A Sicilian Romance

Meanwhile a circumstance occurred which increased the general discord,

and threatened Emilia with the loss of her last remaining comfort--the

advice and consolation of Madame de Menon. The marchioness, whose

passion for the Count de Vereza had at length yielded to absence, and

the pressure of present circumstances, now bestowed her smiles upon a

young Italian cavalier, a visitor at the castle, who possessed too

much of the spirit of gallantry to permit a lady to languish in vain.

The marquis, whose mind was occupied with other passions, was

insensible to the misconduct of his wife, who at all times had the

address to disguise her vices beneath the gloss of virtue and innocent

freedom. The intrigue was discovered by madame, who, having one day

left a book in the oak parlour, returned thither in search of it. As

she opened the door of the apartment, she heard the voice of the

cavalier in passionate exclamation; and on entering, discovered him

rising in some confusion from the feet of the marchioness, who,

darting at madame a look of severity, arose from her seat. Madame,

shocked at what she had seen, instantly retired, and buried in her own

bosom that secret, the discovery of which would most essentially have

poisoned the peace of the marquis. The marchioness, who was a stranger

to the generosity of sentiment which actuated Madame de Menon, doubted

not that she would seize the moment of retaliation, and expose her

conduct where most she dreaded it should be known. The consciousness

of guilt tortured her with incessant fear of discovery, and from this

period her whole attention was employed to dislodge from the castle

the person to whom her character was committed. In this it was not

difficult to succeed; for the delicacy of madame's feelings made her

quick to perceive, and to withdraw from a treatment unsuitable to the

natural dignity of her character. She therefore resolved to depart

from the castle; but disdaining to take an advantage even over a

successful enemy, she determined to be silent on that subject which

would instantly have transferred the triumph from her adversary to

herself. When the marquis, on hearing her determination to retire,

earnestly enquired for the motive of her conduct, she forbore to

acquaint him with the real one, and left him to incertitude and

disappointment.

To Emilia this design occasioned a distress which almost subdued the

resolution of madame. Her tears and intreaties spoke the artless

energy of sorrow. In madame she lost her only friend; and she too well

understood the value of that friend, to see her depart without feeling

and expressing the deepest distress. From a strong attachment to the

memory of the mother, madame had been induced to undertake the

education of her daughters, whose engaging dispositions had

perpetuated a kind of hereditary affection. Regard for Emilia and

Julia had alone for some time detained her at the castle; but this was

now succeeded by the influence of considerations too powerful to be

resisted. As her income was small, it was her plan to retire to her

native place, which was situated in a distant part of the island, and

there take up her residence in a convent.