Farewell Love!

lo theatre on Christmas night

an public, no matter what opera, old or new, is given; but when th

m café to café, predicting that the evening will be a success. The chief r?les in "The Huguenots" were to be taken by De Giuli Borsi and Roberto Stagno, r?les in whic

r time in such wise as to be ready promptly at eight o'clock, the men in their dress-suits, the women in rich and beautiful e

, the collars of their overcoats turned up, showing freshly shaven faces under their tall silk opera-hats, or freshly waxed moustaches and beards newly pointed; others came in cabs; and befo

ast eight the

e silk, and accompanied by Stella Martini

place in Box No. 4

man next to him, who thereupon aimed his opera-glass, at the girls' box; he was a young gentleman of medium height, with a

if now and then she turned it towards the

i Caracciolo,

asked

iolo, the man

A

i Caracciolo. The rest of the theatre hung round her in a sort of coloured mist; t

the magnetis

the music of Meyerbeer; now and then he cast an absent-minded glance round the audience, the

he ladies in the house through his opera-glass, while a slight smile played upon his lips. Presently he fix

fell on th

two to Luigi, and the two me

as if all the lights in t

ivinely," said

ut didn't it strike you th

an't say

hear; her eye

ere empty. The round of visits had begun. Husbands and brothers left their boxes to make place for other men beside their wives and sisters; to pay their respects to other men's wiv

at that deserte

"Luigi Caracciolo and Cesare Dias

nd, and raised

agna was an Austrian, very clever, very witty. She wore a costume of red silk, and kept waving a fan of red feathers, as she talked vivaciously with the two men. Sh

opera-glass, her face h

ng ill?" asked

ld replied, p

you. Shall I open the door of t

change seats wi

nna retired to the back of the

eel bette

better. It w

her, fearing that the heat there might again disturb her. So Anna stoppe

saying something, in the hope, perhaps, of thus forgetting her des

uch. An

it imm

too exciting. You know the fourth act is very terribl

Stella," she said,

me before the fourth act begins.

speaking to herself. "Or, if I am, I'd

come," said Stella

I am all right; I am enjoyin

e front of the box, to

cciolo have left the Contes

rea

come here," sugge

. There won't be

be time," a

he was visiting, would say good-bye quietly, and return to his place. A few such visitors, better acquainted with their hosts, remai

Cesare Dias and Luigi Caracciolo, after their visit to the Contessa d'Alemagna, had taken a turn in the corridor to smoke a cigarette, and had then returned to their places. Anna, the creature of her hopes and her desires

lse-of nothing but the music and the face of Cesare Dias shining through it, like a star through the mis

nna issued from her trance, Laura

le to control a contra

aces of her old folly still lingered; hating her past, and wishing to obliterate it from her memory, as the motives for it were already ob

ng to speak, but fearing lest thereb

wrong to come here

am very well-I am very happ

sisters. The men sat down, Cesare Dias next to Anna, Luigi Caracciolo next to Laura. They began at once to talk in a light vein about the performance.

," observed Luigi Caracciolo, with a bland smile, p

ing-so much senti

t, is enough," replied Cesare Dias, with an acce

ted, bowin

stage is becoming less and less. We have a multitude of medioc

the great ones," s

their time," Luigi Caracciolo said, smiling with the fatuity of

my being an old man now," rejoined Cesare Dias, with that shadow of m

er much more; other things affect us more profoundly, more intim

Cesare Dias exclaimed, laughing; "but it on

said Luigi Caracciolo, bowin

pset her equilibrium as light wordly conversation

n as I find myself in the presence of these two girls, Luigi, who are two flowers of youthfulness, I seem to feel older than ever. I feel that I

rds her with a lig

things-such sad thi

outh is the only treasure whose loss on

rance? Isn't the calm of autumn better than the storms of spring? You are our master-th

's face, and she let

is better-knowledge or ignorance? Here are knotty problems submitted to your wisdom, dear Minerva. You are a youn

h an intent expression in her b

the two-to have youth

s solved!" cri

ng in its time. Good evening, good e

haking hands with Dias. Dias had risen, but Luigi seeme

iting, looked down again now, reassured. Th

llow," observe

, for politeness' sake, or perhaps bec

where I am," said Cesare Dias, reseating himself behind

view of the stage fr

t will be enough to hea

him there behind her. She did not move. Their two chairs were close together; and their two costumes made a striking contrast: his black dress-suit, the modern an

e forbore to fan herself, lest he might have to change his position. Now and then

her, at her hair, at her lips, at her person; she felt that she was badly dressed, pale, awkward, stupid. Wasn't the Contessa d'Alemagna a thousand times more beautiful than she? The Contessa d'Alemagna, with her dark complexion and her blue eyes, and her expression of girlish ingenuousness deliciously contrasted with womanly charm; the Contessa d'Alemagna, whom Cesare Dias had visited before coming to his ward's box. Weren't there a hundred women of their set present in the t

sorry now that she hadn't made an inspection of herself in it, on entering the box. She had forgotten her own face. Fantastically, she imagined it as brown and scarred, an

fan," said Cesare Dias,

s he handed

said she, t

xt to her. Cesare Dias picked it up, and began

perfumed wit

iotr

e said, and pu

to take it, to touch what he h

at the stage. He was so close to her, it se

with the illusion that the beating of her own heart was the beating of Cesare's. She forgot everything-the place, the time, the future, youth, age, beauty, everything; motionless, with her eyes cast down, she seemed to float in a wave of soft warm light, aware of one single sweet sensation, his nearness to her. She had forgotten the stage, the people round her, Stella

like this,"

f sorrow, of shame, of worldly wickedness, that await it; it would be sweet to die with one's illusions undisturbed, to

f love. Anna, recoiling from the thought of the future, with its inevitable vicissitudes, struggles, tears, and disappointments, realised the fascination of death. Involuntarily, s

upon the scene. Anna felt that her love was being sun

her, "How bea

," she murmured,

on was taking place in his heart? She asked herself these questions, but could not answer

eased. The

arriage?" Cesare Dias a

r twelve

me a moment I'll go

are came back, wearing his hat and overcoat. He h

ur portraits painted, dressed like this. I assure you, you

ly offer his arm to Stella Martini. Had she hoped that he would offer it to her? He motioned to t

n they were safely in it, "I shall walk," he

ove home, Laura asked, "Did

wasn't

u mean? He

re. Giustino Morelli i