The Duchess's Revenge or The Three Warnings — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

10) THE DUCHESS’S. REVENGE. ‘“‘ Leave her to,me,” rephed Bentivoglio; ‘I have a debt with her that must. be paid.” “Why, how terrible youlook; one would think you were! about to take her. life.” | ‘“« And: would that trouble yowmuch if Iwere?” sneered Bentivoglio. ‘‘ Perhaps not ; but I,donot like the sight of | blood, it-makes me.ill.” ‘Do not trouble yourself; yon, at. least, will escape the sight of it.” The duchess trembled as she heard these words, so cruelly. spoken. “You. know that once I loyed Fiammetta Malatesta,” continued the man. ‘“‘{ have heard you did,” replied the,girl, “ and have always wondered at your taste,” ‘She played me false.. I had to bear it,. be. cause I was poor, and in her power.”’ “Two most unfortunate things,’ said the young beauty, yawning. ‘“‘ Well? Goon.” ‘““I love her. no more. I hate, detest, despise her!” cried Bentivogclio. “A wery wise thing to do, wren you have | nothing more to hope,” said the girl. *‘ Peace, girl; my heart is not to be played with. The duchess knows that you love the | duke.” ‘‘ Pardon me,” replied Constantia, haughtily, “it is the duke loves me.” ‘““ Be it so; she is jealous: the duke wishes for a just cause for divorce, and he shall have it.”’ “You villain!’ cried Constantia, springing to her feet; ‘‘yoa heartless wretch-—you worse than murderer !’’ “How now, my mistress!” said Bentivoelio, recgiling before the girl. ‘‘ This from yon!” ‘Yes, this from me. You have brought me up, tanght me everything that is bad; but in my wildest dreams J] never dreamed of such baseness.as yours. Would you &ill the soul as well as the body? Ha,ha, ha! Why, look how pale you grow. Like a'l bad men, you are a | | | One had belied his lordship to you.. Tellme who coward, Bentivoglio, and one that a girl can make tremble. more of your terrib!e secrets,” “Hush!” cried Bentivoglio; ‘‘ there is the duke’s signal. I must join him.” “Farewell, Mephistopheles,” said Constantia, ““we soon shall meet again.” ‘“‘In two hours be prepared for flight. well, my lady the duchess !” Fiammetha waited to hear no more; gently closi: g the door, she hurried back to her room, and fur a moment sat lost im-thought. Then with a firm hand struck a small gong that stood by her side. spi A servant qnickly answered the summons. “Send Giammetto to me, aireetly;’”’ said the - duchess, in 9 hollow voice. The servant disappeared, and the duchess, seating herself at a table, commenced writing. Fare- Giammetto, a tall, heavy-browed man, entered | the room, and bowed with an awkward air, ag if he were not used to being in sucha place asa lady’s boudoir. ‘‘Giamimetto,’”’ said the duchess, “ when I Jeft my father’s palace, yon accompanied me.” ‘‘[ faith, my lady, I had that honour; nor would I have left the old lord but for you.” “T know it, Giammeitto; When I was leaving, | my father said—‘ Farewell, Piammetta; you leave me to go to a happy home,.to a husband who is rich and powerful. | Still, in spite of all these advantages, you may want assistance. J / cannot be always near to guide and advise you, neither may be the duke, your husband; there- | fore, I have sent with you Giammetto; my trusty henchman, who will protect and obey you implicitly. Twice he has saved my life on the field of battle, and twice my honour has been avenged by his hand. Therefore, my daughter, should aught of evil happen, trust to Giam- metto.’”’ ‘“‘T do remember well the old count’s words: they nearly bronght tears in my eyes,” cried the old man. ‘‘ Twice I saved your father’s life, ’tis ' true, but those affairs about his honour were Do as you will, but tell me no | | out his lying throat.” U » not pretty things, and had best be forgotten.” “ Giammetio, I, Fiammetta, your old master’s only daughter is in danger.’ |. “You! Impossible! Who would dare touch the Dachess Vergellesi P” | . “The one who should protect both her honour and her life as his own.” “‘Tt cannot be possible!”’ cried the old man. “"No, no, my lady, Vll not believe it. Some specious villain has been pouring this black poison in, your ear.” “You guess, then, the person I mean ?”” The old man cast his eyes around, as if search- ing for some excuse, and at last faltered ont— ‘““t—I—cannot, dare not guess, my lady. Your words would point to one who stands so | high, that were I to breathe such a, suspicion.on him would cause my death—one who claims your honour and my obedience.” ‘If fear has made yow dull, I have no fear to | speak the name: it is tha,duke!”’ “The duke! My deares: lady, I tell you some the base liar is, and I will pluck his tongue from “The person who told me. was the duke!’ said iammetta. Gammetio started back in astonishment, unable to utter a-word. | “I heard his hatred from his own lips. I listened as he knelt, at. my rival’s feet, and heard him, as he spoke his passionate love to, her, compare that love to his detestation of myself.” “This is indeed terrible,’ muttered Giam- metto. “ Did you keep quiet all the time, with- out warning the duke of the foul injustice he was doing your” | “Was it for me, the Duchess of Vergellesi, to ‘stand shame-faced before my low-bred rival: to bear her scoru; er worse, to kneel and beg his love again ?”’ , “ Nay lady ; but had you faced the duke, and ‘proudly chid him for his, folly, you wonld no doubt have, brought him to your feet, like alk true penitents, even more devoted than he was before.” ‘Oh! wonld I could have thought so! Would JOOKS CO AMIE (E(©)