o her usual invectives against Sacchi's troupe,
and vowed she would not serve for such pitiful appointments any longer.
I tried in vain to convince her that she was singularly well off
compared with other actresses, and considering the circumstances of the
profession in Italy. In reply to all I said she only went on beating the
same old gong. It was clear that her head had been turned upon her
summer tour by flatterers and so-called philosophical admirers of the
modern school.

Two days after the arrival of the company, Coralli came to see me, and
made the following confidences. "Sacchi," said he, "is dying of love for
Teodora Ricci. I do not conceal my affection for the young woman; I
frequent her house, attend her in public, and make myself as useful as I
can to her. He is brutally jealous of me, and I have had to put up with
a thousand outrages and insults. Finally, he has forbidden me to visit
at her house, alleging that if Count Gozzi came to remark our intimacy,
he would retire from the company in disgust." I burst into a fit of
laughter worthy of Margutte.[48] "What sort of people have I got myself
mixed up with?" said I to myself; "for whom am I wasting pen, ink,
paper and brains? Does Sacchi, who has received a thousand benefits at
my hands, expect to make me a stalking-horse in his drivelling amours?"
Recovering my gravity as well as I could, I informed Coralli that, so
far as I was concerned, he might cultivate Signora Ricci's intimacy
without scruple. If she played the part of a mercenary beauty with
libertines of fashion, I could not remain her friend. But he was not one
of those persons who could compromise my reputation. Only, I added, that
I feared for him; "Sacchi is revengeful, and will use his powerful arms
against you." Coralli, enlightened as to my way of thinking, returned a
thousand thanks and took his leave. Next day I went to visit Teodora,
and found Coralli there. I made a point of dining with them, and
inviting them both to dinner at my house. By thus acting, I taught
Sacchi how little chance there was of frightening Coralli by alleging my
jealousy. Baffled in his plans, he took the opportunity of Christmas,
when managers of theatres make changes in their troupes, to give Coralli
warning.

Coralli came at once to report what had befallen him, and to beg for my
intervention in his favour, while Teodora showed herself extremely
annoyed by his expulsion. Nothing meanwhile was heard among the act