Henrietta was horrified at the sight
of her, she looked so dreadful.
"Don't be frightened, my lady," said the woman falling down on her knees
before her and seizing Henrietta's dress to prevent her from escaping,
"I am Anicza."
Henrietta fixed her eyes upon the woman full of stupid amazement, and
vainly sought in her face for some trace of the ideal loveliness which
only the other day, so it seemed, had made her so charming. She began to
fancy that the woman was under some evil spell and that if anyone could
but repeat the talismanic word, her former loveliness would be restored
to her.
"You cannot recognize me your ladyship for my face was burnt to death in
the Lucsia Cavern. Oh, if it had only always been what it is now. I am
much better as I am now. God has punished me because I let my soul be
lost for the sake of my fair face. I am not vain now as I used to be.
Yes, God has smitten all of us on account of our sins, as your ladyship
already knows; but none has he smitten so hard as me. I denounced all my
kinsfolk and acquaintances to the tribunal to be avenged on one man who
had deceived me,--all of them were taken except him and he escaped. And
now I am a beggar, an accursed creature whom everyone drives from his
door, but what care I?--I never feel hungry. They took away all my
father's property--heaven only knows how much there was, more than
twenty thousand ducats, I think, and it would have been mine for I am
his only child.
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