lydoesnotsomuchmatterwhen.'
'IwasafraidIhadhurtyou,'shesaidinalowvoice.
Thescenecametomymindthedimly-litroom,thedelicateformlyingonthecouch,coldandindifferent,whileIwasgivenovertoanagonyofdespair.Irememberedtheglitterofthejewelledringagainstthewhitehand.Iwouldhavenomercy.
'MydearGiulia—youwillallowmetocallyouGiulia?'
Shenodded.
'MydearGiulia,Iwasalittleunhappyatfirst,Iacknowledge,butonegetsoverthosethingssoquickly—abottleofwine,andagoodsleep:theyarelikebleedingtoafever.'
'Youwereunhappy?'
'Naturallyoneisalwaysratherputoutwhenoneisdismissed.Onewouldprefertohavedonethebreakingoneself.'
'Itwasamatterofpride?'
'IamafraidImustconfesstoit.'
'Ididnotthinksoatthetime.'
Ilaughed.
'Oh,thatismyexcitedwayofputtingthings.Ifrightenedyoubutitdidnotreallymeananything.'
Shedidnotanswer.AfterawhileIsaid,—
'Youknow,whenoneisyoungoneshouldmakethemostofone'stime.Fidelityisastupidvirtue,unphilosophicalandextremelyunfashionable.'
'Whatdoyoumean?'
'Simplythisyoudidnotparticularlyloveme,andIdidnotparticularlyloveyou.'
'Oh!'
'Wehadapassingfancyforoneanother,andthatsatisfiedtherewasnothingmoretokeepustogether.Weshouldhavebeenveryfoolishnottobreakthechainifyouhadnotdoneso,Ishouldhave.Withyourwoman'sintuition,yousawthatandforestalledme!'
Againshedidnotanswer.
'Ofcourse,ifyouhadbeeninlovewithme,orIwithyou,itwouldhavebeendifferent.Butasitwas—'
'IseemycousinViolanteinthecornertherewillyouleadmetoher?'
Ididassheasked,andasshewasbowingmemydismissalIsaid,—
'Wehavehadaverypleasanttalk,andwearequitegoodfriends,arewenot?'
'Quite!'shesaid.
IdrewalongbreathasIlefther.IhopedIhadhurtIhopedIhadhumiliatedher.IwishedIcouldhavethoughtofthingstosaythatwouldhavecuthertotheheart.Iwasquiteindifferenttoher,butwhenIremembered—Ihatedher.
IkneweveryoneinForlibynow,andasIturnedawayfromGiuliaIhadnolackoffriendswi