A new source of anguish added to the misery already sustained
by the wretched Gonzago; his arm was paralyzed by the utter hopelessness
of any attempt to emerge from the obscurity to which fate had condemned
him; he brooded over the dismal futurity which opened before him; and,
as a solace to these gloomy meditations, suffered his imagination to
dwell upon the charms and graces of the lovely Giacinta, his kinsman's
gentle bride. He saw her sometimes flitting through the myrtle groves
which skirted the neighbouring palace; and when night favoured his
concealment, he would approach the marble porticos to catch the sound of
her voice as, accompanied by a lute, she wasted its melody upon the
silent stars. Beatrice, in the mean time, experienced only in the pale
brow and haggard form of her brother an alloy to her happiness.
Alessandro, the young heir of the Orsini family, had abandoned the gay
revels of Florence to share the solitude of the despised Ghibellines;
and although there seemed to be little chance of ultimate triumph over
the obstacles which opposed themselves to an alliance between the
prosperous scion of a noble house and the unportioned orphan of a
banished man, yet hope pre-ponderated over fear, and, blessed by her
enchanting smiles, the lover indulged in delightful anticipations.
...
Again was the Alberoni palace illumined by innumerable tapers; again
were the glittering saloons filled with all the noble population of
Florence.
Pages:
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45