Pagina 466 de 788

At this insult, mortal for a gentleman's ears, the like of which

no Soplica had ever heard, Thaddeus trembled, and his face grew

pale as that of a corpse. Stamping his foot and biting his lips,

he muttered, "Idiotic woman!"

He walked away, but the epithet "base" echoed in his heart; the

young man shuddered, and felt that he had deserved it; he felt

that he had inflicted a great wrong on Telimena; his conscience

told him that she had reproached him justly: yet he felt that

after those reproaches he loathed her more violently than ever.

Of Zosia, alas! he did not venture to think; he was ashamed.

However, that very Zosia, so lovely and so charming, his uncle

had been seeking to win for him! Perhaps she would have been his

wife, had not a demon, after entangling him in sin after sin, lie

after lie, at last bade him adieu with a mocking laugh. He was

rebuked and scorned by all! In a few short days he had ruined his

future! He felt the just punishment of his crime.