The Daughter of an Empress [110]
me only one hour, only this evening!"
Carlo smiled contemptuously. "I will remain," said he, "for I have promised /her/ that she shall hear you!"
"She has therefore come?" cried Corilla, with an outburst of joy.
"She is now here," he laconically said.
Corilla no longer listened to him, she walked back and forth with a triumphant mien, a cruel, malicious smile playing upon her lips.
At this moment there was a slight knock at the door, which was opened, and a man who appeared upon the threshold glanced into the room with a grinning laugh.
Corilla gave him a sign, and at the same time pointed at Carlo, who, having his back toward her, seemed to have no suspicion of what was occurring behind him. But he saw it, nevertheless, in the tall mirror that stood in the middle of the room; he saw Corilla make signs of intelligence with that man who was in the livery of Cardinal Francesco Albani; he saw the man make answer with his fingers, and then draw forth a dagger, which he threateningly swung over his head.
Oh, Carlo had very well understood what that man said, as he also did that language of the fingers, this much-used language of the Romans and Neapolitans.
The man had said: "She is here, that beautiful lady! She can no longer escape us!"
"You will strike her?" had Corilla asked.
The man had swung the dagger over his head and held up two fingers of his right hand. That signified: "In two hours she will be dead."
"Good! you shall be satisfied with me," had been Corilla's answer.
The door was again closed. Corilla turned smiling to Carlo, her former rancor seemed to have vanished; she was in high spirits.
"Carlo," said she, "how good you are not to leave me! Let us now begin. I feel myself glowing with inspiration. Ah, I shall enrapture these good Romans, I think!"
"How long will this improvisation last?" Carlo gruffly asked.
"Well, one or two hours, according to the delight we give our public."
"If this farce continues longer than an hour and a half, I shall throw down my harp and go away," said Carlo, in a tone of severity. "I swear it to you by the spirit of my mother! Remember it; I shall show you the time every quarter of an hour."
"You are a tyrant," said she, laughing. "But I suppose I must submit. Give, therefore, the signal that we are ready."
THE IMPROVISATRICE
All the guests of the cardinal were assembled in the gigantic hall, and all eyes were anxiously bent upon the mysterious curtain, which still remained closed.
Now resounded a little bell, and Cardinal Bernis smilingly turned to Natalie, who sat by his side.
"I think this mystery is about to be unveiled," said he.
"And I am quite anxious about it," said the young maiden, gracefully laying her hand upon her heart. My heart beats as violently as if a mystery were about to be unveiled in my own breast. Do you believe in presentiments, Sir Cardinal?"
Bernis had not time to answer her. Just at that moment the curtain drew up, a general "Ah!" of admiration was heard, and, suddenly carried away by their feelings, the whole audience broke into extravagant and long-enduring applause, crying and shouting, "/Evviva Corilla! l'improvisatrice Corilla!/"
And in fact it was an admirable picture which was there presented to the audience. Those flower-strewed steps led up to an altar, upon the centre of which, between wreaths of flowers, shot up two dark-red flames. Against that altar leaned, exalted and august as a Grecian priestess, the improvisatrice Corilla. Her eyes raised to the heavens, her features lighted up with a rosy glow by the red flames, her half- raised right arm resting upon an urn, while her left arm was stretched upward toward heaven, she thus resembled an inspired priestess, just receiving a message from on high, listening with ecstasy, with suppressed breath and parted lips, to the voice of the Deity, and forgetting the world in a blissful intoxication, she seemed about to take her flight to the empyrean!
And while Corilla, as if absorbed in spiritual contemplation, continued to stand
Carlo smiled contemptuously. "I will remain," said he, "for I have promised /her/ that she shall hear you!"
"She has therefore come?" cried Corilla, with an outburst of joy.
"She is now here," he laconically said.
Corilla no longer listened to him, she walked back and forth with a triumphant mien, a cruel, malicious smile playing upon her lips.
At this moment there was a slight knock at the door, which was opened, and a man who appeared upon the threshold glanced into the room with a grinning laugh.
Corilla gave him a sign, and at the same time pointed at Carlo, who, having his back toward her, seemed to have no suspicion of what was occurring behind him. But he saw it, nevertheless, in the tall mirror that stood in the middle of the room; he saw Corilla make signs of intelligence with that man who was in the livery of Cardinal Francesco Albani; he saw the man make answer with his fingers, and then draw forth a dagger, which he threateningly swung over his head.
Oh, Carlo had very well understood what that man said, as he also did that language of the fingers, this much-used language of the Romans and Neapolitans.
The man had said: "She is here, that beautiful lady! She can no longer escape us!"
"You will strike her?" had Corilla asked.
The man had swung the dagger over his head and held up two fingers of his right hand. That signified: "In two hours she will be dead."
"Good! you shall be satisfied with me," had been Corilla's answer.
The door was again closed. Corilla turned smiling to Carlo, her former rancor seemed to have vanished; she was in high spirits.
"Carlo," said she, "how good you are not to leave me! Let us now begin. I feel myself glowing with inspiration. Ah, I shall enrapture these good Romans, I think!"
"How long will this improvisation last?" Carlo gruffly asked.
"Well, one or two hours, according to the delight we give our public."
"If this farce continues longer than an hour and a half, I shall throw down my harp and go away," said Carlo, in a tone of severity. "I swear it to you by the spirit of my mother! Remember it; I shall show you the time every quarter of an hour."
"You are a tyrant," said she, laughing. "But I suppose I must submit. Give, therefore, the signal that we are ready."
THE IMPROVISATRICE
All the guests of the cardinal were assembled in the gigantic hall, and all eyes were anxiously bent upon the mysterious curtain, which still remained closed.
Now resounded a little bell, and Cardinal Bernis smilingly turned to Natalie, who sat by his side.
"I think this mystery is about to be unveiled," said he.
"And I am quite anxious about it," said the young maiden, gracefully laying her hand upon her heart. My heart beats as violently as if a mystery were about to be unveiled in my own breast. Do you believe in presentiments, Sir Cardinal?"
Bernis had not time to answer her. Just at that moment the curtain drew up, a general "Ah!" of admiration was heard, and, suddenly carried away by their feelings, the whole audience broke into extravagant and long-enduring applause, crying and shouting, "/Evviva Corilla! l'improvisatrice Corilla!/"
And in fact it was an admirable picture which was there presented to the audience. Those flower-strewed steps led up to an altar, upon the centre of which, between wreaths of flowers, shot up two dark-red flames. Against that altar leaned, exalted and august as a Grecian priestess, the improvisatrice Corilla. Her eyes raised to the heavens, her features lighted up with a rosy glow by the red flames, her half- raised right arm resting upon an urn, while her left arm was stretched upward toward heaven, she thus resembled an inspired priestess, just receiving a message from on high, listening with ecstasy, with suppressed breath and parted lips, to the voice of the Deity, and forgetting the world in a blissful intoxication, she seemed about to take her flight to the empyrean!
And while Corilla, as if absorbed in spiritual contemplation, continued to stand