to hope, and trust in God. Put some faith also in my care, and in the
earnest desire I feel to see your affairs attain to a happy conclusion.
Your brother cannot avoid making this journey to Ferrara, nor can I
excuse myself from accompanying him thither. For the present we do not
know the intentions of the duke, nor even whether he be or be not
acquainted with your elopement. All this we must learn from his own
mouth; and there is no one who can better make the inquiry than myself.
Be certain, Signora, that the welfare and satisfaction of both your
brother and the Signor Duke are to me as the apples of my eyes, and that
I will care for the safety of the one as of the other."

"Ah Signor Don Juan," replied Cornelia, "if Heaven grant you as much
power to remedy, as grace to console misfortune, I must consider myself
exceedingly fortunate in the midst of my sorrows; and now would I fain
see you gone and returned; for the whole time of your absence I must
pass suspended between hope and fear."

The determination of Don Juan was approved by Don Antonio, who commended
him for the justification which he had thereby given to the confidence
of Lorenzo Bentivoglio. He furthermore told his friend that he would
gladly accompany him, to be ready for whatever might happen, but Don
Juan replied--"Not so; first, because you must remain for the better
security of the lady Cornelia, whom it will not be well to leave alone;
and secondly, because I would not have Signor Lorenzo suppose that I
desire to avail myself of the arm of another." "But my arm is your own,"
returned Don Antonio, "wherefore, if I must even disguise myself, and
can but follow you at a distance, I will go with you; and as to Signora
Cornelia, I know well that she will prefer to have me accompany you,
seeing that she will not here want people who can serve and guard her."
"Indeed," said Cornelia, "it will be a great consolation to me to know