Page 231 - Revelation

Svetlana de Rohan-Levashova. Revelation

– To my great regret, Madonna Isidora! – The cardinal exclaimed with artificial
disappointment. – Will you allow me to call on you some day? They say you have a
very gifted daughter. I would like very much to meet her and have a chat with her. I
hope she is as beautiful as her mother.

– My daughter, Anna is only ten, monsignore. – I answered as calmly as possible.
But my soul shouted with animal fear! He knew everything about me! Why, why
did mad Caraffa need me? Why was he interested in my little Anna?

Was it because I had the reputation of a famous Vidunia, and he considered me
the bitterest enemy? In fact it did not matter to him what I was called, the "great
inquisitor" simply considered me a witch, and he burned witches...
I strongly and selflessly loved Life! And like any normal person I wanted very
much that it would last as long as possible. In fact even the most arrant scoundrel,
which took the life of others, values every minute and every day of his precious life!
Suddenly I understood very clearly that it will be exactly he, Caraffa, who would take
my short life which I valued so much and I was not destined to live it right through.
– A great spirit is born in a small body, Madonna Isidora. Even Jesus once was a
child. I shall be delighted to pay you a visit! – Caraffa elegantly bowed and withdrew.

The world was collapsing. It fell into shallow pieces; each reflected the predatory,
thin and clever face.
I tried to calm down somehow and not to panic, but failed for some reason. My
usual confidence in myself and my strength let me down this time, and it scared me
even more. The day was the same as it was just several minutes ago – sunny and light,
but darkness settled in my soul. As it appeared, I had waited for him a long time ago,
and all my nightmarish visions about fires were portents of the today's meeting with
him.

On coming home, I persuaded my husband to take little Anna somewhere far away
where the wicked Caraffa’s tentacles would not reach her. Meanwhile I began to
prepare for the worst, because I knew that his visit would not make me wait too long. I
was right.
In a few days, my favourite black maid, Keya, (then it was in the latest fashion to
have black servants in rich houses) reported that "His Eminence, the cardinal, expected
me in the pink living room". I felt that something would happen right now.
I wore a light-yellow silk dress and knew that this colour became me. But if there
was only one person in the world before whom I did not want to look attractive, it was
exactly Caraffa. Regrettably I had no time to change and had to go just like this.

He waited, calmly leaning against the back of the arm-chair, studying some old
manuscript, of which we had a countless amount in our house. I "put" on a pleasant
smile and went down into the living room. On seeing me, Caraffa froze for some reason
without saying a word. The silence dragged on and it seemed to me that the cardinal
would hear how my scared heart beat treacherously loud... At last his hoarse voice
sounded with enthusiasm:
– You look stunning, Madonna Isidora! Even this sunny morning fades next to you!

– I did not know that cardinals are allowed to compliment ladies! – I squeezed out

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