I did think," she continued, casting down her eyes, and
hesitating with the most charmingly becoming and naive confusion; "I
had some little hope--no; I don't mean that;--I did not mean to put
that into my confession;--it did occur to me as possible," she went
on, hanging her pretty head, and playing nervously with the folds of
her dress in a manner which had the accidental effect of causing it
to leave uncovered an additional inch of silk stocking--"it did
occur to me as possible that the Marchese Lamberto might come to me
sooner than the time named for the meeting with the impresario;--for
the sake of giving me any hints that his perfect knowledge of the
subject might suggest; and I fully intended to be dressed and ready
to receive him if be should show me any such condescending kindness-
-and so told my maid to make an exception in his case to my
invariable rule! And then the minutes slipped away; and I fell into
a reverie, thinking--thinking--thinking; and then, all of a sudden,
before I knew that there was any one in the room--if you think of
the devil--and I suppose it is equally true if you think of an
angel;--but there, again, that was not intended to be any part of my
confession. I think I shall give up confession, at all events to
you, Signor Marchese, for the future. But now I have confessed
myself this time, and told the whole, whole truth--may I hope for
absolution?"
There was an adorable mixture of candour, and gaiety of heart, and
child-like simplicity in the beautiful features as she looked up
into his face when she finished speaking, together with an
expression of appealing confidence and almost tenderness in the eyes
that achieved the final and complete subjugation of the Marchese.
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