massimilla doni-第3节

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precious　marbles　in　one　of　the　most　splendid　churches　in　Venice；　and
in　a　chapel　graced　with　pictures　by　Titian　and　Tintoretto；　by　Palma；
Bellini；　Paul　Veroneseand　to　be　prohibited　from　selling　a　marble
Memmi　to　the　English　for　bread　for　the　living　Prince　Varese！　Genovese；
the　famous　tenor；　could　get　in　one　season；　by　his　warbling；　the
capital　of　an　income　on　which　this　son　of　the　Memmi　could　livethis
descendant　of　Roman　senators　as　venerable　as　Caesar　and　Sylla。
Genovese　may　smoke　an　Eastern　hookah；　and　the　Prince　of　Varese　cannot
even　have　enough　cigars！〃

He　tossed　the　end　he　was　smoking　into　the　sea。　The　Prince　of　Varese
found　cigars　at　the　Duchess　Cataneo's；　how　gladly　would　he　have　laid
the　treasures　of　the　world　at　her　feet！　She　studied　all　his　caprices；
and　was　happy　to　gratify　them。　He　made　his　only　meal　at　her　househis
supper；　for　all　his　money　was　spent　in　clothes　and　his　place　in　the
/Fenice/。　He　had　also　to　pay　a　hundred　francs　a　year　as　wages　to　his
father's　old　gondolier；　and　he；　to　serve　him　for　that　sum；　had　to　live
exclusively　on　rice。　Also　he　kept　enough　to　take　a　cup　of　black　coffee
every　morning　at　Florian's　to　keep　himself　up　till　the　evening　in　a
state　of　nervous　excitement；　and　this　habit；　carried　to　excess；　he
hoped　would　in　due　time　kill　him；　as　Vendramin　relied　on　opium。

〃And　I　am　a　prince！〃

As　he　spoke　the　words；　Emilio　Memmi　tossed　Marco　Vendramin's　letter
into　the　lagoon　without　even　reading　it　to　the　end；　and　it　floated
away　like　a　paper　boat　launched　by　a　child。

〃But　Emilio；〃　he　went　on　to　himself；　〃is　but　three　and　twenty。　He　is　a
better　man　than　Lord　Wellington　with　the　gout；　than　the　paralyzed
Regent；　than　the　epileptic　royal　family　of　Austria；　than　the　King　of
France〃

But　as　he　thought　of　the　King　of　France　Emilio's　brow　was　knit；　his
ivory　skin　burned　yellower；　tears　gathered　in　his　black　eyes　and　hung
to　his　long　lashes；　he　raised　a　hand　worthy　to　be　painted　by　Titian　to
push　back　his　thick　brown　hair；　and　gazed　again　at　Massimilla's
gondola。

〃And　this　insolent　mockery　of　fate　is　carried　even　into　my　love
affair；〃　said　he　to　himself。　〃My　heart　and　imagination　are　full　of
precious　gifts；　Massimilla　will　have　none　of　them；　she　is　a
Florentine；　and　she　will　throw　me　over。　I　have　to　sit　by　her　side　like
ice；　while　her　voice　and　her　looks　fire　me　with　heavenly　sensations！
As　I　watch　her　gondola　a　few　hundred　feet　away　from　my　own　I　feel　as
if　a　hot　iron　were　set　on　my　heart。　An　invisible　fluid　courses　through
my　frame　and　scorches　my　nerves；　a　cloud　dims　my　sight；　the　air　seems
to　me　to　glow　as　it　did　at　Rivalta　when　the　sunlight　came　through　a
red　silk　blind；　and　I；　without　her　knowing　it；　could　admire　her　lost
in　dreams；　with　her　subtle　smile　like　that　of　Leonardo's　Mona　Lisa。
Well；　either　my　Highness　will　end　my　days　by　a　pistol…shot；　or　the
heir　of　the　Cane　will　follow　old　Carmagnola's　advice；　we　will　be
sailors；　pirates；　and　it　will　be　amusing　to　see　how　long　we　can　live
without　being　hanged。〃

The　Prince　lighted　another　cigar；　and　watched　the　curls　of　smoke　as
the　wind　wafted　them　away；　as　though　he　saw　in　their　arabesques　an
echo　of　this　last　thought。

In　the　distance　he　could　now　perceive　the　mauresque　pinnacles　that
crowned　his　palazzo；　and　he　was　sadder　than　ever。　The　Duchess'　gondola
had　vanished　in　the　Canareggio。

These　fantastic　pictures　of　a　romantic　and　perilous　existence；　as　the
outcome　of　his　love；　went　out　with　his　cigar；　and　his　lady's　gondola
no　longer　traced　his　path。　Then　he　saw　the　present　in　its　real　light：
a　palace　without　a　soul；　a　soul　that　had　no　effect　on　the　body；　a
principality　without　money；　an　empty　body　and　a　full　hearta　thousand
heartbreaking　contradictions。　The　hapless　youth　mourned　for　Venice　as
she　had　been；as　did　Vendramini；　even　more　bitterly；　for　it　was　a
great　and　common　sorrow；　a　similar　destiny；　that　had　engendered　such　a
warm　friendship　between　these　two　young　men；　the　wreckage　of　two
illustrious　families。

Emilio　could　not　help　dreaming　of　a　time　when　the　palazzo　Memmi　poured
out　light　from　every　window；　and　rang　with　music　carried　far　away　over
the　Adriatic　tide；　when　hundreds　of　gondolas　might　be　seen　tied　up　to
its　mooring…posts；　while　graceful　masked　figures　and　the　magnates　of
the　Republic　crowded　up　the　steps　kissed　by　the　waters；　when　its　halls
and　gallery　were　full　of　a　throng　of　intriguers　or　their　dupes；　when
the　great　banqueting…hall；　filled　with　merry　feasters；　and　the　upper
balconies　furnished　with　musicians；　seemed　to　harbor　all　Venice　coming
and　going　on　the　great　staircase　that　rang　with　laughter。

The　chisels　of　the　greatest　artists　of　many　centuries　had　sculptured
the　bronze　brackets　supporting　long…necked　or　pot…bellied　Chinese
vases；　and　the　candelabra　for　a　thousand　tapers。　Every　country　had
furnished　some　contribution　to　the　splendor　that　decked　the　walls　and
ceilings。　But　now　the　panels　were　stripped　of　the　handsome　hangings；
the　melancholy　ceilings　were　speechless　and　sad。　No　Turkey　carpets；　no
lustres　bright　with　flowers；　no　statues；　no　pictures；　no　more　joy；　no
moneythe　great　means　to　enjoyment！　Venice；　the　London　of　the　Middle
Ages；　was　falling　stone　by　stone；　man　by　man。　The　ominous　green　weed
which　the　sea　washes　and　kisses　at　the　foot　of　every　palace；　was　in
the　Prince's　eyes；　a　black　fringe　hung　by　nature　as　an　omen　of　death。

And　finally；　a　great　English　poet　had　rushed　down　on　Venice　like　a
raven　on　a　corpse；　to　croak　out　in　lyric　poetrythe　first　and　last
utterance　of　social　manthe　burden　of　a　/de　profundis/。　English
poetry！　Flung　in　the　face　of　the　city　that　had　given　birth　to　Italian
poetry！　Poor　Venice！

Conceive；　then；　of　the　young　man's　amazement　when　roused　from　such
meditations　by　Carmagnola's　cry：

〃Serenissimo；　the　palazzo　is　on　fire；　or　the　old　Doges　have　risen　from
their　tombs！　There　are　lights　in　the　windows　of　the　upper　floor！〃

Prince　Emilio　fancied　that　his　dream　was　realized　by　the　touch　of　a
magic　wand。　It　was　dusk；　and　the　old　gondolier　could　by　tying　up　his
gondola　to　the　top　step；　help　his　young　master　to　land　without　being
seen　by　the　bustling　servants　in　the　palazzo；　some　of　whom　were
buzzing　about　the　landing…place　like　bees　at　the　door　of　a　hive。
Emilio　stole　into　the　great　hall；　whence　rose　the　finest　flight　of
stairs　in　all　Venice；　up　which　he　lightly　ran　to　investigate　the　cause
of　this　strange　bustle。

A　whole　tribe　of　workmen　were　hurriedly　completing　the　furnishing　and
redecoration　of　the　palace。　The　first　floor；　worthy　of　the　antique
glories　of　Venice；　displayed　to　Emilio's　waking　eyes　the　magnificence
of　which　he　had　just　been　dreaming；　and　the　fairy　had　exercised
admirable　taste。　Splendor　worthy　of　a　parvenu　sovereign　was　to　be　seen
even　in　the　smallest　details。　Emilio　wandered　about　without　remark
from　anybody；　and　surprise　followed　on　surprise。

Curious；　then；　to　know　what　was　going　forward　on　the　second　floor；　he
went　up；　and　found　everything　finished。　The　unknown　laborers；
commissioned　by　a　wizard　to　revive　the　marvels　of　the　Arabian　nights
in　behalf　of　an　impoverished　Italian　prince；　were　exchanging　some
inferior　articles　of　furniture　brought　in　for　the　nonce。　Prince　Emilio
made　his　way　into　the　bedroom；　which　smiled　on　him　like　a　shell　just
deserted　by　Venus。　The　room　was　so　charmingly　pretty；　so　daintily
smart；　so　full　of　elegant　contrivance；　that　he　straightway　seated
himself　in　an　armchair　of　gilt　wood；　in　front　of　which　a　most
appetizing　cold　supper　stood　ready；　and；　without　more　ado；　proceeded
to　eat。

〃In　all　the　world　there　is　no　one　but　Massimilla　who　would　have
thought　of　this　surprise；〃　thought　he。　〃She　heard　that　I　was　now　a
prince；　Duke　Cataneo　is　perhaps　dead；　and　has　left　her　his　fortune；
she　is　twice　as　rich　as　she　was；　she　will　marry　me〃

And　he　ate　in　a　way　that　would　have　roused　the　envy　of　an　invalid
Croesus；　if　he　could　have　seen　him；　and　he　drank　floods　of　capital
port　wine。

〃Now　I　understand　the　knowing　little　air　she　put　on　as　she　said；　'Till
this　evening！'　Perhaps　she　means　to　come　and　break　the　spell。　What　a
fine　bed！　and　in　the　bed…place　such　a　pretty　lamp！　Quite　a　Florentine
idea！〃

There　are　some　strongly　blended　natures　on　which　extremes　of　joy　or　of
grief　have　a　soporific　effect。　Now　on　a　youth　so　compounded　that　he
could　idealize　his　mistress　to　the　point　of　ceasing　to　think　of　her　as
a　woman；　this　sudden　incursion　of　wealth　had　the　effect　of　a　dose　of
opium。　When　the　Prince　had　drunk　the　whole　of　the　bottle　of　port；
eaten　half　a　fish　and　some　portion　of　a　French　pate；　he　felt　an
irresistible　longing　for　bed。　Perhaps　he　was　suffering　from　a　double
intoxication。　So　he　pulled　off　the　counterpane；　opened　the　bed；
undressed　in　a　pretty　dressing…room；　and　lay　down　to　meditate　on
destiny。

〃I　forgot　poor　Carmagnola；〃　said　he；　〃but　my　cook　and　butler　will　have
provided　for　him。〃

At　this　juncture；　a　waiting…woman　came　in；　lightly　humming　an　air　from
the　/Barbiere/。　She　tossed　a　woman's　dress　on　a　chair；　a　whole　outfit
for　the　night；　and　said　as　she　did　so：

〃Here　they　come！〃

And　in　fact　a　few　minutes　later　a　young　lady　came　in；　dressed　in　the
latest　French　style；　who　might　have　sat　for　some