'from your justice, signor,' rejoined emily, 'i have nothing to fear--i have only to hope.'
montoni looked at her with vexation, and seemed considering what to say.'i find that you are weak enough,' he resumed, 'to credit the idle assertion i alluded to! for your own sake i lament this; as to me, it is of little consequence.your credulity can punish only yourself; and i must pity the weakness of mind, which leads you to so much suffering as you are compelling me to prepare for you.'
'you may find, perhaps, signor,' said emily, with mild dignity, 'that the strength of my mind is equal to the justice of my cause; and that i can endure with fortitude, when it is in resistance of oppression.'
'you speak like a heroine,' said montoni, contemptuously; 'we shall see whether you can suffer like one.'
emily was silent, and he left the room.
recollecting, that it was for valancourt's sake she had thus resisted, she now smiled complacently upon the threatened sufferings, and retired to the spot, which her aunt had pointed out as the repository of the papers, relative to the estates, where she found them as described; and, since she knew of no better place of concealment, than this, returned them, without examining their contents, being fearful of discovery, while she should attempt a perusal.
to her own solitary chamber she once more returned, and there thought again of the late conversation with montoni, and of the evil she might expect from opposition to his will.but his power did not appear so terrible to her imagination, as it was wont to do: a sacred pride was in her heart, that taught it to swell against the pressure of injustice, and almost to glory in the quiet sufferance of ills, in a cause, which had also the interest of valancourt for its object.for the first time, she felt the full extent of her own superiority to montoni, and despised the authority, which, till now, she had only feared.