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Rappaccini's Daughter
Hehadnevertouchedoneofthegleamingringletsofherhair;hergarment—somarkedwasthephysicalbarrierbetweenthem—hadneverbeenwavedagainsthimbyabreeze.OnthefewoccasionswhenGiovannihadseemedtemptedtooverstepthelimit,Beatricegrewsosad,sostern,andwithalworesuchalookofdesolateseparation,shudderingatitself,thatnotaspokenwordwasrequisitetorepelhim.Atsuchtimeshewasstartledatthehorriblesuspicionsthatrose,monster-like,outofthecavernsofhisheartandstaredhimintheface;hislovegrewthinandfaintasthemorningmist,hisdoubtsalonehadsubstance.But,whenBeatrice’sfacebrightenedagainafterthemomentaryshadow,shewastransformedatoncefromthemysterious,questionablebeingwhomhehadwatchedwithsomuchaweandhorror;shewasnowthebeautifulandunsophisticatedgirlwhomhefeltthathisspiritknewwithacertaintybeyondallotherknowledge.
AconsiderabletimehadnowpassedsinceGiovanni’slastmeetingwithBaglioni.Onemorning,however,hewasdisagreeablysurprisedbyavisitfromtheprofessor,whomhehadscarcelythoughtofforwholeweeks,andwouldwillinglyhaveforgottenstilllonger.Givenupashehadlongbeentoapervadingexcitement,hecouldtoleratenocompanionsexceptuponconditionoftheirperfectsympathywithhispresentstateoffeeling.SuchsympathywasnottobeexpectedfromProfessorBaglioni.
Thevisitorchattedcarelesslyforafewmomentsaboutthegossipofthecityandtheuniversity,andthentookupanothertopic.
