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taking your life。 Ill betide my master； Anselmo； for giving such
authority in his house to this shameless fellow！ And supposing you
kill him； senora； as I suspect you mean to do； what shall we do with
him when he is dead？〃
〃What； my friend？〃 replied Camilla； 〃we shall leave him for
Anselmo to bury him； for in reason it will be to him a light labour to
hide his own infamy under ground。 Summon him； make haste； for all
the time I delay in taking vengeance for my wrong seems to me an
offence against the loyalty I owe my husband。〃
Anselmo was listening to all this； and every word that Camilla
uttered made him change his mind； but when he heard that it was
resolved to kill Lothario his first impulse was to come out and show
himself to avert such a disaster； but in his anxiety to see the
issue of a resolution so bold and virtuous he restrained himself；
intending to come forth in time to prevent the deed。 At this moment
Camilla； throwing herself upon a bed that was close by； swooned
away； and Leonela began to weep bitterly； exclaiming； 〃Woe is me！ that
I should be fated to have dying here in my arms the flower of virtue
upon earth； the crown of true wives； the pattern of chastity！〃 with
more to the same effect； so that anyone who heard her would have taken
her for the most tender…hearted and faithful handmaid in the world；
and her mistress for another persecuted Penelope。
Camilla was not long in recovering from her fainting fit and on
coming to herself she said； 〃Why do you not go； Leonela； to call
hither that friend； the falsest to his friend the sun ever shone
upon or night concealed？ Away； run； haste； speed！ lest the fire of
my wrath burn itself out with delay； and the righteous vengeance
that I hope for melt away in menaces and maledictions。〃
〃I am just going to call him； senora；〃 said Leonela； 〃but you must
first give me that dagger； lest while I am gone you should by means of
it give cause to all who love you to weep all their lives。〃
〃Go in peace； dear Leonela； I will not do so；〃 said Camilla； 〃for
rash and foolish as I may be； to your mind； in defending my honour；
I am not going to be so much so as that Lucretia who they say killed
herself without having done anything wrong； and without having first
killed him on whom the guilt of her misfortune lay。 I shall die； if
I am to die； but it must be after full vengeance upon him who has
brought me here to weep over audacity that no fault of mine gave birth
to。〃
Leonela required much pressing before she would go to summon
Lothario； but at last she went； and while awaiting her return
Camilla continued； as if speaking to herself； 〃Good God！ would it
not have been more prudent to have repulsed Lothario； as I have done
many a time before； than to allow him； as I am now doing； to think
me unchaste and vile； even for the short time I must wait until I
undeceive him？ No doubt it would have been better； but I should not be
avenged； nor the honour of my husband vindicated； should he find so
clear and easy an escape from the strait into which his depravity
has led him。 Let the traitor pay with his life for the temerity of his
wanton wishes； and let the world know （if haply it shall ever come
to know） that Camilla not only preserved her allegiance to her
husband； but avenged him of the man who dared to wrong him。 Still； I
think it might be better to disclose this to Anselmo。 But then I
have called his attention to it in the letter I wrote to him in the
country； and； if he did nothing to prevent the mischief I there
pointed out to him； I suppose it was that from pure goodness of
heart and trustfulness he would not and could not believe that any
thought against his honour could harbour in the breast of so stanch
a friend； nor indeed did I myself believe it for many days； nor should
I have ever believed it if his insolence had not gone so far as to
make it manifest by open presents； lavish promises； and ceaseless
tears。 But why do I argue thus？ Does a bold determination stand in
need of arguments？ Surely not。 Then traitors avaunt！ Vengeance to my
aid！ Let the false one come； approach； advance； die； yield up his
life； and then befall what may。 Pure I came to him whom Heaven
bestowed upon me； pure I shall leave him； and at the worst bathed in
my own chaste blood and in the foul blood of the falsest friend that
friendship ever saw in the world；〃 and as she uttered these words
she paced the room holding the unsheathed dagger； with such
irregular and disordered steps； and such gestures that one would
have supposed her to have lost her senses； and taken her for some
violent desperado instead of a delicate woman。
Anselmo； hidden behind some tapestries where he had concealed
himself； beheld and was amazed at all； and already felt that what he
had seen and heard was a sufficient answer to even greater suspicions；
and he would have been now well pleased if the proof afforded by
Lothario's coming were dispensed with； as he feared some sudden
mishap； but as he was on the point of showing himself and coming forth
to embrace and undeceive his wife he paused as he saw Leonela
returning； leading Lothario。 Camilla when she saw him； drawing a
long line in front of her on the floor with the dagger； said to him；
〃Lothario； pay attention to what I say to thee： if by any chance
thou darest to cross this line thou seest； or even approach it； the
instant I see thee attempt it that same instant will I pierce my bosom
with this dagger that I hold in my hand； and before thou answerest
me a word desire thee to listen to a few from me； and afterwards
thou shalt reply as may please thee。 First； I desire thee to tell
me； Lothario； if thou knowest my husband Anselmo； and in what light
thou regardest him； and secondly I desire to know if thou knowest me
too。 Answer me this； without embarrassment or reflecting deeply what
thou wilt answer； for they are no riddles I put to thee。〃
Lothario was not so dull but that from the first moment when Camilla
directed him to make Anselmo hide himself he understood what she
intended to do； and therefore he fell in with her idea so readily
and promptly that between them they made the imposture look more
true than truth； so he answered her thus： 〃I did not think； fair
Camilla； that thou wert calling me to ask questions so remote from the
object with which I come； but if it is to defer the promised reward
thou art doing so； thou mightst have put it off still longer； for
the longing for happiness gives the more distress the nearer comes the
hope of gaining it； but lest thou shouldst say that I do not answer
thy questions； I say that I know thy husband Anselmo； and that we have
known each other from our earliest years； I will not speak of what
thou too knowest； of our friendship； that I may not compel myself to
testify against the wrong that love； the mighty excuse for greater
errors； makes me inflict upon him。 Thee I know and hold in the same
estimation as he does； for were it not so I had not for a lesser prize
acted in opposition to what I owe to my station and the holy laws of
true friendship； now broken and violated by me through that powerful
enemy； love。〃
〃If thou dost confess that；〃 returned Camilla； 〃mortal enemy of
all that rightly deserves to be loved； with what face dost thou dare
to come before one whom thou knowest to be the mirror wherein he is
reflected on whom thou shouldst look to see how unworthily thou him？
But； woe is me； I now comprehend what has made thee give so little
heed to what thou owest to thyself； it must have been some freedom
of mine； for I will not call it immodesty； as it did not proceed
from any deliberate intention； but from some heedlessness such as
women are guilty of through inadvertence when they think they have
no occasion for reserve。 But tell me； traitor； when did I by word or
sign give a reply to thy prayers that could awaken in thee a shadow of
hope of attaining thy base wishes？ When were not thy professions of
love sternly and scornfully rejected and rebuked？ When were thy
frequent pledges and still more frequent gifts believed or accepted？
But as I am persuaded that no one can long persevere in the attempt to
win love unsustained by some hope； I am willing to attribute to myself
the blame of thy assurance； for no doubt some thoughtlessness of
mine has all this time fostered thy hopes； and therefore will I punish
myself and inflict upon myself the penalty thy guilt deserves。 And
that thou mayest see that being so relentless to myself I cannot
possibly be otherwise to thee； I have summoned thee to be a witness of
the sacrifice I mean to offer to the injured honour of my honoured
husband； wronged by thee with all the assiduity thou wert capable
of； and by me too through want of caution in avoiding every
occasion； if I have given any； of encouraging and sanctioning thy base
designs。 Once more I say the suspicion in my mind that some imprudence
of mine has engendered these lawless thoughts in thee； is what
causes me most distress and what I desire most to punish with my own
hands； for were any other instrument of punishment employed my error
might become perhaps more widely known； but before I do so； in my
death I