Cornelia ceased, and Julia, who had listened to the narrative in deep
attention, at once admired, loved, and pitied her. As the sister of
Hippolitus, her heart expanded towards her, and it was now inviolably
attached by the fine ties of sympathetic sorrow. Similarity of
sentiment and suffering united them in the firmest bonds of
friendship; and thus, from reciprocation of thought and feeling,
flowed a pure and sweet consolation.
Julia loved to indulge in the mournful pleasure of conversing of
Hippolitus, and when thus engaged, the hours crept unheeded by. A
thousand questions she repeated concerning him, but to those most
interesting to her, she received no consolatory answer. Cornelia, who
had heard of the fatal transaction at the castle of Mazzini, deplored
with her its too certain consequence.