e of the nostrils stopped up. From the other the fine jet of water
rises. On one side of the fountain a semicircular bench of tuff and
terracotta.

The loose, grayish white dust; the reddish, molded stone, the hewn,
yellowish, porous tuff; the dark, polished porphyry, gleaming with
moisture, and the living, tiny, silvery jet of water: material and
colors harmonize rather well.

The characters: two pages.

Not of a definite, historical period, for the pages of reality in no
way correspond with the pages of the ideal. The pages here, however, are
pages such as dream in pictures and books. Accordingly it is merely the
costume which has a historical effect.

The actress who is to represent the youngest of the pages wears thin
silk which clings closely and is pale-blue, and has heraldic lilies of
the palest gold woven into it. This and as much lace as can possibly be
employed are the most distinctive feature of the costume. It does
not aim at any definite century, but seeks to emphasize the youthful
voluptuousness of the figure, the magnificent blond hair, and the clear
complexion.

She is married, but it lasted only a year and a half, when she was
divorced from her husband, and she is said to have acted in anything but
a proper fashion towards him. And that may well be, but it is impossible
to imagine anything more innocent in appearance than she. That is
to say, it is not the gracious elemental innocence which has such
attractive qualities; but it is rather the cultivated, mature innocence,
in which no one can be mistaken, and which goes straight to the heart.
It captivates one with all the power which something that has reached
completion only can have.

The second actress in the _proverbe_ is slender and melancholy. She is
unmarried and has no past, absolutely none. There is no one who knows
the least thing about her. Yet these finely delineated, almost lean
limbs, and these amber-pale, regular features are vocal. The face is
shaded by raven-black curls, and borne on a strong masculine neck. Its
mocking smile, in which there is also hungry desire, allures. The eyes
are unfathomable and their depths are as soft and luminous as the dark
petals in the flower of the pansy.

The costume is of pale-yellow, in the manner of a corselet with wide,
up-and-down stripes, a stiff ruff and buttons of topaz. There is
a narrow frilled stripe on the edge of the collar, and also on the
close-fitting sleeves. The trunks are short,