"None but slaves are without courage!" responded she. "Freedom is the mother of boldness!""You do not, then, deny the hiring of that bravo?""I only deny your right to inquire," said she.
"I have a right to it," he responded with vehemence. "This Princess Tartaroff is a subject of the Empress of Russia, my mistress, who watches over and protects all her subjects with maternal tenderness.""That good, tender empress!" exclaimed Corilla, with an ambiguous smile. "But in order properly to watch and preserve all her children and subjects, she should keep them in her own country. Take this Princess Tartaroff with you to Russia, and then she will be safe from our Italian daggers. Take her with you; that will be the best way!""You, then, very heartily hate this poor little princess?" asked Alexis, laughing.
"Yes," said she, after a short reflection, "I hate her. And would you know why, signor? Not for her beauty, not for her youth, but for her talents! And she has great talents! Ah, there was a time when I hated her, although I knew her not. But now, now it is different. I now not only hate, but fear her! For she can rival me, not only in love, but in fame! Ah, you should have seen her on that evening! She was like a swan to look at, and her song was like the dying strains of the swan.
And all shouted applause, and all the women wept; indeed, I myself wept, not from emotion, but with rage, with bitterness, for they had forgotten me--forgotten, for this new poetess; they overwhelmed her with flatteries, leaving me alone and unnoticed! And yet you ask me if I hate her!"Quite involuntarily had she suffered herself to be carried away by her own vehemence, her inward glowing rage. With secret pleasure Count Orloff read in her features that this was no comedy which she thus improvised, but was truth and reality.
"If you so think and feel," said he, "then we may soon understand each other, signora. A real hatred is of as much value as a real love;indeed, often of much greater. One can more safely confide in hatred, as it is more enduring. I will therefore confide in you, signora, if you will swear to me to betray no word of what I shall tell you.""I swear it!" was Corilla's response.
"Listen, then! This Princess Tartaroff is an imposter; no princely blood flows in her veins, and if she gives herself out to be a princess, it is because she therewith connects plans of high-treason.
More I need not say to you, except that my illustrious empress has charged me to bring this fraudulent princess to her at St. Petersburg, that she may there receive her punishment! This I have sworn to do, and must redeem my promise to transport her from here, without exciting attention, and without subjecting her to any personal injury.
Do you now comprehend why I come?"
"I comprehend," said Corilla. "An empress would avenge herself, and therefore a poor poetess must forego her own little private revenge!
But how, if I should not believe a word of this long story; if Ishould consider it a fable invented by you to assure the safety of your princess?""That you may be compelled to believe it, listen further to me."And Alexis Orloff spoke long and zealously to her, affording her a glance into his most secret intrigues, into his finely-matured plans, while Corilla followed him with intense expectation and warmly-glowing cheeks.
"I comprehend it all, all!" said she, when Alexis had finally ended;"it is a deep and at the same time an infernal plan--a plan which must excite the envy and respect of Satan himself!""And yourself?" laughingly asked Alexis.
