And now who was so blessed as the fortunate Flodoardo? The victory

was his own, he had heard the wished-for sentence pronounced by the

lips of Rosabella. He raised her from the ground, and placed her on

a sofa. Her blue eyes soon unclosed themselves once more, and the

first object which they beheld was Flodoardo kneeling at her feet,

while with one arm he encircled her waist. Her head sank upon the

shoulder of the man for whom she had breathed so many sighs, who had

occupied so many of her thoughts by day, who had been present in so

many of her dreams by night.

As they gazed in silent rapture on each other, they forgot that they

were mortals; they seemed to be transported to a happier, to a

better world. Rosabella thought that the chamber in which she sat

was transformed into an earthly Paradise; invisible seraphs seemed

to hallow by their protecting presence the indulgence of her

innocent affection, and she poured forth her secret thanks to Him

who had given her a heart susceptible of love.

Through the whole course of man's existence, such a moment as this

occurs but once. Happy is he who sighs for its arrival; happy is he

who, when it arrives, has a soul worthy of its enjoyment; happy is

even he for whom that moment has long been passed, so it passed not

unenjoyed, for the recollection of it still is precious. Sage

philosophers, in vain do you assure us that the raptures of a moment

like this are mere illusions of a heated imagination, scarcely more

solid than an enchanting dream, which fades before the sunbeams of

truth and reason. Alas! does there exist a happiness under the moon

which owes not its charms in some degree to the magic of

imagination!

"You are dear to me, Flodoardo," murmured Rosabella, for Camilla and

her counsels were quite forgotten; "oh, you are very, very dear!"

The youth only thanked her by clasping her still closer to his

bosom, while, for the first time, he sealed her coral lips with his

own.

At that moment the door was suddenly thrown open. The Doge Andreas

re-entered the apartment: the expected stranger had been suddenly

taken ill, and Andreas was no sooner at liberty than he hastened to

rejoin his favourite. The rustling of his garments roused the

lovers from their dream of bliss. Rosabella started from

Flodoardo's embrace with a cry of terror; Flodoardo quitted his

kneeling posture, yet seemed by no means disconcerted at the

discovery.

Andreas gazed upon them for some minutes, with a look which

expressed at once anger, melancholy, and the most heartfelt

disappointment. He sighed deeply, cast his eyes towards heaven, and

in silence turned to leave the apartment.




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