第70章

"Actress, you must hear me! Do you know what this calling of the stage is in the eyes of prejudice,--that is, of the common opinion of mankind? It is to be a princess before the lamps, and a Pariah before the day.No man believes in your virtue, no man credits your vows; you are the puppet that they consent to trick out with tinsel for their amusement, not an idol for their worship.Are you so enamoured of this career that you scorn even to think of security and honour? Perhaps you are different from what you seem.Perhaps you laugh at the prejudice that would degrade you, and would wisely turn it to advantage.Speak frankly to me; I have no prejudice either.Sweet one, I am sure we should agree.Now, this Prince di --, I have a message from him.Shall I deliver it?"Never had Viola felt as she felt then, never had she so thoroughly seen all the perils of her forelorn condition and her fearful renown.Nicot continued:--"Zanoni would but amuse himself with thy vanity; Glyndon would despise himself, if he offered thee his name, and thee, if thou wouldst accept it; but the Prince di -- is in earnest, and he is wealthy.Listen!"And Nicot approached his lips to her, and hissed a sentence which she did not suffer him to complete.She darted from him with one glance of unutterable disdain.As he strove to regain his hold of her arm, he lost his footing, and fell down the sides of the rock till, bruised and lacerated, a pine-branch saved him from the yawning abyss below.She heard his exclamation of rage and pain as she bounded down the path, and, without once turning to look behind, regained her home.By the porch stood Glyndon, conversing with Gionetta.She passed him abruptly, entered the house, and, sinking on the floor, wept loud and passionately.

Glyndon, who had followed her in surprise, vainly sought to soothe and calm her.She would not reply to his questions; she did not seem to listen to his protestations of love, till suddenly, as Nicot's terrible picture of the world's judgment of that profession which to her younger thoughts had seemed the service of Song and the Beautiful, forced itself upon her, she raised her face from her hands, and, looking steadily upon the Englishman, said, "False one, dost thou talk of me of love?""By my honour, words fail to tell thee how I love!""Wilt thou give me thy home, thy name? Dost thou woo me as thy wife?" And at that moment, had Glyndon answered as his better angel would have counselled, perhaps, in that revolution of her whole mind which the words of Nicot had effected, which made her despise her very self, sicken of her lofty dreams, despair of the future, and distrust her whole ideal,--perhaps, I say, in restoring her self-esteem,--he would have won her confidence, and ultimately secured her love.But against the prompting of his nobler nature rose up at that sudden question all those doubts which, as Zanoni had so well implied, made the true enemies of his soul.Was he thus suddenly to be entangled into a snare laid for his credulity by deceivers? Was she not instructed to seize the moment to force him into an avowal which prudence must repent? Was not the great actress rehearsing a premeditated part? He turned round, as these thoughts, the children of the world, passed across him, for he literally fancied that he heard the sarcastic laugh of Mervale without.Nor was he deceived.

Mervale was passing by the threshold, and Gionetta had told him his friend was within.Who does not know the effect of the world's laugh? Mervale was the personation of the world.The whole world seemed to shout derision in those ringing tones.He drew back,--he recoiled.Viola followed him with her earnest, impatient eyes.At last, he faltered forth, "Do all of thy profession, beautiful Viola, exact marriage as the sole condition of love?" Oh, bitter question! Oh, poisoned taunt! He repented it the moment after.He was seized with remorse of reason, of feeling, and of conscience.He saw her form shrink, as it were, at his cruel words.He saw the colour come and go, to leave the writhing lips like marble; and then, with a sad, gentle look of self-pity, rather than reproach, she pressed her hands tightly to her bosom, and said,--"He was right! Pardon me, Englishman; I see now, indeed, that Iam the Pariah and the outcast."

"Hear me.I retract.Viola, Viola! it is for you to forgive!"But Viola waved him from her, and, smiling mournfully as she passed him by, glided from the chamber; and he did not dare to detain her.