'
'Oh, no, no, I cannot go from this house. I will die here before your
eyes.'
A sound of footsteps was heard. It was easy to guess that those light
steps were a woman's. Edoardo turned towards a table, as if to look
for some papers, saying to himself: 'I am lost.' And Sophia knelt
down by the trunk that contained her clothes, pretending to rummage
for something in it, while she wiped away her tears, and suppressed
her sighs.
Edoardo's bride entered. She stood for a moment perplexed, seeing a
woman with him; then said: 'Edoardo, I sent for you that you might
yourself choose one of these wreaths. Which of them do you think will
become me best?' showing him at the same time two bridal wreaths
which she held in her hand.
'Neither,' said Sophia, rising and presenting a third wreath to the
bride. 'The Signor Edoardo ordered me to make this some time ago for
his bride, and I trust I have not laboured in vain.'
'In truth it is much handsomer than either of these others,' said the
bride; 'but you told me nothing of this, Edoardo?'
'It was a surprise,' added Sophia.
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