She pitied her mother, and for herself she had no hope.
There was then much meaning in that little monosyllable with which
Venetia concluded her reply to her mother. She had no hope 'now.' Lady
Annabel, however, ascribed it to a very different meaning; she only
believed that her daughter was of opinion that nothing would induce
her now to listen to the overtures of her father. Prepared for any
sacrifice of self, Lady Annabel replied, 'But there is hope, Venetia;
when your life is in question, there is nothing that should not be
done.'
'Nothing can be done,' said Venetia, who, of course, could not dream
of what was passing in her mother's mind.
Lady Annabel rose from her seat and walked to the window; apparently
her eye watched only the passing gondolas, but indeed she saw them
not; she saw only her child stretched perhaps on the couch of death.
'We quitted, perhaps, Rovigo too hastily,' said Lady Annabel, in a
choking voice, and with a face of scarlet. It was a terrible struggle,
but the words were uttered.
'No, mother,' said Venetia, to Lady Annabel's inexpressible surprise,
'we did right to go.'
'Even my child, even Venetia, with all her devotion to him, feels the
absolute necessity of my conduct,' thought Lady Annabel.
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