All that
was most frivolous, most capricious, most worldly in him awoke with a
bound. It was as if the surrounding objects had the power to evoke in
him the man of former days. His sensual curiosity, his elasticity, his
ubiquity of mind reappeared. He already began to feel the necessity of
expansion, of mixing in the world of pleasure and with his friends.
He discovered that he was very hungry, and ordered the servant to bring
the lunch at once. He rarely dined at home, but for special
occasions--some _recherche_ lunch or private little supper--he had a
dining-room decorated with eighteenth century Neapolitan tapestries
which Carlo Sperelli had ordered of Pietro Dinanti in 1766 from designs
by Storace. The seven wall panels represented episodes of Bacchic love,
the portieres and the draperies above the doors and windows having
groups of fruit and flowers. Shades of gold--pale or
tawny--predominated, and mingling with the warm, pearly flesh-tints and
sombre blues, formed a harmony of colour that was both delicate and
sumptuous.
'When the Duke of Grimiti comes back, show him up,' he said to the
servant.
Into this room too, the sun, sinking towards the Monte Mario, shot his
dazzling rays. You could hear the rumble of the carriages in the piazza
of the Trinita de' Monti. The rain over, it looked as if all the
luminous gold of the Roman October were spread out over the city.
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