massimilla doni-第3章

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This　illustrious　singer　had　been　a　mere　inn…servant；　whose　wonderful
voice　had　captivated　a　great　Sicilian　nobleman　on　his　travels。　The
girl's　beautyshe　was　then　twelve　years　oldbeing　worthy　of　her
voice；　the　gentleman　had　had　the　moderation　to　have　brought　her　up；　as
Louis　XV。　had　Mademoiselle　de　Romans　educated。　He　had　waited　patiently
till　Clara's　voice　had　been　fully　trained　by　a　famous　professor；　and
till　she　was　sixteen；　before　taking　toll　of　the　treasure　so　carefully
cultivated。

La　Tinti　had　made　her　debut　the　year　before；　and　had　enchanted　the
three　most　fastidious　capitals　of　Italy。

〃I　am　perfectly　certain　that　her　great　nobleman　is　not　my　husband；〃
said　the　Duchess。

The　horses　were　ordered；　and　the　Duchess　set　out　at　once　for　Venice；
to　be　present　at　the　opening　of　the　winter　season。

So　one　fine　evening　in　November；　the　new　Prince　of　Varese　was　crossing
the　lagoon　from　Mestre　to　Venice；　between　the　lines　of　stakes　painted
with　Austrian　colors；　which　mark　out　the　channel　for　gondolas　as
conceded　by　the　custom…house。　As　he　watched　Massimilla's　gondola；
navigated　by　men　in　livery；　and　cutting　through　the　water　a　few　yards
in　front；　poor　Emilio；　with　only　an　old　gondolier　who　had　been　his
father's　servant　in　the　days　when　Venice　was　still　a　living　city；
could　not　repress　the　bitter　reflections　suggested　to　him　by　the
assumption　of　his　title。

〃What　a　mockery　of　fortune！　A　princewith　fifteen　hundred　francs　a
year！　Master　of　one　of　the　finest　palaces　in　the　world；　and　unable　to
sell　the　statues；　stairs；　paintings；　sculpture；　which　an　Austrian
decree　had　made　inalienable！　To　live　on　a　foundation　of　piles　of
campeachy　wood　worth　nearly　a　million　of　francs；　and　have　no
furniture！　To　own　sumptuous　galleries；　and　live　in　an　attic　above　the
topmost　arabesque　cornice　constructed　of　marble　brought　from　the　Morea
the　land　which　a　Memmius　had　marched　over　as　conqueror　in　the　time
of　the　Romans！　To　see　his　ancestors　in　effigy　on　their　tombs　of
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…pl