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Rappaccini's Daughter
Thewisestcoursewouldhavebeen,ifhisheartwereinanyrealdanger,toquithislodgingsandPaduaitselfatonce;thenextwiser,tohaveaccustomedhimself,asfaraspossible,tothefamiliaranddaylightviewofBeatrice—thusbringingherrigidlyandsystematicallywithinthelimitsofordinaryexperience.Leastofall,whileavoidinghersight,oughtGiovannitohaveremainedsonearthisextraordinarybeingthattheproximityandpossibilityevenofintercourseshouldgiveakindofsubstanceandrealitytothewildvagarieswhichhisimaginationranriotcontinuallyinproducing.Guascontihadnotadeepheart—or,atallevents,itsdepthswerenotsoundednow;buthehadaquickfancy,andanardentsoutherntemperament,whichroseeveryinstanttoahigherfeverpitch.WhetherornoBeatricepossessedthoseterribleattributes,thatfatalbreath,theaffinitywiththosesobeautifulanddeadlyflowerswhichwereindicatedbywhatGiovannihadwitnessed,shehadatleastinstilledafierceandsubtlepoisonintohissystem.Itwasnotlove,althoughherrichbeautywasamadnesstohim;norhorror,evenwhilehefanciedherspirittobeimbuedwiththesamebanefulessencethatseemedtopervadeherphysicalframe;butawildoffspringofbothloveandhorrorthathadeachparentinit,andburnedlikeoneandshiveredliketheother.Giovanniknewnotwhattodread;stilllessdidheknowwhattohope;yethopeanddreadkeptacontinualwarfareinhisbreast,alternatelyvanquishingoneanotherandstartingupafreshtorenewthecontest.
