The words came forced from her with a great effort, and with a sob that seemed as if it would choke her.

“Oh my Paolina, what words are these?” said he, his own voice trembling with trouble and emotion.

“It is true, Ludovico!  It is my true love that has opened my eyes.  I fear that I have done very wrong; and the blessed Saints know that I shall have my punishment!  I have done wrong in loving you, and letting you love me!  But I did not know it, I did not think, I did not see where I was going!  I ought to have known that love was not for a poor girl like me!  I ought to have known that evil and misery would come.  But till I loved you with my whole, whole heart, Ludovico; and till I found out that I did, I did not know that—­that it would be so,—­that I should feel as I feel now.”

Ludovico got up from his seat, and began walking up and down the floor of the little room, sighing deeply, and passing his hand again and again across his forehead.  Presently he sat down again, bringing his chair so as to front her fully as he sat.

“Paolina,” he said, looking sadly into her eyes with a deeper meaning in his own than she had ever seen there; “your words have made me very, very miserable!  I never in all my life was so unhappy I am now.  You must listen now, my Paolina, to what I am going to say; and you must think well before you answer me.  You see, dearest, that it is necessary that we should quite understand this matter, and understand each other.  Many men, if they had been told what you have now told me, would begin to reproach a girl with not loving them,—­to say that it was clear she did not care for them.  I will not do so.  I will not pretend to think that you do not love me.  I know that you do, as well as you know that I love you with my whole heart.  And with this knowledge in both our hearts, think what is the meaning and the end of what you have been saying.  You know that this marriage is inevitable!  And the consequence of it is to be that we two are both to be broken-hearted,—­to condemn ourselves to pass loveless lives,—­to give each other up,—­see each other no more,—­ make all the future a blank to both of us.  Good God, Paolina!  You cannot mean that!”

“When you have married, Ludovico mio,—­when I have said those dear words for the last, last time, you will have plenty of things to make you forget your poor Paolina!  And for me, I shall be heart-broken doing no wrong to any other, instead of heart-broken and doing terrible wrong all the time!  And, dearest, it would be worse than heart-break.  I could not—­it is stronger than I am!  It seems like a new horrible thing shown to me, which I never saw or thought of before!  When it comes close to me I shudder at the thought—.”

“At what thought, Paolina?  At the thought of my being married to the Contessa Violante?” asked Ludovico, looking steadfastly into her eyes.

She bore his gaze without withdrawing her sad, still eyes for awhile, thinking deeply before she answered.