THE FOOL ERRANT - World eBook Library - World Public Library

head about; every moment I expected to see him open his eyes; but no. As Virginia continued to whisper, he began to murmur
in his sleep, she directing him. He answered, laughed softly, turned about, slept always. I saw Virginia kiss his forehead. Then
she came winging back to me; she seemed hardly to touch the pavement. "Come, come. I know the way. The door is open."
She flitted away towards the high altar, I following. We gained the ambulatory behind. A door from this stood ajar; Virginia
pushed in, I after her. We followed a flagged corridor for some distance and found ourselves in the Sagrestia Nuova with
Michael Angelo's monsters sprawling and brooding in the half light. Virginia clasped me in her arms. "Francesco mio, I have
saved thee. Sanctuary with thee! Oh, love thy poor Virginia!"
She pressed closely to me, and began to touch and stroke my cheeks; she put her hand at the back of my head, as it were to
force my face down to look at her. Touched, excited, amorous in my turn, I encircled her with my arms and kissed her fondly.
"Dearest, best, kindest Virginia," I said, "you have proved my friend indeed. I have much to thank you for, much to say to you.
Let us choose a place in which to eat our breakfast; I am as hungry as the devil."
Cruel, abominable speech of mine! I wounded her dreadfully; scalding tears testified to a bruised heart; but to her relief came
pride.
"Stop," said she, "you shall not eat yet. I am hungrier than you, whom bread will satisfy. I am famished." I would have made
amends, but she drew away from me, and folded her arms. "Let me understand. You kissed me just now. Were you false to
Aurelia? Did you intend to insult that girl whom you taught to fear insult?"
I said, No, that had never been my intention, but it had been quite otherwise. "Donna Aurelia," I said, "has been restored to her
proper place. She will find salvation where her happiness is, and I have been considering mine, whether I can find it in my
happiness also."
"One thing at a time," said she, breathing very fast. "Has Donna Aurelia's husband returned?" I told her that he had not, but that
there were good hopes of him shortly.
"And you have said farewell? You are free—free as the air?"
"It is my duty," I told her, "never to see Donna Aurelia again, and I will not if I can help it."
She frowned, then threw up her hands. "I don't understand anything about you! Is this love or madness? You love a lady, who
loves you—you find her here—alone—you meet—you speak—you look at each other—you take her by the hand and lead her
back to her husband—and tell her that she will never see you again. And she allows it!"
"Not only so," said I, "but it was she who turned her back upon me. And she did rightly."
"Why did she so?" she asked me. I had to tell her that it was on her account.
It made her peer with her eyes, in which, however, a keen light burned. She took a step towards me; I thought she would be in
my arms; but instead she stopped short, breathing fast through her nostrils.
'"Tell me this, tell me this," she said, "was she the fool, or were you?"
I laughed. "My girl," I told her, "if I am a fool it is not for you to say so. But I believe, for all that, that you are paying me a
compliment." She did not comprehend me, so took refuge in a quip— tossing her head at me.
She said, "I wish your worship joy of my compliment."
I took her. "I intend that you shall do more than wish me joy, child. I intend that you shall give it me, and be my joy."
This altered her tune. She quickly released herself and pointed to the victuals she had risked herself to get. "Let us eat," she
said, "and talk afterwards. Forgive me if I troubled you just now. I have suffered and am a little over-wrought. Forgive me."
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