Amanda talked with him of his approaching wedding in a tone which was half playful and half sentimental, precisely as her feelings prompted her; for to a well-brought-up Italian girl, marriage is the herald of all earthly bliss, the entrance to that happy state in which uncertainty, restraint, and trouble cease, and unchecked freedom, new dresses, drives, and evenings at the opera, begin. And so her pretty chatter in some way re-awakened his old feeling of yearning for Theresa; her charm and personal attraction helped him still further to a realisation of his own approaching happiness, and he found himself confessing to her how much she herself had done towards this. A young girl"s tears flow readily at words of praise, and our little maiden wept as she listened to Mansana"s flattering talk. She thought it necessary in return, to tell him what confidence she too had felt in him; and though in her own heart she knew she had always, in his presence, been conscious of a slight sense of fear, she would not mention this. Then, as though in confirmation of her words, which were not so truthful as she would have wished, she gave him one of her smiling glances. The sunshine of her smile caught the glistening tear-drops on her cheeks, and framed a rainbow of indescribable beauty in Mansana"s mind. He took her little round hand within both his as his farewell. A blush rose to her cheeks as he murmured something--he did not himself know what--and then he left her. He saw her pretty figure, arms, and head, just above him on the stairs, and a minute later on the balcony, as he looked up. He heard from the other side of the square, a melodious "farewell," listened for it once again, then turned away down the side street. So absorbed was he, that he had not noticed the approach of Sardi, who was making straight towards him; indeed, he was only awakened to the fact by a l.u.s.ty slap upon the shoulder.
"Is it really true," asked Sardi, with a laugh, "that you are in love with the little girl up yonder? Upon my word, it would almost seem so!"
Mansana"s face grew copper red, his eyes flashed, his breath came quickly as he answered:
"What are you talking about? What have you been told--that----?" He stopped wondering what he could be about to hear; surely no one could have--Luigi could never have---- "What did you say?" he repeated.
"Upon my soul, you seem bewitched!"
"What did you say?" repeated Mansana, with deepened colour, his brows knit, and one hand laid, not too gently, upon the major"s shoulder.
It was now Sardi"s turn to be offended. Mansana"s vehemence had so taken him by surprise, he had no time to consider what he should say, but in his own defence, and with a desire of still further irritating the unjustly aroused temper of his friend, he told him what people were already saying about him, and how the officers at the _cafe_ were amusing themselves at his expense.
Mansana"s anger knew no bounds. He swore that if Sardi would not at once reveal who had first started these reports, he must himself be answerable, and for a moment it seemed as though a challenge would be inevitable between the two friends. But Sardi, almost immediately recovering his composure, represented to Mansana what an ugly sensation it would create, were he to fight a duel with him, or with any one else, over such a subject as his relationship with Amanda Brandini, the very day before leaving to celebrate his wedding with the Princess Leaney.
Surely the best answer he could give to such a calumny would be to start at once, and make the princess his bride without delay. Thereupon followed a fresh ebullition from Mansana. He would look after his own affairs, and protect his own reputation; Sardi must give the names of his detractors! The major saw no reason for concealment, and gave the names, one by one, merely adding quietly, that if Mansana felt an inclination to kill off all this small fry, he was quite welcome to the task!
Mansana was eager to make straight for the _cafe_, where all these officers would now be a.s.sembled. Sardi, however, convinced him of the folly of such a course.
Then, Mansana declared, he would at any rate seek Luigi. But Sardi undertook himself to carry the challenge to the lieutenant. "Though, after all," he added, "what is he to be challenged for?"
"For what he has said of me," shouted Mansana.
"But what has he said of you? That you are in love with Amanda Brandini? Is this not true?"
Now, had Mansana started on his journey without meeting Major Sardi, it is tolerably certain that he would, in two or three days" time, have been married to the Princess Leaney; whereas the following conversation now took place.
"Have you the boldness to a.s.sert that I love Amanda?"
"I refuse to answer that; but if you do not love her, what the devil does it concern you if the young whelp says so, or whether he cares for her himself; or even whether he attempts to seduce her?"
"You are a boor and a scoundrel to use such language!"
"And what are you, pray, who can openly abuse a young man for the crime of talking and jesting with his cousin?"
"Jesting with her!" repeated Mansana scornfully, with clenched fists and knitted brows; whilst Sardi interjected:
"Who is to look after her when you are gone?"
"I shall not go!" shouted Mansana.
"You will not go? Have you lost your senses?"
"I shall not go," repeated Mansana, his hands and arms raised above his head as if in confirmation of an oath.
Sardi was taken aback.
"Then you really do love her?" he whispered.
Mansana recoiled. A groan, as from the strength of his whole frame, alarmed Sardi, who feared an attack of apoplexy, but after a brief struggle with himself, Mansana"s countenance cleared, and slowly, as though unconsciously and to himself, he murmured:
"Yes, I love her!" Then, turning to Sardi, he added: "And I shall not go away!"
And from that moment he was like a driven hurricane of wind.
He turned and hurried away, in a storm of pa.s.sion.
"Where are you making for?" asked Sardi, as he hastened after him.
"I am going to Borghi."
"But we had agreed that I was to see him."
"Very well, then, go!"
"But where are you going?"
"To find Borghi!" Then he added pa.s.sionately, "I love her, and whoever tries to take her from me shall die!" And again he turned to go.
"But does she love you?" shouted Sardi, quite forgetting that they were in the public street.
And once more raising his strong, sinewy hands above his head, Mansana answered, in a hollow voice:
"She _shall_ love me!"
Sardi grew alarmed.
"Giuseppe, you are mad! You have been over excited, and it is only this unnatural condition of your mind which causes you to feel and speak like this. You are not yourself, Giuseppe! Do not run away from me!
Don"t you see that you are attracting the attention of the people in the street?"
At that Mansana stopped.
"Do you know what it is that makes me furious, Cornelius? It is the thought that I ever paid attention to those people in the street! I must needs hold my tongue, suffer, and be trampled on! This is what makes me furious."
He drew a step nearer Sardi.
"And now," he said, "I mean to proclaim it aloud to all the world; I love her!"
He actually shouted the words as he walked on with proud step. Sardi followed, and, taking him by the arm, guided him quietly into a less frequented street. But Mansana paid no heed, and with loud voice and vigorous gesticulations, gave his secretly wounded egotism vent.
"After all, what should I gain," he cried, "by becoming the husband of the Princess Leaney, the steward of her ladyship"s estates, the slave of her ladyship"s caprices? Now, for the first time, I can acknowledge to myself the truth; such a life would have been unworthy of Giuseppe Mansana."
Sardi came to the conclusion that if Mansana could so belie the usual taciturnity and reserve of his nature as to bawl and shout in this outrageous manner, almost any mad feat might be possible; so, with an ingenuity and perseverance that did him credit, he sought to induce him to take a little journey, just to give time for the confused condition of his mind and his affairs to settle themselves. But he might as well have expected a hurricane to heed his words.
CHAPTER XI