Henceforth nothing remained
but to watch his wife jealously, and suffer his ills with the best
heart he could. The very fact that he loved her still, with a
passion that defied all things, added a terrible bitterness to
what he had to bear, for it made him despise himself as none would
have dared to despise him.
CHAPTER XII.
As Giovanni sat in solitude in his room he was not aware that his
father had received a visit from no less a personage than Prince
Montevarchi. The latter found Saracinesca very much preoccupied,
and in no mood for conversation, and consequently did not stay
very long. When he went away, however, he carried under his arm a
bundle of deeds and documents which he had long desired to see and
in the perusal of which he promised himself to spend a very
interesting day. He had come with the avowed object of getting
them, and he neither anticipated nor met with any difficulty in
obtaining what he wanted. He spoke of his daughter's approaching
marriage with San Giacinto, and after expressing his satisfaction
at the alliance with the Saracinesca, remarked that his son-in-law
had told him the story of the ancient deed, and begged permission
to see it for himself. The request was natural, and Saracinesca
was not suspicious at any time; at present, he was too much
occupied with his own most unpleasant reflections to attach any
importance to the incident.
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