'
'Look!' exclaimed Filippo del Gallo--'the Albonico has come back, she is
dancing with Giannetto.'
'The Duchess of Scerni came back last week,' said Ludovico; 'what a
lovely creature!'
'Is she here?'
'I have not seen her yet,'
Andrea's heart stopped beating for a moment, fearing that something
would be said against her by one or other of these malicious tongues.
But the passing of the Princess Isse on the arm of the Danish Minister
diverted their attention. Nevertheless, his desire for further knowledge
was so intense, that it almost drove him to lead back the conversation
to the name of his lady-love. But he was not quite bold enough. The
mazurka was over; the group broke up. 'She is not coming! She is not
coming!' His secret anxiety rose to such a pitch that he half thought of
leaving the place altogether; the contact of this laughing, careless
throng was intolerable.
As he turned away, he saw the Duchess of Scerni entering the gallery on
the arm of the French ambassador. For one instant their eyes met, but
that one glance seemed to draw them to each other, to penetrate to the
very depths of their souls. Both knew that each had only been looking
for the other, and at that moment there seemed to fall a silence upon
both hearts, even in the midst of the babel of voices, and all their
surroundings to vanish and be swept away by the force of their own
absorbing thought.
Pages:
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69