'You boast that you are cruel,' I replied. She did not answer, but
sighed deeply, smiling, and fixed on me her great, liquid eyes.
'Oh, there is my husband.' I looked up and saw the great Ercole glaring
viciously at me. I laughed within myself.
'He must be very jealous of so beautiful a wife?' I asked.
'He torments me to death.'
Under these circumstances I thought I would pursue my advantage; I
pressed closer to her.
'I can understand it: the first moment I saw you, I felt my head whirl.'
She gave me a very long glance from beneath her eyelashes. I seized her
hand.
'Those eyes!' I said, looking into them fervently.
'Ah!' she sighed again.
'Madam,' said a pageboy, coming up to her, 'Messer Piacentini begs that
you will come to him.'
She gave a little cry of annoyance.
'My husband!' Then, rising from her seat, she turned to me, holding out
her hand; I immediately offered my arm, and we solemnly crossed the
room to Ercole Piacentini. Here she bowed very graciously to me, and I
smiled on the happy husband with the utmost sweetness, while he looked
very grim and took not the faintest notice of me; then I marched off,
feeling particularly pleased with myself.
The Count and Countess were on the point of taking their departure: they
were followed by Ercole and his wife; the remaining guests soon went,
and in a little while there were left only Matteo and myself, two other
men and Checco.