I had no eyes for the beauty of
the scene, however. I paced up and down waiting for my sweetheart, cursing
the treachery of women and the blindness of men. Suddenly she appeared,
dark against the clear evening sky, graceful, gay, and unconscious as
ever. Without a word of welcome I rushed at her, seized her by the arm,
and hurled forth all my accusations and all my reproaches.
"'Tell me it is not true,' I cried at last, 'tell me it is not true, or I
will kill you where you stand!'
"I expected the usual routine of tears and protestations of innocence,
all the lies and subterfuges with which women are wont to defend
themselves against the unreasoning savagery of their mates. I was
disappointed. Teresina stood perfectly silent till I had finished
speaking; then without flinching, without one instant's hesitation, she
answered, 'It is true. Every word of it is true.'
"If the moon and the stars had all dropped simultaneously out of heaven
at my feet I should not have been more astonished. The calmness of her
answer, the steady earnestness of her gaze as she looked back fearlessly
into my eyes, her utter lack of subterfuge, took away my breath. I dropped
her arm and stood staring at her, bereft of speech and understanding. At
last I blurted out stupidly that I did not understand her, that I must be
going mad, and entreated her to explain.
"'I said it was true; that I love Giordano, and have accepted his love,'
she answered.
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