censers, of the shape of monstrous beasts; there was no window anywhere; a door hung with a velvet curtain stood dark and silent in a recess in the wall. And suddenly this curtain slowly glided, moved aside . . . and in came Muzzio. He bowed, opened his arms, laughed . . . His fierce arms enfolded Valeria's waist; his parched lips burned her all over. . . . She fell backwards on the cushions.
***
Moaning with horror, after long struggles, Valeria awaked. Still not realising where she was and what was happening to her, she raised herself on her bed, looked round . . . A tremor ran over her whole body. . . . Fabio was lying beside her. He was asleep; but his face in the light of the brilliant full moon looking in at the window was pale as a corpse's . . . it was sadder than a dead face. Valeria waked her husband, and directly he looked at her. 'What is the matter?' he cried. 'I had — I had a fearful dream,' she whispered, still shuddering all over.
But at that instant from the direction of the pavilion came floating powerful sounds, and both Fabio and Valeria recognised the melody Muzzio had played to them, calling it the song of blissful triumphant love. Fabio looked in perplexity at Valeria . . . she closed her eyes,
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