'I am glad you have suffered no more from Giulia dall' Aste. I was
afraid--'
'Oh, these things pass off. I took your advice, and found the best way
to console myself was to fall in love with somebody else.'
There was a little excitement in going to this mysterious meeting. I
wondered whether it was a trap arranged by the amiable Ercole to get me
in his power and rid himself of my unpleasant person. But faint heart
never won fair lady; and even if he set on me with two or three others,
I should be able to give a reasonable account of myself.
* * * * *
But there had been nothing to fear. On my way home, as the day was
breaking, I smiled to myself at the matter-of-fact way in which a woman
had opened the little door, and shown me into the room Claudia had told
me of. She was evidently well used to her business; she did not even
take the trouble to look into my face to see who was the newcomer. I
wondered how many well-cloaked gallants she had let in by the same door;
I did not care if they were half a hundred. I did not suppose the
beautiful Claudia was more virtuous than myself. Suddenly it occurred to
me that I had revenged myself on Ercole Piacentini at last; and the
quaint thought, coming unexpectedly, made me stop dead and burst into a
shout of laughter. The thought of that hang-dog visage, and the
beautiful ornaments I had given him, was enough to make a dead man
merry. Oh, it was a fairer revenge than any I could have dreamed of!
But, besides that, I was filled with a great sense of pleasure because I
was at last free. I felt that if some slight chain still bound me to
Giulia now, even that was broken and I had recovered my liberty. There
was no love this time. There was a great desire for the magnificent
sensual creature, with the lips deep red and heavy; but it left my mind
free. I was now again a complete man; and this time I had no Nemesis to
fear.