Access Online - The European Library
Access Online - The European Library Access Online - The European Library
108 ARIADNE.courts, and live in the sunshine of prosperity,and bear her jewels on her forehead of brass,and wear the robe of her husband's shame asthough it were a garment of righteousness;buton the womanwho has loved greatly, and onlyloved too well, and has dared be faithful,andlyiew no solace for love's loss,pours down itsbinning oil of contumely, whilst it thrusts herto aliving tomb, as Rome its vestals.— No doubt the worldis wise, and just.But she knew nothing of the world. Thelittle she had seen of it in that white gildedcity which had made her misery, had filled herwith horror. She had felt any look of homagefrom other eyes than his an infidelity to him.She would havebeengladto beunlovelyinother'ssight to be moreutterly his own.As for meInever asked her anything.Icould imagine without any words the terribleease with which he had made her believe a greatpassion pure as religion and divine asmartyrdom,and then wearyinghimself of the very purity andgrace of the thing he had invoked, had droppedthe veil,and let her see herself andhim as others
ARIADNE. 109saw them. He had been, like the magicians ofold, who by their spells called up all shapes sobeautiful and unearthly, that the magician flungdown his crystal and fled appalled from the thingthat he had summoned.Inever asked her anything.Iserved her inall waysIcould, asIhad done ever since thattime when she had come to me in the middaysun with the poppies and the passiflora flowers inher hands, andIhad awakened from my sleepand said to her, " Dear, — Love is cruel; thathealways is."Iwas glad and thankful that she knew me wellenoughneverto offer me any of the gold of thedead man: that would have stung me so indeedthatIthinkIcould nevermore havelooked uponher face. But she knew me too well;andIdidsuch service for her asIcould,makingfit for herthe old, dusky,lofty rooms, and finding anhonestwomanto dwell there,for Ersilia could not leaveher own dwelling-house, and going on with myownlabours at the corner of the bridge, so as tobe nobiuden to any one.The poor httle Greek boy haunted the place,
- Page 65 and 66: ARIADNE. 57think he was cruel to he
- Page 67 and 68: ARIADNE. 59garden,Isaw a messenger
- Page 69 and 70: ARIADNE. 61'sorrowful,though knowin
- Page 71 and 72: ARIADNE. 63' Hush !it will be finis
- Page 73 and 74: ARIADNE. 65she is always asking;tha
- Page 75 and 76: ARIADNE. 67" Isuppose he never send
- Page 77 and 78: ARIADNE. 69agony,Irepented then hav
- Page 79 and 80: ARIADNE. 71thinking only of her;but
- Page 81 and 82: CHAPTER V— t—Next dayIgot such
- Page 83 and 84: ARIADNE. 75see them even. No doubt
- Page 85 and 86: ARIADNE. 77waters, and here and the
- Page 87 and 88: ARIADNE. 79Iwalked on and led her b
- Page 89 and 90: ARIADNE. 81shores, and on the domes
- Page 91 and 92: ARIADNE. 83motionless.Itouched and
- Page 93 and 94: ARIADNE. 85quiet and deserted; the
- Page 95 and 96: ARIADNE. 87went out and sat clown o
- Page 97 and 98: ARIADNE. 89"Yes,Iam here. Hush! spe
- Page 99 and 100: ARIADNE. 91to me, a Roman, to whom
- Page 101 and 102: ARIADNE. 93your avenger. Vengeancei
- Page 103 and 104: ARIADNE. 95spent their lives like w
- Page 105 and 106: ARIADNE. 97him! Do you not know ? W
- Page 107 and 108: ARIADNE. 99some fair pluckt flower
- Page 109 and 110: ARIADNE. 101arise, and the Spada Vi
- Page 111 and 112: ARIADNE. 103racked with pain. No su
- Page 113 and 114: ARIADNE. 105now become equally abso
- Page 115: ARIADNE. 107and the naked there wer
- Page 119 and 120: ARIADNE. 111their goodnight's sleep
- Page 121 and 122: ARIADNE. 113her feel she wasliving
- Page 123 and 124: ARIADNE. 115Spring had come,Isay, a
- Page 125 and 126: ARIADNE. 117nightingales, and so pi
- Page 127 and 128: ARIADNE. 119foul patrician jade wru
- Page 129 and 130: ARIADNE. 121aburied village when th
- Page 131 and 132: ARIADNE. 123But for mypromise to he
- Page 133 and 134: ARIADNE. 125parts of Rome; a turn o
- Page 135 and 136: ARIADNE. 127seek to go away. He sto
- Page 137 and 138: ARIADNE. 129speak the truth. Yetit
- Page 139 and 140: ARIADNE. 131seems to me that you ar
- Page 141 and 142: ARIADNE. 133beauty against the gran
- Page 143 and 144: ARIADNE. 135Hilarion laughed ahttle
- Page 145 and 146: ARIADNE. 137that mirroredhim." That
- Page 147 and 148: ARIADNE. 139to be always seeing hea
- Page 149 and 150: ARIADNE. 141He laughed a httle, par
- Page 151 and 152: ARIADNE. 143ThenIturned,and woulcl
- Page 153 and 154: ARIADNE. 145other gain from her a m
- Page 155 and 156: ARIADNE. 147dead things none are so
- Page 157 and 158: ARIADNE. 149sometimes, and knew tho
- Page 159 and 160: ARIADNE. 151her; she was vaguely op
- Page 161 and 162: ARIADNE. 153She stayed aU the summe
- Page 163 and 164: ARIADNE. 155of tlie Nonii, to the s
- Page 165 and 166: ARIADNE. 157Then hot tears filled h
108 ARIADNE.courts, and live in the sunshine of prosperity,and bear her jewels on her forehead of brass,and wear the robe of her husband's shame asthough it were a garment of righteousness;buton the womanwho has loved greatly, and onlyloved too well, and has dared be faithful,andlyiew no solace for love's loss,pours down itsbinning oil of contumely, whilst it thrusts herto aliving tomb, as Rome its vestals.— No doubt the worldis wise, and just.But she knew nothing of the world. <strong>The</strong>little she had seen of it in that white gildedcity which had made her misery, had filled herwith horror. She had felt any look of homagefrom other eyes than his an infidelity to him.She would havebeengladto beunlovelyinother'ssight to be moreutterly his own.As for meInever asked her anything.Icould imagine without any words the terribleease with which he had made her believe a greatpassion pure as religion and divine asmartyrdom,and then wearyinghimself of the very purity andgrace of the thing he had invoked, had droppedthe veil,and let her see herself andhim as others
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