The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-04-16
NUMBER IL.
THE BETROTHED:
BY MANzoNI.
tContinued /

Some time after the receipt of this letter,
agnes sent Renzo an answer. with the ffty
At the sight of so much gold, he did not know
| what to think and, with his mind agitated by
reflections by no means agreeable. he went in
search of his smanuensis requesting him to In
terpret the letter, and afford him o clue to the
developments of the mystery.
The amanuensis of Agnes, after some COM
epistle described the wonderful history Of die
person ESQ he called the Unknown), and thus
accounted for the fifty crowns; then he men,
toned the vow, but only periphrastically =
adding more explicitly the advice to set hI
heart at rest, and not to think of Lucy a'Sf
more.
RenEo was very near quarreling with his In
terpreter; he trembled he was enraged with
what he had understood. He made him read
three or four times this melancholy epistle,
sometimes understanding IL better, sometimes
finding obscure and inexplcable that which at
first had appeared clear. In the delirium Of his
passion, he desired his amanuensis to write an
answer Immediately. After the strongest ex-
Of Lucy Write" pursued he, that do not
wish to set my heart at rest, aud that never
will that this is not advice to give me; and
but will keep it in trust as the dowry Of the
young girl that Lucy belongs to me, and that
I win not abide by her vow; that have
always heard that the Virgin interests heEself
in our affairs, for the purpose of aiding the
afflicted, and obtaining favor for them but
that have never heard that che will protect
those who do evil, and fail to perform their
promises; say that. as such cannot be the
case, her VOW 10 good for nothing; that with
this money we can establish ourselves here,
and that, il our affairs are now little per-
picked, it is storm which will soon pass away"
Agnes received this letter, sent an answer
and the correspondence continued for some
time, as we have related. When her mother
Informed Lucy that Repzo was we'll and in
safety, she derived great relief from the i1telli-
gence. desiring but one thing more, which was,
that he shout Id forget, or, rather, that be Would
q similar resolution, with respect to him, .
hundred times day; and employing every
means of which she was mistress to accomplish
so desirable an end, she applied herself inces-
sanity to labor, endesvorug to give to it all the
powers of her soul. When the image of Reno
10 hor mind, she tried to Danish it by
prayer; but, while thinking of her mother,
(and how could she avoid thinking of her
mother y the image of Reno intTuded itself as
a third 10 to the place 50 often occupied by the
real Reno. However, if she did not succeed in
forgetting, she contrived at least to think less
frequently of him aud in this she would have
been more successful, had she been left to
prosecute the work alone; bnt, alasl Donna
who on her part, was determined to.
drive the poor youth from her mind, thought
there was no better expedient for the purpose
than to talk of him incesssntly; "Well," said
she, "do you still think of him -
~ think of no one, :" said Lucy.
Dom la Praksede, who was @ woman not to be
Iatisfied by such an answer, replied, that Bhe
wanted actions, not words" Discussing at
When they have once given their heart to o
bertine, it is impossible to withdraw their
Affections. If their love for an honest man is,
by Whatever means, unfortunate, they are soon
bat love for a libertine 10 an in
durable wound" And then beginning the
panegyric of poor Reno, of this rascal, who
wished to del1ge Milan In blood, and reduce it
20 ashes, she concluded, by insisting that Lucy
should confess the crimes of which he had been
guilty in his own country.
Lucy, with q voice trembling from shame,
grief and from as much Indignation as her
gentle dis position and humble station permitted
her. declared and protested that in her village
ibis poor youth had always acted peScably and
and had obtained good reputation.
She wished" she said, THAT one OF his.
,ountrymen were present to bear testimony to
he truth. Even respecting the events at Milan,
IF which, twas true, she knew not the details,
The defended him, and solely on account Of the
she had had with his habits from
n fancy. She defended him Cor rather, che
meant to defend him) from the pure duty Of
,barity, from love of truth, and as being her
IeighboE. But Donna Pr0ssede deducted, from
his defence new arguments to convince Lucy
hat this man still held place in her heart, Of
which he was not worth. AZ the degrading
portrait which the old lady drew of him, the
labitual feelings Of her heart, with regard to
lin, and her knowledge and estimate Of bis ;
haracteT, revived with double foToe and dis
inctness. Her recOllections, which she had
lad 80 much difficulty in subduing, returned
'ividly to her imagination In proportion to
he aversion and contempt manifested by Donna
orassede towards the unfortunate youth, just
n such proportion did she recall her former
motives for esteem and symPsthyi this blind
md violent hatred excited In her heart stronger
,ity and tenderness Snoh conversations could
Tot be much prolonged without resolving
Iucy's Words into tears.
IfDOnnR Prassode had been led to this coaTue
4 conduct By hatred towards Lucy, the tears