Anselmo was amazed, overwhelmed, and astounded at the words of Lothario,

which came upon him at a time when he least expected to hear them, for he

now looked upon Camilla as having triumphed over the pretended attacks of

Lothario, and was beginning to enjoy the glory of her victory. He

remained silent for a considerable time, looking on the ground with fixed

gaze, and at length said, "Thou hast behaved, Lothario, as I expected of

thy friendship: I will follow thy advice in everything; do as thou wilt,

and keep this secret as thou seest it should be kept in circumstances so

unlooked for."

Lothario gave him his word, but after leaving him he repented altogether

of what he had said to him, perceiving how foolishly he had acted, as he

might have revenged himself upon Camilla in some less cruel and degrading

way. He cursed his want of sense, condemned his hasty resolution, and

knew not what course to take to undo the mischief or find some ready

escape from it. At last he decided upon revealing all to Camilla, and, as

there was no want of opportunity for doing so, he found her alone the

same day; but she, as soon as she had the chance of speaking to him,

said, "Lothario my friend, I must tell thee I have a sorrow in my heart

which fills it so that it seems ready to burst; and it will be a wonder

if it does not; for the audacity of Leonela has now reached such a pitch

that every night she conceals a gallant of hers in this house and remains

with him till morning, at the expense of my reputation; inasmuch as it is

open to anyone to question it who may see him quitting my house at such

unseasonable hours; but what distresses me is that I cannot punish or

chide her, for her privity to our intrigue bridles my mouth and keeps me

silent about hers, while I am dreading that some catastrophe will come of

it."

As Camilla said this Lothario at first imagined it was some device to

delude him into the idea that the man he had seen going out was Leonela's

lover and not hers; but when he saw how she wept and suffered, and begged

him to help her, he became convinced of the truth, and the conviction

completed his confusion and remorse; however, he told Camilla not to

distress herself, as he would take measures to put a stop to the

insolence of Leonela. At the same time he told her what, driven by the

fierce rage of jealousy, he had said to Anselmo, and how he had arranged

to hide himself in the closet that he might there see plainly how little

she preserved her fidelity to him; and he entreated her pardon for this

madness, and her advice as to how to repair it, and escape safely from

the intricate labyrinth in which his imprudence had involved him. Camilla

was struck with alarm at hearing what Lothario said, and with much anger,

and great good sense, she reproved him and rebuked his base design and

the foolish and mischievous resolution he had made; but as woman has by

nature a nimbler wit than man for good and for evil, though it is apt to

fail when she sets herself deliberately to reason, Camilla on the spur of

the moment thought of a way to remedy what was to all appearance

irremediable, and told Lothario to contrive that the next day Anselmo

should conceal himself in the place he mentioned, for she hoped from his

concealment to obtain the means of their enjoying themselves for the

future without any apprehension; and without revealing her purpose to him

entirely she charged him to be careful, as soon as Anselmo was concealed,

to come to her when Leonela should call him, and to all she said to him

to answer as he would have answered had he not known that Anselmo was

listening. Lothario pressed her to explain her intention fully, so that

he might with more certainty and precaution take care to do what he saw

to be needful.




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