Marry her! Heavens and earth! He hated her. He felt as
if he could with pleasure take her by that beautiful throat and
squeeze the noxious life out of her.
He pressed his burning hand to his yet hotter forehead, as soon as
he found himself in the quiet and solitude of his own room,
swallowed a large glass of water, and strove to obtain such little
command over himself, for the moment at least, as might suffice to
enable him to go through the task before him.
A servant knocked at the door and put his head in to announce that
the carriages were at the door. The miserable man started from his
chair as if he had been caught in some crime, and answered that he
would be down directly. A second time he swallowed, hastily, a large
glass of water, for his throat felt parched with thirst; and then,
with a vigorous effort to appear gay and at his ease, which produced
only the semblance of a fixed unnatural grin on his face, he went
down to the carriage.
It was painful to him to pass between the servants who stood in the
hall, painful to have to take his seat by the side of his sister-in-
law,--and most painful of all to meet the gaze of all the town
assembled for the Corso. He could not help thinking that all eyes
were turned on him, with glances of surprise and suspicion. He felt
ashamed to meet and be seen by his acquaintances.
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