Gionetta, too aware of the beauty of her mistress and the number of her admirers to contemplate without alarm the idea of their return on foot, communicated her distress to Glyndon, and he besought Viola, who recovered but slowly, to accept his own carriage.Perhaps before that night she would not have rejected so slight a service.Now, for some reason or other, she refused.
Glyndon, offended, was retiring sullenly, when Gionetta stopped him."Stay, signor," said she, coaxingly: "the dear signora is not well,--do not be angry with her; I will make her accept your offer."Glyndon stayed, and after a few moments spent in expostulation on the part of Gionetta, and resistance on that of Viola, the offer was accepted.Gionetta and her charge entered the carriage, and Glyndon was left at the door of the theatre to return home on foot.The mysterious warning of Zanoni then suddenly occurred to him; he had forgotten it in the interest of his lover's quarrel with Viola.He thought it now advisable to guard against danger foretold by lips so mysterious.He looked round for some one he knew: the theatre was disgorging its crowds; they hustled, and jostled, and pressed upon him; but he recognised no familiar countenance.While pausing irresolute, he heard Mervale's voice calling on him, and, to his great relief, discovered his friend making his way through the throng.
"I have secured you," said he, "a place in the Count Cetoxa's carriage.Come along, he is waiting for us.""How kind in you! how did you find me out?""I met Zanoni in the passage,--'Your friend is at the door of the theatre,' said he; 'do not let him go home on foot to-night; the streets of Naples are not always safe.' I immediately remembered that some of the Calabrian bravos had been busy within the city the last few weeks, and suddenly meeting Cetoxa--but here he is."Further explanation was forbidden, for they now joined the count.
As Glyndon entered the carriage and drew up the glass, he saw four men standing apart by the pavement, who seemed to eye him with attention.
"Cospetto!" cried one; "that is the Englishman!" Glyndon imperfectly heard the exclamation as the carriage drove on.He reached home in safety.
The familiar and endearing intimacy which always exists in Italy between the nurse and the child she has reared, and which the "Romeo and Juliet" of Shakespeare in no way exaggerates, could not but be drawn yet closer than usual, in a situation so friendless as that of the orphan-actress.In all that concerned the weaknesses of the heart, Gionetta had large experience; and when, three nights before, Viola, on returning from the theatre, had wept bitterly, the nurse had succeeded in extracting from her a confession that she had seen one,--not seen for two weary and eventful years,--but never forgotten, and who, alas! had not evinced the slightest recognition of herself.Gionetta could not comprehend all the vague and innocent emotions that swelled this sorrow; but she resolved them all, with her plain, blunt understanding, to the one sentiment of love.And here, she was well fitted to sympathise and console.Confidante to Viola's entire and deep heart she never could be,--for that heart never could have words for all its secrets.But such confidence as she could obtain, she was ready to repay by the most unreproving pity and the most ready service.
