More Than the Bitterness of Death

These and many more wild and wicked words she uttered as she walked
fiercely up and down the room, her eyes blazing, her cheeks burning, her
whole aspect full of frenzy.

At length, again her mood changed; the fire died out of her eyes, the
color faded from her cheeks; her frenzy subsided, and gave place to a
stillness more awful than any excitement could possibly be. She sank
down upon a low ottoman, and rested her elbows upon her knees and her
chin upon the palms of her hands, and gazed straight before her into
vacancy. Her face was deadly pale; her lips bloodless and compressed;
her eyes contracted and glittering with a cold, black, baleful light;
her hair unloosed in her agitation, streamed down each side, and fell
upon her bosom like the ends of a long black scarf. At times she
muttered to herself like any maniac: "And oh, how deeply deceitful they have both been with me, affecting a
mutual indifference while I was by; falling to caressing each other just
as soon as my back was turned! She--she only acted out her false and
treacherous nature. But he--oh, he! in whose pure truth I had such
pride. Ah, Heaven! how low she must have drawn him before he could have
gained his own consent to deceive me so! before he could come fresh from
her side and her caresses, and meet and embrace me! What stupendous
duplicity! Well, well!" she continued, nodding grimly; "well, well,
since deceit is the fashion of the day, I too will be in the fashion; I
too will wear a mask of smiles! But behind that mask I will watch!--Oh,
how I will watch! Not at my fancy-ball alone will I play a part, but
before it, and perhaps, after it! None shall ever know how I watch,
what I see, until I descend with the fell swoop of the eagle. And
henceforth let me remember that I am a daughter of the house of Berners,
who never failed a friend or spared a foe. And oh, let the spirit of my
fathers support me, for I must ENDURE until I can AVENGE!" she said, as
she got up with a grim calmness and paced up and down the floor to
recover full self-command.