Pietro at once realised the situation and the meaning of the look he
saw. Something was passing in his old enemy's mind which had passed
through his own while he was looking at the picture, for Campodonico and
Ghisleri were both thinking of the extraordinary resemblance between
poor Bianca Corleone and the Tamara of Zichy's painting. That
resemblance, striking in a high degree, was the reason why Ghisleri
liked it, and had a photograph of it at his lodging. He regretted now
that he should have been so tactless as to stand long before it when
Campodonico was in the room. It was too late, however, and there was
nothing to be done but to meet the man's angry look quietly, and go
away. It was unfortunate that there should have been any discussion
between them at dinner, too, for Campodonico, as his wife said, was
hot-tempered in the extreme, and Ghisleri, though outwardly calm, had
always been liable to outbreaks of dangerous anger. There was, indeed,
in the present instance, a very solemn promise given to a dying woman
beloved by both, to keep them from quarrelling, and both really meant to
respect it as they had done in past years. But to see Ghisleri calmly
contemplating a picture which seemed intended to represent Bianca
Corleone falling into the arms of a demon lover, was almost too much for
the equanimity of Gianforte, which was by no means at any time very
stable. Moreover, he not only hated Ghisleri with his whole heart as
much as ever, but he despised him quite as much as Pietro despised
himself, and probably a little more. He would never have forgiven him,
at the best; but he might have respected him if Ghisleri had honoured
Bianca's memory by leading a different life. It made his blood sting to
think that a man who had been loved to the latest breath by such a woman
as Bianca should throw himself at the feet of Maddalena dell' Armi--not
to mention any of the others for whom Pietro had felt an ephemeral
passion during the last six years and more. And Pietro, on his side,
knew that Campodonico was right in judging him as he judged himself,
harshly and without mercy. Unfortunately, Pietro's judgments on himself
generally came too late, when the evil he hated had already been done,
and self-condemnation was of very little use. He had great temptations,
too--far greater than most men, and was fatally attracted by difficulty
in any shape.
On the present occasion he really desired to avoid doing the least thing
which could irritate Campodonico, and if the latter had not done what he
did Pietro would certainly have gone quietly away. He could not help
being a little surprised at the persistent stare of his old adversary,
considering that for years they had met and acted with perfectly civil
indifference towards one another. Nevertheless, he relit his cigarette
which had gone out, and made a step towards the other side of the room.
To Campodonico, the calm expression of his face seemed like scorn, and
he became exasperated in a moment. He called the other back. They were
at some distance from the other guests, and out of hearing if they spoke
in low tones.
"Ghisleri!" Campodonico pronounced the name he detested with an almost
contemptuous accent. Pietro knew that an exchange of unfriendly words
was inevitable. He turned instantly and came close to Gianforte,
standing before him and looking down into his fierce eyes, for he was by
far the taller man.
"What is it?" he asked, controlling his voice wonderfully.
"Do you not think there are circumstances under which one is justified
in breaking a solemn promise?" asked Campodonico.
"No. I do not."
"I do."
"I am very sorry. I suppose you mean to say that you wish to quarrel
with me again. Is that it?"
"Yes."
"You will find it hard. I shall do my very best to be patient whatever
you do or say. In the first place, I begin by telling you that I
sincerely regret having irritated you twice, as I have done this
evening, the second time, as I know, very seriously."
"I did not ask you for an apology," said Gianforte, with contempt.
"But I have offered you one which you will find it hard not to accept."
"You were not formerly so ready with excuses. I dare say you have grown
cautious with age, though you are not much older than I."
"Perhaps I have." Ghisleri grew slowly pale, as he bore one insult after
the other for the dead woman's sake.
"In other words, you are a coward," said Campodonico, lowering his voice
still more.
Pietro opened his lips and shut them without speaking. He glanced at the
passionate white face of the woman in the picture before he answered.
"I do not think so," he said. "But I make no pretence of bravery. Have
you done?"
"No. You make a pretence of other things if not of courage. You pretend
that you will not quarrel now because of the promise you gave."
"It is true."
"I do not believe you."
"I am sorry for it," answered Pietro.
"And do you mean to tell me that the promise binds us? If you had acted
as a man should, if you had led a life that showed the slightest respect
for that memory, it might be binding on me still."
"I think it is." Ghisleri was trembling with anger from head to foot,
but his voice was still steady.
"I do not," answered Gianforte, scornfully. "If she were here to judge
us, if she could see that the man who was loved to the last by Bianca
Corleone--God give her rest!--would live down to such a level, would
live to throw himself at the feet of a Maddalena dell' Armi--ah, I have
touched you now!--she would--"
Ghisleri's face was livid.
"She whose name you are not more worthy to speak than I, never meant
that I should not defend a good and helpless woman because the liar who
accuses her chances to be called Gianforte Campodonico."
"And the one who defends her, Pietro Ghisleri," retorted Gianforte.
"Where can my friends find yours?"
"At my lodging, if that suits them."
"Perfectly."
Campodonico turned on his heel and slowly went towards the group at the
other end of the room. Ghisleri followed him at a distance, lighting a
fresh cigarette as he walked. He had recovered his composure the moment
he had felt himself freed from the obligation to bear the insults heaped
upon him by Bianca Corleone's brother.
It must not be supposed that no one had watched the two as they stood
talking before the picture. More than one person had noticed the fierce
look in Campodonico's eyes, and the unnatural paleness of Ghisleri's
face. One of these was Donna Maria Boccapaduli.
"I suppose you have been discussing that painting," she said carelessly
to Pietro. "People always do."
"Yes," answered Ghisleri, as indifferently as he could.
"And what was the result of the discussion?"
"We agreed to differ." Pietro laughed a little harshly.
As soon as possible he excused himself and got away, for he had only
just the time necessary to find a couple of friends and explain matters,
before going to the ball to meet the Contessa, as he had promised to do.
He had forgotten an important detail, however, and as he passed
Campodonico who was also going away, and without his wife, on pretence
of an engagement at the club, he stopped him.
"By the by," he said, "I suppose we are ostensibly quarrelling about a
painter, or something of that sort."
"Yes--anything. Zichy, for instance. Everybody saw us looking at the
picture. You like it and I do not."
"Very well."
So they parted, to meet, in all probability, at dawn on the following
morning, in a quiet place outside the city. Ghisleri found two friends
in whose hands he placed himself, telling them that he was quite
indifferent to the weapons, and only desired to meet his adversary's
wishes as far as possible, since the affair was very insignificant. He
remarked in an indifferent tone that, as he had once fought with
Campodonico, using foils, and as the latter had not seemed satisfied on
that occasion, he had no objection to pistols, if the opposite side
preferred them. He wished everything to be arranged as amicably as
possible, he said, and without any undue publicity. He left them at his
lodging and departed to keep his engagement at the embassy. As he drove
through the bitter air in an open cab, he meditated on his position, and
wondered what Maddalena would say when she learned that he had been out
with his old adversary. She should not know anything about the encounter
until it was over, if he could keep it from her. At all events, he
reflected, he had done all that a man could do to keep out of a quarrel,
as he had promised her he would, and he had been driven to break a
promise of a far more sacred nature than the one he had given her. If
she knew the truth, too, it was for her, and for her alone, that he was
to fight. He wondered whether people would say it was for Laura Arden's
sake, on account of the discussion about the evil eye which had taken
place at table. The suggestion annoyed him very much, but he reached his
destination before he had found time to reason out the whole case, or to
decide what to do. In any event it would be better if people thought
that he had taken the foils in defence of an unprotected widow like
Laura, than for the good name of the Contessa dell' Armi.
She was there before him, looking very lovely in a gown of palest green,
half covered with old lace. The shade suited her fair hair and dazzling
skin, and she looked taller in faint colours, as short women do. He
found her seated in one of the smaller rooms through which he had to
pass on his way to the great ball-room, and she was surrounded by four
or five men of the gay set, all talking to her at once, all trying to be
extremely witty, and all wishing that the others would go away. But the
Contessa held her own with them, making no distinction, and keeping up
the lively, empty, rattling conversation without any apparent
difficulty. Pietro sat down in the circle, and made a remark from time
to time, to which she generally gave a direct answer, until, little by
little, she was talking with him alone, and the others began to drop
away as they always did in the course of half an hour when Ghisleri
appeared in Maddalena's neighbourhood. It was a thing perfectly
understood, as a matter not even worth mentioning.
"Will you get me something to drink?" she said when only Spicca was left
by her side.
Pietro went off towards the supper-room, which was rather distant, and
as a dance was just over and the place was crowded, it was some minutes
before he could get what he wanted, and go back to her with it. Spicca
looked at him with an odd expression of something between amusement and
sympathy as he rose and left the two together, and Ghisleri at once saw
that something unusual had occurred in his absence, for Maddalena was
very pale, and her hand shook violently as she took the glass he brought
her.
"What is the matter?" he asked anxiously, as he sat down.
"Something very disagreeable has happened," she answered, looking round
nervously.
The sofa on which they sat stood out from one side of a marble pillar,
with its back to the side of the room the guests crossed who went
directly to the ball-room, and facing the side by which they went from
the ball-room to the rooms beyond, and to the supper-room, for there
were four doors, opposite each other, two of which opened into the
great hall where the dancing was going on. Maddalena was seated at the
end of the sofa which was against the pillar, so that a person passing
through behind her might easily not notice her presence.
"Pray tell me what it is," said Ghisleri.
"Just as you went to get me the lemonade, I heard two people talking in
a low voice behind me," said Maddalena. "They must have stopped first by
the door--I looked round afterwards and saw them, but I do not know
either of them--some new people from one of the other embassies, or
merely foreigners here on a visit. They spoke rather bad French. There
was a man and a lady. They saw you cross the room and the lady asked the
man who you were, and the man told her, saying that he only knew you by
sight. The lady uttered an exclamation, and said that you were the one
man in Rome whom she wished to see because you had been loved by--you
know whom I mean--I know it hurts you to speak of her, and I understand
it. The man laughed and said there had been others since, and that there
was especially a certain Marquise d' Armi, as he called me, who was
madly in love with you. The most amusing part of the whole thing,
concluded the man, was that you were perfectly indifferent to her, as
everybody knew. It was horrible, and I almost fainted. Dear old Spicca
went on talking, trying to prevent me from hearing them. It was just
like him."
The Contessa's lip trembled, and her eyes glittered strangely as she
looked at Pietro.
"It is horrible," he said, in a low voice. He had thought that he had
felt enough emotions during that day, but he was mistaken. Even now
there were more in store for him. He was deeply shocked, for he guessed
what she must have suffered.
"Horrible--yes! But oh--can you not tell me it is not true? Do you not
see that my heart is breaking?"
"No, dearest lady," he answered tenderly, trying to soothe her. "Not
one word of it is true. How can you make yourself unhappy by thinking
such a thing?"
Maddalena drew a painful breath. He spoke very kindly, but there was no
ringing note of passion in his voice as there had once been. With a
sudden determination that surprised him, she rose to her feet.
"Take me to the ball-room," she said hurriedly. "I shall cry if I stay
here."
It was almost a relief to Ghisleri to see her accept the first man who
presented himself as a partner and whirl away with him into the great
hall. He stood leaning against the marble door-post, watching her as she
wound her way in and out among the many moving couples. He was conscious
that he might very possibly never see her again. Campodonico would of
course select pistols, and meant to kill him if he could. He might
succeed, though duels rarely ended fatally now-a-days. And if he did,
Maddalena dell' Armi would be left to her fate. He was horror-struck
when he thought of it. She might never know why he had fought, and she
would perhaps believe to her last day that he had sacrificed his life
for Laura Arden. He could leave a letter for her, but letters often fell
into the wrong hands through faithless servants when the people who had
written them were dead. Besides, would she believe his words? She had
very little faith in his love for her. He sighed bitterly as he thought
how right she was in that. He could see the pale, small, classic
features, and the half pitiful, half scornful look of the beautiful
mouth. "His last bit of comedy!" she would exclaim to herself, as she
tossed his last note into the fire. And again she would be right, in a
measure. In the case of risking sudden death, he said to himself that it
was indeed a strange bit of comedy. He knew that he did not love her as
he should. Why should he fight for her, then?
But his manliness rose up at this and smote his cynicism out of the
field for a time. That little he owed Maddalena, at least--he could not
do less than defend her, at whatever cost, and he knew well enough that
he always would. As for his wish that she might know it, that was
nothing but his own detestable vanity. For his own part, he wished with
all his heart that the next morning might end his existence. He had
never valued his life very highly, and of late it had been so little to
his taste that he was more than ready to part with it, even violently.
The future did not appall him, although, strangely enough, he was very
far from being an unbeliever, and had been brought up to consider a
sudden end, in mortal sin, as the most horrible and irreparable of
misfortunes. To him, in his experience of himself, no imaginable
suffering could be worse than the self-doubt, the self-contempt, and the
self-hatred which had so often tormented him during the past years. If
he were to be punished for his misdeeds with the same torture, even
though it were to be never-ending, at least he should bear the pain of
it alone, such as it was, without the necessity for hiding it and for
going through the daily mummery of life with an indifferent face. And in
that state there would be no more temptation of the kind he feared. What
he had done up to the hour of death would close the chronicle of evil,
and in all ages there would be no more. He was used to such refinements
of cruelty as perdition could threaten him with, for he had practised
them upon his own heart.
So the man "who did not care" stood watching the ball, and people envied
him his successes, and his past and present happiness, and all that he
had enjoyed in his three-and-thirty years of life, little dreaming of
what was even then passing in his thoughts, still less that he was
waiting for the message which should inform him of the place and hour
fixed for encountering the man who most hated him in the world, and who
had once before vainly attempted to take his life.
At the other end of the great hall the Contessa dell' Armi had paused in
her waltz to take breath, and found herself next to Donna Maria
Boccapaduli.
"You have not heard the news," said the latter in a low voice, bending
towards Maddalena, and holding up her fan before her face. "We have all
been dining at Casa San Giacinto, sixteen of us besides themselves--the
two Campodonico, ourselves, Pietrasanta--ever so many of us. Ghisleri
was there, next to me, and there was a discussion about the evil eye,
because Pietrasanta broke a glass just as he uttered the name of the
lady we do not mention--you know which--Ghisleri's friend. And then, I
do not know how it was, but Ghisleri and Campodonico contradicted each
other about it, because Campodonico said she was a jettatrice and
Ghisleri said she was not, you know. After dinner the two went and
talked in whispers at the other end of the big room, and Ghisleri looked
ghastly white, and Campodonico was so angry that his eyes were like
coals. A few minutes later, they both went away in a great
hurry--Campodonico left his wife there. It certainly looks as though
there were to be a duel to-morrow. You know how they hate each other,
and how they fought long ago about that wonderful Princess Corleone who
died. I can remember seeing her before I was married."
The Contessa listened to the end. She could not have grown paler than
she was on that evening, but while Donna Maria was speaking the shadows
deepened almost to black under her eyes, and the veins in her throat
swelled and throbbed so that they hurt her. She succeeded in controlling
all other outward signs of emotion, however, and when she spoke her
voice was calm and quiet.
"I hardly believe that those two will fight," she said. "But, of course,
they may. We shall probably know to-morrow."
Making a little sign to her partner, she began to dance with him again,
and continued to waltz until the music ceased a few minutes later. She
stopped near the door where Ghisleri was standing, and looked at him. He
immediately came to her side, and she left the man she had been dancing
with and moved away with Pietro towards a distant room, not speaking on
the way. They sat down together in a quiet corner, and he saw that she
was very much moved and probably very angry with him.
"Will you please to tell me the truth?" she said, in a hard voice. "I
have something to ask you."
"Yes. I always do," he answered.
"Is it true that there is a quarrel between you and Don Gianforte
Campodonico?"
"Yes--it is true," replied Ghisleri, after hesitating a few seconds.
"And that you had a discussion with him about Lady Herbert at the San
Giacinto's dinner table?"
"Yes," admitted Ghisleri, who saw that his worst fears were about to be
realised.
"Are you going to fight?" asked Maddalena, in a metallic tone.
"Yes. We are going to fight."
"So you have already forgotten what you promised me this afternoon. You
said you would do all a man could do to avoid a quarrel--for my sake.
Six hours had not passed before you had broken your word. That is the
sort of faith you keep with me."
Pietro Ghisleri began to think that his misfortunes would never end. For
some time he sat in silence, staring before him. Should he tell her the
whole story? Should he go over the abominable scene with Campodonico,
and tell her all the atrocious insults he had patiently borne for Bianca
Corleone's sake, until Maddalena's own name had seemed to set him free
from his obligation to the dead woman? He reflected that it would sound
extremely theatrical and perhaps improbable in her ears, for she
distrusted him enough already. Besides, if she believed him, to tell her
would only be to afford his own vanity a base satisfaction. This last
view was perhaps a false one, but with his character it was not
unnatural.
"I have kept my word," he said at last, "for I have borne all that a man
can bear to avoid this quarrel."
"I am sorry you should be able to bear so little for me," answered
Maddalena, her voice as hard as ever.
"I have done my best. I am only a man after all. If you had heard what
passed, you would probably now say that I am right."
"You always take shelter behind assertions of that kind. I know it is of
no use to ask you to tell me the whole story, for if you were willing to
tell it, you would have told it to me already. No one can conceal fact
as you can and yet never be caught in a downright falsehood. Half an
hour ago, when we were sitting in that other room, you knew just as well
as you do now that you were to fight to-morrow, and you had not the
slightest intention of telling me."
"Not the slightest. Men do not talk about such things. It is not in good
taste, and not particularly honourable, in my opinion."
"Good taste and honour!" exclaimed the Contessa, scornfully. "You talk
as though we were strangers! Indeed, I think we are coming to that, as
fast as we can."
"I trust not."
"The phrase, again! What should you say, after all? You must say
something when I put the matter plainly. It would not be in good taste,
if you did not contradict me when I tell you that you do not love me.
All things considered, perhaps you do not even think it honourable. You
are very considerate, and I am immensely grateful. Perhaps you are
thinking, too, that it would be more decent, and in better taste on my
part, to let you go, now that I have discovered the truth. I am almost
inclined to think so. I have seen it long, and I have been foolish to
doubt my senses."
"For Heaven's sake, do not be so bitter and unjust," said Ghisleri
earnestly.
"I am neither. Do you know why I have clung to you? Shall I tell you? It
may hurt you, and I am bad enough to wish to hurt you to-night--to wish
that you might suffer something of what I feel."
"I am ready," answered Pietro.
"Do you know why I have clung to you, I ask? I will tell you the truth.
It was my last chance of respecting myself, my last hold on womanliness,
on everything that a woman cares to be. And you have succeeded in taking
that from me. You found me a good wife. You know what I am now--what you
have made me. Remember that to-morrow morning, when you are risking your
life for Lady Herbert Arden. Do you understand me? Have I hurt you?"
"Yes." Ghisleri bowed his head, and passed his hand over his forehead.
What she said was terribly, irrefutably true. The vision of true love,
revived within the last few days, and delusive still that very
afternoon, had vanished, and only the other, the vision of sin,
remained, clear, sharp, and cruelly well-defined. He made no attempt to
deny what she said, even in his own heart, for it would not be denied.
"I cannot even ask you to forgive me that," he said at last in a low
tone.
"No. You cannot even ask that, for you knew what you were doing--I
scarcely did. Not that I excuse myself. I was willing to risk
everything, and I did, blindly, for the sake of a real love. You see
what I have got. You cannot love me, but you shall not forget me. Heaven
is too just. And so, good-bye!"
"I hope it may be good-bye, indeed," said Ghisleri.
"Not that--no, not that!" exclaimed Maddalena. "I wish you no evil--no
harm. I had a right to say what I have said. I shall never say it
again--for there will be no need. Take me back, please."
She rose to go, and her finely chiselled face was as hard as steel. In
silence they went back to the supper-room, and a few moments later
Ghisleri left her with Francesco Savelli and went home. On his table he
found a note from his seconds, as had been arranged, naming the place
and hour agreed upon for the duel, and stating that they would call for
him in good time. He tossed it into the fire which still smouldered on
the hearth, as he did with everything in the nature of notes and letters
which came to him. He never kept a scrap of writing of any sort, except
such as chanced to be connected with business matters and the
administration of his small estate. He hesitated long as to whether he
should write to Maddalena or not, sitting for nearly half an hour at his
writing-table with a pen in his fingers and a sheet of paper before him.
After all, what could he write? A justification of himself in the
question of fighting with Campodonico? What difference could it make
now? All had been said, and the end had come, as he had of late known
that it must, though it had been abrupt and unexpected at the last
minute. It was all the same now whether he should afterwards be said to
have fought for Laura or for Maddalena. Besides, in real truth, if it
were known, he was fighting for neither. Gianforte's old hatred had
suddenly flamed up again, and if he had spoken Maddalena's name it was
only because he found that no other means could prevail upon the man he
hated to break his solemn vow, and because he knew that no man would
bear tamely an insult of that kind cast upon a woman he was bound in
honour to defend. But all that had been only the result of
circumstances. The quarrel was really the old one in which they had
fought so desperately, long ago. The dead Bianca's memory still lived,
and had power to bring two brave men face to face in a death struggle.
Ghisleri rose from the table and stood before the photograph of the
picture which had brought matters to the present pass. For the
thousandth time he gazed at the wonderful likeness of her he had loved,
perfect in all points, as chance had made it under the hand of a man who
had never seen her.
"I made a promise to you once," he said, in a low voice, "and I have
kept it as well as I could. I will make another, for your dear sake and
memory. I will not again bring unhappiness upon any woman."
Sentimental and theatrical, the world would have said. But the man who
could bear to be unjustly called liar and coward rather than break his
oath was able to keep such a promise if he chose. And he did.
So far as he was humanly able, too, in the world to which he belonged,
he kept the first one also; for, when they bent over him as he lay upon
the wet grass a few hours later, the pistol he held was loaded still.
The world said that he had been shot before he had time to fire, because
he was trying to aim too carefully. But Gianforte Campodonico bared his
head and bent it respectfully as they carried Pietro Ghisleri away.
"There goes the bravest man I ever knew," he said to his second.