massimilla doni-第8节

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success；a　phrase　which　is　literally　exact　only　in　Italy；　where　the
applause　of　the　house　is　absolutely　frenzied　when　a　singer　procures　it
enjoyment。

Some　of　the　Prince's　friends　came　to　congratulate　him　on　coming　into
his　title；　and　to　discuss　the　news。　Only　last　evening　la　Tinti；　taken
by　the　Duke　to　the　Vulpatos'；　had　sung　there；　apparently　in　health　as
sound　as　her　voice　was　fine；　hence　her　sudden　disposition　gave　rise　to
much　comment。　It　was　rumored　at　the　Cafe　Florian　that　Genovese　was
desperately　in　love　with　Clarina；　that　she　was　only　anxious　to　avoid
his　declarations；　and　that　the　manager　had　tried　in　vain　to　induce　her
to　appear　with　him。　The　Austrian　General；　on　the　other　hand；　asserted
that　it　was　the　Duke　who　was　ill；　that　the　prima　donna　was　nursing
him；　and　that　Genovese　had　been　commanded　to　make　amends　to　the
public。

The　Duchess　owed　this　visit　from　the　Austrian　General　to　the　fact　that
a　French　physician　had　come　to　Venice　whom　the　General　wished　to
introduce　to　her。　The　Prince；　seeing　Vendramin　wandering　about　the
/parterre/；　went　out　for　a　few　minutes　of　confidential　talk　with　his
friend；　whom　he　had　not　seen　for　three　months；　and　as　they　walked
round　the　gangway　which　divides　the　seats　in　the　pit　from　the　lowest
tier　of　boxes；　he　had　an　opportunity　of　observing　Massimilla's
reception　of　the　foreigner。

〃Who　is　that　Frenchman？〃　asked　the　Prince。

〃A　physician　sent　for　by　Cataneo；　who　wants　to　know　how　long　he　is
likely　to　live；〃　said　Vendramin。　〃The　Frenchman　is　waiting　for
Malfatti；　with　whom　he　is　to　hold　a　consultation。〃

Like　every　Italian　woman　who　is　in　love；　the　Duchess　kept　her　eyes
fixed　on　Emilio；　for　in　that　land　a　woman　is　so　wholly　wrapped　up　in
her　lover　that　it　is　difficult　to　detect　an　expressive　glance　directed
at　anybody　else。

〃Caro；〃　said　the　Prince　to　his　friend；　〃remember　I　slept　at　your　house
last　night。〃

〃Have　you　triumphed？〃　said　Vendramin；　putting　his　arm　round　Emilio's
waist。

〃No；　but　I　hope　I　may　some　day　be　happy　with　Massimilla。〃

〃Well；〃　replied　Marco；　〃then　you　will　be　the　most　envied　man　on　earth。
The　Duchess　is　the　most　perfect　woman　in　Italy。　To　me；　seeing　things
as　I　do　through　the　dazzling　medium　of　opium；　she　seems　the　very
highest　expression　of　art；　for　nature；　without　knowing　it；　has　made
her　a　Raphael　picture。　Your　passion　gives　no　umbrage　to　Cataneo；　who
has　handed　over　to　me　a　thousand　crowns；　which　I　am　to　give　to　you。〃

〃Well；〃　added　Emilio；　〃whatever　you　may　hear　said；　I　sleep　every　night
at　your　house。　Come；　for　every　minute　spent　away　from　her；　when　I
might　be　with　her；　is　torment。〃

Emilio　took　his　seat　at　the　back　of　the　box　and　remained　there　in
silence；　listening　to　the　Duchess；　enchanted　by　her　wit　and　beauty。　It
was　for　him；　and　not　out　of　vanity；　that　Massimilla　lavished　the
charms　of　her　conversation　bright　with　Italian　wit；　in　which　sarcasm
lashed　things　but　not　persons；　laughter　attacked　nothing　that　was　not
laughable；　mere　trifles　were　seasoned　with　Attic　salt。

Anywhere　else　she　might　have　been　tiresome。　The　Italians；　an　eminently
intelligent　race；　have　no　fancy　for　displaying　their　talents　where
they　are　not　in　demand；　their　chat　is　perfectly　simple　and　effortless；
it　never　makes　play；　as　in　France；　under　the　lead　of　a　fencing　master；
each　one　flourishing　his　foil；　or；　if　he　has　nothing　to　say；　sitting
humiliated。

Conversation　sparkles　with　a　delicate　and　subtle　satire　that　plays
gracefully　with　familiar　facts；　and　instead　of　a　compromising　epigram
an　Italian　has　a　glance　or　a　smile　of　unutterable　meaning。　They　think
and　they　are　rightthat　to　be　expected　to　understand　ideas　when
they　only　seek　enjoyment；　is　a　bore。

Indeed；　la　Vulpato　had　said　to　Massimilla：

〃If　you　loved　him　you　would　not　talk　so　well。〃

Emilio　took　no　part　in　the　conversation；　he　listened　and　gazed。　This
reserve　might　have　led　foreigners　to　suppose　that　the　Prince　was　a　man
of　no　intelligence；their　impression　very　commonly　of　an　Italian　in
love；whereas　he　was　simply　a　lover　up　to　his　ears　in　rapture。
Vendramin　sat　down　by　Emilio；　opposite　the　Frenchman；　who；　as　the
stranger；　occupied　the　corner　facing　the　Duchess。

〃Is　that　gentleman　drunk？〃　said　the　physician　in　an　undertone　to
Massimilla；　after　looking　at　Vendramin。

〃Yes；〃　replied　she；　simply。

In　that　land　of　passion；　each　passion　bears　its　excuse　in　itself；　and
gracious　indulgence　is　shown　to　every　form　of　error。　The　Duchess
sighed　deeply；　and　an　expression　of　suppressed　pain　passed　over　her
features。

〃You　will　see　strange　things　in　our　country；　monsieur；〃　she　went　on。
〃Vendramin　lives　on　opium；　as　this　one　lives　on　love；　and　that　one
buries　himself　in　learning；　most　young　men　have　a　passion　for　a
dancer；　as　older　men　are　miserly。　We　all　create　some　happiness　or　some
madness　for　ourselves。〃

〃Because　you　all　want　to　divert　your　minds　from　some　fixed　idea；　for
which　a　revolution　would　be　a　radical　cure；〃　replied　the　physician。
〃The　Genoese　regrets　his　republic；　the　Milanese　pines　for　his
independence；　the　Piemontese　longs　for　a　constitutional　government；
the　Romagna　cries　for　liberty〃

〃Of　which　it　knows　nothing；〃　interrupted　the　Duchess。　〃Alas！　there　are
men　in　Italy　so　stupid　as　to　long　for　your　idiotic　Charter；　which
destroys　the　influence　of　woman。　Most　of　my　fellow…countrywomen　must
need　read　your　French　booksuseless　rhodomontade〃

〃Useless！〃　cried　the　Frenchman。

〃Why；　monsieur；〃　the　Duchess　went　on；　〃what　can　you　find　in　a　book
that　is　better　than　what　we　have　in　our　hearts？　Italy　is　mad。〃

〃I　cannot　see　that　a　people　is　mad　because　it　wishes　to　be　its　own
master；〃　said　the　physician。

〃Good　Heavens！〃　exclaimed　the　Duchess；　eagerly；　〃does　not　that　mean
paying　with　a　great　deal　of　bloodshed　for　the　right　of　quarreling；　as
you　do；　over　crazy　ideas？〃

〃Then　you　approve　of　despotism？〃　said　the　physician。

〃Why　should　I　not　approve　of　a　system　of　government　which；　by
depriving　us　of　books　and　odious　politics；　leaves　men　entirely　to　us？〃

〃I　had　thought　that　the　Italians　were　more　patriotic；〃　said　the
Frenchman。

Massimilla　laughed　so　slyly　that　her　interlocutor　could　not
distinguish　mockery　from　serious　meaning；　nor　her　real　opinion　from
ironical　criticism。

〃Then　you　are　not　a　liberal？〃　said　he。

〃Heaven　preserve　me！〃　said　she。　〃I　can　imagine　nothing　in　worse　taste
than　such　opinions　in　a　woman。　Could　you　love　a　woman　whose　heart　was
occupied　by　all　mankind？〃

〃Those　who　love　are　naturally　aristocrats；〃　the　Austrian　General
observed；　with　a　smile。

〃As　I　came　into　the　theatre；〃　the　Frenchman　observed；　〃you　were　the
first　person　I　saw；　and　I　remarked　to　his　Excellency　that　if　there　was
a　woman　who　could　personify　a　nation　it　was　you。　But　I　grieve　to
discover　that；　though　you　represent　its　divine　beauty；　you　have　not
the　constitutional　spirit。〃

〃Are　you　not　bound；〃　said　the　Duchess；　pointing　to　the　ballet　now
being　danced；　〃to　find　all　our　dancers　detestable　and　our　singers
atrocious？　Paris　and　London　rob　us　of　all　our　leading　stars。　Paris
passes　judgment　on　them；　and　London　pays　them。　Genovese　and　la　Tinti
will　not　be　left　to　us　for　six　months〃

At　this　juncture；　the　Austrian　left　the　box。　Vendramin；　the　Prince；
and　the　other　two　Italians　exchanged　a　look　and　a　smile；　glancing　at
the　French　physician。　He；　for　a　moment；　felt　doubtful　of　himself；a
rare　thing　in　a　Frenchman；fancying　he　had　said　or　done　something
incongruous；　but　the　riddle　was　immediately　solved。

〃Do　you　thing　it　would　be　judicious；〃　said　Emilio；　〃if　we　spoke　our
mind　in　the　presence　of　our　masters？〃

〃You　are　in　a　land　of　slaves；〃　said　the　Duchess；　in　a　tone　and　with　a
droop　of　the　head　which　gave　her　at　once　the　look　for　which　the
physician　had　sought　in　vain。　〃Vendramin；〃　she　went　on；　speaking　so
that　only　the　stranger　could　hear　her；　〃took　to　smoking　opium；　a
villainous　idea　suggested　to　him　by　an　Englishman　who；　for　other
reasons　of　his；　craved　an　easy　deathnot　death　as　men　see　it　in　the
form　of　a　skeleton；　but　death　draped　with　the　frippery　you　in　France
call　a　flaga　maiden　form　crowned　with　flowers　or　laurels；　she
appears　in　a　cloud　of　gunpowder　borne　on　the　flight　of　a　cannon…ball
or　else　stretched　on　a　bed　between　two　courtesans；　or　again；　she　rises
in　the　steam　of　a　bowl　of　punch；　or　the　dazzling　vapor　of　a　diamond
but　a　diamond　in　the　form　of　carbon。

〃Whenever　Vendramin　chooses；　for　three　Austrian　lire；　he　can　be　a
Venetian　Captain；　he　can　sail　in　the　galleys　of　the　Republic；　and
conquer　the　gilded　domes　of　Constantinople。　Then　he　can　lounge　on　the
divans　in　the　Seraglio　among　the　Sultan's　wives；　while　the　Grand
Signor　himself　is　the　slave　of　the　Venetian　conqueror。　He　returns　to
restore　his　palazzo　with　the　spoils　of　the　Ottoman　Empire。　He　can　quit
the　women　of　the　East　for　the　doubly　masked　intrigues　of　his　beloved
Venetians；　and　fancy　that　he　dreads　the　jealousy　which　has　ceased　to
exist。

〃For　three　zwanziger　he　can　transport　himself　into　the　Council　of　Ten；
can　wield　there　terrible　power；　and　leave　the　Doges'　Palace　to　sleep
under　the　watch　of　a　pair　of　flashing　eyes；　or　to　climb　a　balcony　from
which　a　fair　hand　has　hung　a　silken　ladder。　He　can　love　a　woman