She is my prisoner, it is true, but I am
none the less her slave."
"This courtesy is tardy," Isabelle replied coldly, "after the violence
you have made use of against me."
"That is the natural result," said the duke, with a smile, "of pushing
people to extremity by a too obstinate and prolonged resistance. Having
lost all hope, they stop at nothing--knowing that they cannot make
matters any worse, whatever they do. If you had only been willing to
suffer me to pay my court to you in the regular way, and shown a little
indulgence to my love, I should have quietly remained among the ranks
of your passionate adorers; striving, by dint of delicate attentions,
chivalrous devotion, magnificent offerings, and respectful yet ardent
solicitations, to soften that hard heart of yours. If I could not
have succeeded in inspiring it with love for me, I might at least have
awakened in it that tender pity which is akin to love, and which is so
often only its forerunner. In the end, perhaps, you would have repented
of your cruel severity, and acknowledged that you had been unjust
towards me. Believe me, my charming Isabelle, I should have neglected
nothing to bring it about."
"If you had employed only honest and honourable means in your suit,"
Isabelle rejoined, "I should have felt very sorry that I had been so
unfortunate as to inspire an attachment I could not reciprocate, and
would have given you my warm sympathy, and friendly regard, instead of
being reluctantly compelled, by repeated outrages, to hate you instead.
Pages:
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512