Show IV D 0 amz 1926 warner wamer bros pictures ino inc don juan e screen creen play by bess maredyth Mc hie redyth starring john barrymore Barry moro mora la is a warner bros of this novel CHAPTER VII contin continued ed the wisest man is easiest to deceive she told him he made her a low sweeping bow bov a now dow which woul d have espre expressed ed all gallantry all admira liot t had he not exaggerated it just enough to make it an absurd mockery of what it might have been her checks flamed as she stood watching him he could make sport of her of lucretia borgia and before his servant an ant who no doubt was tittering there in the shadows beyond the candles flickering light oh he be should pay for this she would summon neri the and bid him devise some far worse death than ever yet had sent an enemy of the borgias writhing on his way to hell and yet yet how could she do that how could she when her hands bands fairly ached to touch that lark dark sleek head when she asked nothing better of life than she might spend the of it with him with bitterness in her heart forced herself to play out the she had assume assumed it was her chance of winning him and thou she hated bate it she must play it to end juan lad had turned away from her deliberately libera tely almost insultingly before had any man turned from in such a manner he motioned for pedrillo petrillo Ped rillo to ou oil x Nhat whatever ever wishes she might e pres prec as he might have ordered the servant to attend the most unimportant 9 guest aest he was striding toward the outer door when lucretia callad to him the sound of her own voice startled her so strained was it so rome is laughing at vou she told him mockingly and when you have learned what all the city knows and long has known come to me perhaps 1 I shall forgive you you he turned then to fare face her his eves narrowed he caught his breath sharply then suddenly he laughed and she lie realized that he saw through her pretenses knew how hov she lovei loved him how gladly she would have given buhe up the world for him perhaps I 1 shall come he be retorted and was gone and lucretia stood smiling miling a curious smile fed by her hatred of adriana and her assurance that juan would be disillusioned about the girl he was playing into her hands now she be had only to wall wait and see min him come bich bach to her admitting th t he had been wrong she told herself and yet vet would he come CHAPTER VIII adrians adriana sat huddled down in the twiddle of her beautiful carved bed staring up at the star sprinkled blue ceiling tr trying ang to believe that she was the girl who had wake wakened ned in that room so many happy in mornings she could not believe the ghastly events of the evening her father torn from her dragged away by cesare borgia and donati to the vatican perhaps perhaps to the prison of san angelo that great forbidding building whose rounded side rose above the tiber it might be true that he had been taken away merely to sien siem the agreement that bould w con finn his consent to her marrying don but knowing how he be would hate bate doing that she feared that there would be trouble that he would refuse to buy his own life from cesare at so hideous a price and that his imprisonment or death would swiftly follow she did riot not dare let her thou thoughts lit L ret on don juan because love forti for him r welled up so overwhelmingly in her heart that she felt she could not bear it and when she remembered even as her eyes grew misty at tho the thought of him that nev never er again would 0 uld he be kneel at her feet and press his lips to the palm of her hand that she must not see him again then her ovely head went down 0 on n her knees and nhe fhe sobbed as if her heart would break she sat up brushed the hair back from her forehead with the bade back of her hand tried to think she must accept this new life that had been thrust upon her must marry donati as cesare borgia had decreed and because she was a Var Varan ariese esc there could be no hope that anything but death would end such an alliance Oth otherwise emise something might have been arranged rina tier her maid had been trying to console her by making plans plano adriana might wed donati baid aid rina and then quite soon var anese anese and his daughter could escape from rome and perhaps the hand some young spaniard would just ju st by hance chance leave the city also and find his way to the same rame place rina had smiled significantly over that suggestion had tried valiantly to make her young mistress smile e also but adriana had bad refused even to consider such a thing there could be no way out in the corridor there were sei servants crowding together talking in muffled tones they were too terri terrified fitol to go to bed rina vas as there with them adriana knew suddenly ahe be sat up straighter straighten r in bed rina had screamed one of the men servants raised his voice in protest Tir otest against something then came donatis voice then coming cl aly through the half balf open door you cannot see ce mv my mistress bistre she hii saying she lias liar retired retired the sound of a mans feet on the wide stone stairs Dona doratis voice agnan agnin angry commanding 1 I am master here if you yop value your had baad obey me awl A va if lavyrne comes and asks to sec the lady adriana you are to say that he ha i i no longer liere here adrian s heart ane ame I 0 o top for an in instant bant then it bev began qan a 1 furious farious tattoo that arade hr her almost Donati lq feet som sounded ded on n the clia stairs nearer and nf areche ho came caine she looted about wildly f or means of v coping kim ain but before she could leap from her bed 1 he be was standing in the doorway a lascivious smile on his thick lips rina tried to follow him into the room but angrily he thrust her out and closed and bolted the door trembling with fear adriana caught up a great square of heavy brocaded silk that lay across the foot of the IQ bed and Q drew it around her its coloring venetian yellow and scarlet anti and deia blue so sharply emphasized emphasised ed her beauty that for a moment donati stood motionless z admiring her verily this was a prize that he had found for himself edging toward the side of the bed farthest from him she stepped out drawing the brocade dose close about her it enveloped her like a great reat cloak As he came toward her ste she held out one hand band to him when she spoke her voice trembled piteously please please gol she begged he laughed a as if she hail had told him some highly ani amici using ing joke then as lie he strode forward and she screamed ill liis manner changed no out crys erys he warned her be quiet if you desire e aire safety for yourself and your household adriana pressed the back of one hand to her lips as if to hold back tho the screams she would have uttered slowly her bare feet dragging over the stone floor she made her way toward the far corner comer of the room there donati stood with his feet wide a apart his hands in his hips hip watching her go thinking of how ct easily ie he would reach her and catch her imp up in his arms holding her close pr pressing e ss ing his lips to the white smooth curve of her throat there were all the still night hours in which to conquer her he need n not ot hasten and it was amusing to see her trying to face min him courageously with aith terror in her wide dark eyes eves adrianes Adri anas lips moved she was murmuring a prayer surely the virgin would protect her would somehow save her from this fate that was far worse than death her terror made her weak she could hardly stand all her strength went into that whispered prayer and donati reali realizing zan g what she was doing smiled more br broadly badly than ever in the hall below there was suspense almost as great for juan was there questioning the servants not daring to tell him the truth th they swore that adriana was not in the house fear of donati had torn tom their loyalty to shreds knowing that they were lying juan thought at firt first fir t of fighting his way through their ranks and up the stairs then another plan came to min him and he strode from the house in the court courtyard vard he stood for a moment looking about him donatis horse hors ewas was tethered to one of the great metal rings fastened into the wall on its blanket was embroidered donatis initials juan traced them with nith his finger even as he laid jus his plans he turned to study the side fide of the house and through one of the long windows in he saw adriana in donatis arms for an instant he was almost mad with anger then reason forced him to stop and think after all what he at once suspected might not be true new realization of her purity and loveliness s swept over him H he e fought down the inclination to rush away and instead turned fumed crossed the courtyard and began to climb the wall instinctively finding footholds in the crevices between the great stones in the room above donati stood staring down at adriana who lay back almost fainting in his arms he had pursued her across the room had bouget fought down her re istance stance and now stood gloating as he held her limp body the brocade had fallen from her shoulders their rounded bareness was like that of some exquisite stat statue ue juans mad haste was heedless and the eiges edges of the great stones crumbled beneath his feet bits of stone fal ell to the courtyard and the sound rought brought adriana back to consciousness conscious and made donati turn toward the nearest window his own face like that of a snarling animal whom someone wishes to ri rob of its prey he knew that it must be juan in fact he be had been expecting him adeana felt that her priller prayer had been ans answered vered that it might be juan who was coming she did not suspect she would have cried out to this unknown rescuer but donati shook her threateningly enin gly if you betray me by bv a look or a si an sign ill kill this intruder he told her and the cruelty of his face left no doubt in her mind that he meant it releasing her helain one hand on the hilt of his big sword and backed slowly toward the curtains concealing a small alcove barely a niche in the wall adriana watched him only when a sound came from the balcony did she turn away the long windows opened slowly juan stood between them staring at her unbelievingly to him it seemed that her delicate face was nas pale because of her gui guilt it he thought that it was because of shame that she trembled never dreaming n that terror was the cause his eyes eves searched the room came back to her where is he be he demanded behind the curtains stood donati his sword dm drawn rL knowing that he was only waiting for an opportunity to spring upon juan from his hiding place which she could ec the as she tur turned to watch juan as he walked about the room adriana stood horrified she could see the outline of donatis sword as it arcs pressed d aga hit the curtains whore where is he be again demanded juan adriana shook her head hea he A arv I 1 ing to smile at erst she could rot pot control her voice enough to speak finally she manakea to reply to liim jilin there them is no one here hem she told hirn please oh I 1 beg of you please go it was then that juan felt that his suspicions were based on truth he fought the conviction surely she was not like all other women nomen surely she was all that he had bad believed her to be and yet here she was like the others hiding her lover lying about him wildly he asked her over and over azain again where is he where is he be she would not meet his eyes would not say anase anything but ale please leave me and insist that there was no one there he surveyed the room there was but one hiding place behind th the e heavy curtains of the furt furthers bent wall he started toward them but adriana ran before him and stood with outstretched arms barring his way no physical wound could have made him suffer as did this action of hers it was agony to see her standing there begging him to go 0 o swearing that there was no one else in the room but they two even as she spoke the curtails curtains moved slightly he followed their movement to the ahe floor A mans foot protruded slightly from beneath the curtains edge A hideous feeling of sickness swept over juan As if the curtain had been unrolled to show him another scene he saw the tower room in his fathers castle lie he himself had sat a little child watching while another man questioned another woman while his father questioned his mother who replied ag a this girl had replied now there is no one here I 1 swear therle there is no one here and su denly instead of his mother he sav adriana as she faced him beautiful innocent seeming se ming lying as his mother had lied to save her lover the cry that parted his lips was one of rage and hatred with a sudden swift movement he leaped forward and tore down the curtains revealing donati standing with drawn sword then as if possessed by deamons he be began to I laugh augh like a mail maniac itic har harsh ah mad laughter that echoed in the lofty room 1 I believed in a womans comans goodness ness in her purity and loyalty te he cried and his voice e broke in the words laugh for I 1 am a foot fool of rome jimar juan adriana cried and would have thrown her arms about him but he thrust herback berback her ber back he was himself again agai suddenly the self he be had been before he be knew and loved her his smile was bitter sardonic his voice cold to be continued |