The conquest of Rome

listless hands, greeted the noisy conclusion of the pianist, an insignifican

lian deputy, a stout woman with a torrent o

the wife of a high functionary, a frail Piedmontese, with

threshold of the Ministerial drawing-room nodded two or three times, as if secretly wearied. Only His Highness, the Oriental Prince in exile, ponderously ensconced in an armchair, made no sign. With his bloated, sallow visage, grown here and there with patches of nondescri

sic, renewed her round of bows and compliments and smiles; and her white cashmere gown, her diamond rosettes, her small head, her provo

vid countenance, with fluffy fringe, in imitation, probably, of Sarah Bernhardt. Sunk in a comfortable easy

-General of Finance, coughing slightly and smoothing her pointed, Chinese eyebrows. 'It would be

ever

question. Count Schwarz had succeeded in becom

eral, a Tuscan woman as brown as a peppercorn, with fiery eyes, a rapid ton

aimed Signora Gallenga. 'How unfor

, ye

rawing-room among fifty ladies seated, listened with the polite attention of a hostess; but she was assailed by an uneasy feeling, since she observed that in the two adjoining parlours there were people-ladies waiting to come in. It was the most important reception of the season; in the drawing-room reigned the quiet of a hothouse and the sweet, sugary smell of a place where there are many women. Standing along the wall, encased in severe frock-coats, was a row of command

omplimented the singer, who was smiling like the full moon. Then the hostess

' asked a fair, pale-faced Ministe

ep from getting ill,' replied another, spreadi

roux, a little lady with white hair and a sweet s

Donna Luisa Catalani. 'Was there

taninfa and Coun

e ha

ered the pallid bl

blic Works, a brunette in mourning, was talking for half a dozen, and gathered about her were the Camilly girl, an Italian born in Egypt; the Borla girl, a predestined old maid, condemned by the everlasting youth of her mother;

st,' maintained Enrichetta Se

he Borla girl, who did not know how to sing, and

Sofia, which d

murmured, with

now his music. But the Serafini gi

ering her voice-'perhaps you like the lady who has ju

young Camilly girl, with her round, white face, with

e Fasulo cast down her eyes; the Allievo blushed; only Donna Sofia di Maccarese di

o marry the deputy Sangio

the Camilly, wit

r and marten. Nearly all of them were talking now, in couples, or in groups of three or four, with certain nods and certain subtle modulations of the voice, gossiping about the Chamber of Deputies, gravely discussing the Honourable Bomba's delivery, saying which gallery th

shionable in literature and

h Tosti was taking her third cup of tea, a hardly perceptible stir took place in the drawing-room, and Donna Angelica Vargas, tall and lovely, walked across the room with her rhythmic step, seeking out Donna Luisa Catalani. Sh

rn women, for whom he perhaps was longing. Then those large, fine eyes, shining like the black pearls on her dress, cast an intelligent glance all round the room, and as Donna Luisa Catalani turned away, singly, by twos, by threes did the women come and surround Donna Angelica Vargas, to exchange amenities with her; and although her husban

*

window-curtains were yellow with dust, and a horrible smell of stale rubbish hung in both rooms. Barely had the servant vanished, trailing her feet in a pair of men's shoes, when Sangiorgio, without a look at that melancholy inner courtyard, with balconies full of old boxes and broken glass, and worm-eaten, filthy loggias, set to writing at a small student's table. He had settled down to work, among a lot of Parliamentary papers and a heap of letters from the Basilicata, on large, white sheets of commercial foolscap, dipping his pen into a wretched clay inkpot.

, or to consult a fat volume of agricultural reports, or a dirty, little, torn notebook. At eleven, as he was engros

lifted his head, and stared at her with the bewildered eyes of one not

ke voice. 'Yes, yes, I am disturbing you! Go on w

d like,' he replied, not remember

acently. She was always so fascinating, with those heavy lips of hers, red and moist, with those strange eyes of indefinable colour, wit

lenta the peasants of Lombardy eat, and how many potatoes the Southerners. That wou

e a face like a greedy child receiving a sweetmeat. He returned to his writing. Elena walked up and d

a from the sofa, whence she was curio

ered, without ceasi

writing so swiftly at that little table, where he was obliged to draw in his elbows so as not to brush the papers over t

he three photographs of a corporal, a stout gentleman, and a boy belonging to the Naz

aken?' she inquired, looking at herself in

a student,' he answered, turnin

ve you

f cour

want it,' she insinuated

inal not eno

onse. He got up again, came over

you l

she sang on thr

med his work. She hazarded a step to the thres

you did not come to

mittee up till eleven. Af

my box-Giustini, for instance. How d

' he answered simply

aks ill

ope

yone but mediocrities. You will

replied tranquilly, noting down som

di came, too. Oldofre

Oldofredi,' he m

s-brush, and nothing that would serve her purpose; on the toilet-table were only two combs and a broken bottle of Felsina water. The place was as bare as a hermit's cell. At last she descried, on the stand near the bed, a water-bottle and glass, and, beaming with pleasure, untied her bundle of roses, thrust three or four into the neck of the decanter, a few into the cup, dropped a handful on the coverlet at the foot of the bed, and then, being at a loss where to put any more, stuffed two under the pillow. Moving ca

aid Sangiorgio, appe

go home

shall have done b

hy

ointment with

as I also have an

consti

Oldo

swered, putting

came to be unwilling to

tending to

was she who refused. Nearly everyone dislikes Oldo

ot interest

e pale; what

; probably it

se; there is a fire there,

without saying a w

*

volumes of political economy, history, and social science with that impetuosity in research and preparation which characterizes the provincial Southerner, at the sight of this the fatuous Oldofredi smiled disdainfully. He had first put his head in at the door, to see if it was the colleague he was in search of; then, prompted by some new idea, he went in, although he had not seen his friend. He began to saunter idly up and down, blowing the remains of a ciga

nt, stupid, and devoid of ability, who with all these forbidden qualities had nevertheless always been successful in his re-election, in having himself talked about, and in holding a position of prominence in political and social life-this man weighed on Sangiorgio's stomach like some indigestible food to which repugnance is instinctive. Oldofredi was a political sword-swallower. His duels were no longer a topic of conversation, unless in a vague way, as if about something doubtful and distant, because it was so many years since an

, Honourable Sangiorgio?' queried Old

the other curtly,

about some foolery or other. I have been looking for Bomba everywhere. He can only be here, in t

he answe

t the Honourable Gasperini, the white-bearded Tuscan with a subtle smile and a pair of sharp eyes behind his spectacles, had already looked up twice in the midst of his perusal of some financial thesis; he had shrugged his shoulders, annoyed at Oldofredi's obtrusiveness. Arrived at the other door, which opened into the room on the lef

e, you know, w

ther, with the sam

absurdities, he has invented some for Copernic. Who may this Copernic be?

ession of displeasure in Sangiorgio's face; he did not observe the slight ne

ainly is reading the proceedings of the British Parliament, so as to

thi

econciliation will be accomplished, Copernic and Bentham will bless them, and Italian finance-a

her the others overheard him. Sangiorgio glanced a

Copernic he hears nothing, and Gasperini is befog

his shoulders, one of the gestures which had

u,' replied Sangiorgi

's the way in politics. Or probably they would try to forget to do even that, as so many others have forgotten. You seem to be new here; you have a great deal left to

immediate answer?' rejoined San

e truth to everybody concerning facts, men, and events, at the top of my voice, merely to relieve my liver.

is eyes rooted to the paper he had be

ole supply of courage-if they ever had any-and the young ones

hink so,

think so! The Chamber

Honourable

pany, that is the

u it is not,

g me the lie,

tain

give me

s-I

to me that the Cham

es

6, I dine at the Colonne, and I sh

y we

od-

od-

sumed his writing. The occupants of the next room had heard nothing, especially as the conversation had been carried on in an ordinary tone of voice. Gasperini