sort of smooth
and perfumed snake about his neck. And Donna Maria?--Most assuredly it
was to her he owed these unexpected favours. There was no doubt that at
the bottom of Elena's strange and fantastic behaviour lay a decided
touch of jealousy. Fearing perhaps that he was escaping her she sought
thus to lure him back and rekindle his passion. 'Does she love me, or
does she not?' But what did it matter to him one way or another? What
good would it do him to know? The spell was broken irremediably.
Pages:
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323