The Guarany (From the Portuguese of Josée Martiniano de Alencar), Part I, Chapters VII-XII [pp. 188-204]

194 f/zc C~arany. [Feb.
perhaps his Italian penetration bad al- was a madness, the other a passion, the
ready sounded the depth of that idea. last a religion. Loredano desired; Al At all events he hoped, and hoping varo loved; Pery adored. The adven watched his treasure with a zeal and turer would give his life to enjoy; the
constancy equal to every trial. The cavalier would brave death to deserve
twenty days he had passed in Rio de a look; the savage would kill himself,
Janeiro had been a real torment. if need were, merely to make Cecilia
In Alvaro, a courteous and refined smile.
cavalier, the passion was a pure and Meanwhile neither of those three
noble affection, full of the pleasing tim- men could touch the girl's window
idity that perfumes the first flowers of without running an imminent risk, in
the heart, and of the knightly enthu- conseqnence of the position of Cecilia's
siasm that lent so much poetry to the room. Although this side of the house
loves of that time of faith and loyalty. was only two yards from the precipice,
To feel himself near Cecilia, to see her Dom Antonio, for the purpose of forti and exchange a word, stammered with fying it, had had an inclined plane
difficulty, both blushing without know- constructed from the windows to the
ing why, and avoiding each other while edge of the esplanade, which it was
desiring to meet, this was the whole impossible to ascend, — its smooth and
history of that innocent affection which polished face offering llo point of con surrendered itself carelessly to the fu- tact to the firmest and surest foot.
ture, balancing on the wings of hope. Under the window opened the steep
Tonight Alvaro was about to take a step rock, forming a deep palisade, covered
which in his habitual timidity he com- by a green canopy of climbing plants
pared almost to a formal request of mar- and shrubs, which seemed a dwelling riage; he had resolved to make the place for all those reptiles that breed in
maiden accept in spite of herself the darkness and moisture. Any one pre gift she had refused, by laying it on her cipitated from the top of the esplanade
window; he hoped that when she found into the broad and deep fissure, if by
it on the following day Cecilia would a miracle he was not dashed in pieces
pardon his boldness and keep his pres- on the points of the rock, would be
ent. devoured by the venomous snakes and
In Pery the passion was a worship, a insects that filled the cavities and the
kind of fanatical idolatry, into which slopes.
entered no thought of self; he loved Ce- Some moments had passed since the
cilia, not to feel a pleasure or experience window-curtain was closed; only a dim
a satisfaction, but to dedicate himself and fading~light reflected on the darkwholly to her, to fulfill her slightest de- green foliage of the o/io the outline of
sire, to anticipate her very thoughts. the window. The Italian, who had his
Unlike the others, he was not there eyes fixed upon this reflection as upon
either from a restless jealousy or a ridic- a mirror where he saw all the images
ulous hope; he braved death solely to of his mad passion, suddenly started.
see whether Cecilia was contented, In its light a moving shadow was dehappy, and joyous; whether she did not picted; a man was approaching the
desire something that he could read on window.
her countenance, and go in search of that Pale, with glowing eyes and clinched
same night, that very instant. teeth, hanging over the precipice, he
Thus love was so completely trans- followed the slightest movements of
formed into those organizations that it the shadow. He saw an arm stretched
assumed three very different forms; one toward the window, and the hand leave