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

1893.3 T/ic C~t~r~~ny. 195
on the sill some object so small that its lent hour of the night? Alvaro's action
form was not discerned. By the wide explained part of the enigma; Loredasleeve of the doublet, or rather by no's was about to make plain the rest.
instinct, the Italian divined that this For the Italian, who had approached the
arm belonged to Alvaro, and compre window, succeeded with an effort in
hended what the hand had laid in the pushing the object that Alvaro had left
win dow. there off, over the precipice. This done,
And he was not mistaken. Alvaro, he returned in the same way, and resteadying himself by one of the posts tired enjoying the pleasure of that simof the garden-fence, placed one foot on ple revenge, the result of which, howthe inclined plane, pressed his body ever, he foresaw.
against the wall, and leaning forward Pery did not move. With his natural
succeeded in accomplishing his pur- sagacity he had comprehended the love
pose. Then he returned, divided be- of the one and the jealousy of the othtween fear at what he had done and er, and reached a conclusion that for
hope that Cecilia would pardon him. him, with his savage understanding and
No Sooner did Loredano see the fanatical adoration, was very simple. If
shadow disappear and hear the echoes Cecilia thought this ought to be so, the
of the young man's footsteps, than he rest mattered little to him; but if what
smiled, and his eyes shone ii~ the dark- he had seen caused her a shade of sadness like those of a wildcat. He drew ness and dimmed for a moment the lushis dagger and buried it in the wall, as tre of her blue eyes, then it was differfar around the corner as his arm would ent. (2uieted by this idea he sought his
reach. Then supporting himself by this cabin, and slept dreaming that the moon
frail prop, he was able to climb the in- sent him a ray of her white and satiny
dined plane and approach the window; light to tell him that she was protecting
at the least indecision and the slightest her daughter on earth.
movement it was enough that his foot And in reality the moon was rising
should fail him, or that the poniard above the trees, and illuminating the
should move in the cement, to precipi- front of the house. Then anyone aptate him headlong upon the rocks. proaching one of the windows at the
In the meantime, Pery, seated quietly end of the garden would have seen in
on the branch of the o7co, and hidden the obscurity of the room a motionless
by the foliage, witnessed without a figure. It was Isabel, watching penmovement the whole scene. As soon sively, wiping away from time to time a
as Cecilia closed her window-curtains, tear that trickled down her cheek.
the Indian had seen the two men stand- She was thinking of her tin happy love,
ing on either hand and apparently wait- of the solitude of her soul, so bereft of
ing. He waited also, cuflous to know pleasing recollections and bright hopes.
what was to occur; but resolved, if it All that evening had been a martyrdom
were necessary, to hurl himself at one to her; she had seen Alvaro talking
bound upon the one that should offer with Cecilia, and had divined almost his
the least violence, and to fall with him very words. Within a &w moments
from the top of the esplanade. He had she had seen the shadow of the young
recognized Alvaro and Loredano; for a man crossing the esplanade, and knew
long time he had known the cavalier's that it was n4t on her account that he
love for Cecilia, but of the Italian he had passed.
never had the least suspicion. From time to time her lips moved,
What could these two men want? and some imperceptible words escaped,
What came they to do there at that Si- "If I could make up my mind!"