Pagina 313 di 788

Telimena was sitting half turned away from Thaddeus, and in her

confusion hardly dared to glance at him; she wanted to amuse the

gloomy Count, and to make him talk more freely, so as to get him

into better humour; for the Count was strangely glum when he

returned from his walk, or rather, as Thaddeus thought, from his

ambuscade. While listening to Telimena he raised his brow

haughtily, frowned, and looked at her almost with contempt; then

he sat down as near Zosia as he could, filled her glass, and

passed plates to her, saying a thousand polite things, and bowing

and smiling; sometimes he rolled his eyes and sighed deeply. It

was evident, however, despite such skilful deception, that he was

flirting merely to spite Telimena; for every time that he turned

his head away, apparently by accident, his threatening eye

glittered upon Telimena.