‘Oh, signora!’ cried Fulvia, in a hollow voice, clasping her hands and looking at Minna. ‘Wish to marry him? I hate him! I hate him! Is he not too dreadful? Oh, what must I do? Oh-h!’ Her sigh ended in a shudder, which shook her from head to foot. ‘I have to hold myself tight, like this,’ and she gathered herself in till she looked about half her natural size, ‘whenever I think about it, or I should begin to scream and cry and talk nonsense. Ah, Dio mio! what have I done that this should have happened to me? Have I really been so bad? And I am afraid--afraid----’ she went on in a freezing whisper, looking around the room with a wild uncontrollable terror in her eyes. ‘It cannot be, it must not be; but it will--that’s the worst! There’s no way out of it. Even Beppo will not help me. I rushed to him and besought him. “Take me away!” I said. “Do not let this happen! I won’t speak to him--I won’t marry him.”’ She suppressed a cry of horror. ‘And he said he could do nothing. I think I am going mad; I feel as if I must run about all over the house, and say to everyone, “Do you know Signor Marchmont? I’m going to be married to him. Don’t you envy me?”’ She burst into a paroxysm of laughing and sobbing combined, hysterical, frantic. ‘Something must be done,’ said Minna beneath her breath, as she looked at her. Then, as a sudden thought crossed her mind, she went up to Fulvia again, put one arm about her shoulder, and with the other drew her head upon her bosom, stroking the bright hair and touching it with her lips. ‘Fulvia mia, one word. Do you love somebody else?’ ‘Somebody else? No!’ said Fulvia, suddenly lifting her head, and looking at Minna with her clear, truthful eyes. ‘Why should I? If I loved someone else, and someone else loved me, I should not be afraid. He would no doubt be kind to me, and would kill me rather than let it happen. Now I must do for myself anything that has to be done. Oh, it is so horrible to be afraid! It is the most horrible thing there can be, I am sure. And do you know what it is that I am afraid of--most afraid of, that is?’ ‘No, cara mia; tell me.’ ‘That if this very worst should happen--if nothing comes to save me, and I am actually married to him, he may be stronger than I am, and--and--I was reading in some of Beppo’s books--they are the only books I ever see--that strong natures put their own stamp on weaker ones--if in time he were to put the stamp of his nature upon me; if some time I, who only wish to be good and do no harm to anybody, should become bad--oh, my God! there is such a long time in life--everything can happen! If this can happen, why should not that happen also?’