out
whom there had been, and yet were, so many reports. The beautiful
artiste was much wounded by this general neglect, not because she
regretted the world and its pleasures, but on account of other
impressions which had haunted her since she had lived alone at Como. The
affront, however, recoiled on her husband, and her deep, resolute soul
bitterly resented it. La Felina was an Italian, and those of that nation
who receive affronts avenge them. She was not long at a loss. Her
vengeance, however, could not easily be attained, for she had to do with
a rich and powerful society, which had, as it were, formed a coalition
to insult a woman, by rejecting her with disdain and contempt.

The renown of _La Felina_ as a singer had long excited the curiosity of
Paris. Her admirable voice, her dramatic talent, her wonderful beauty,
made the great artiste to be envied in every theatre in Europe. By a
strange caprice, or an exaggerated distrust of her powers, the great
artiste had always refused to sing in the capital, though well aware
that there alone great artistic talent is baptized. Amazed at the
national glory, she had never asked this sacrifice of French
_cognoscenti_. Great, therefore, was the emotion of the various
drawing-rooms, when it was said that a great concert would be given by
the Duke of Palma, and that his Duchess La Felina would sing. The
concert was for the benefit of some interesting charity; and humanity
was a pretext to the high Parisian society not to visit La Felina, but
to perform a great duty. How though could invitations be had? There was
great difficulty, for the invitations were most limited in number. It is
always the case in Paris, that as obstacles increase, the desire to
overcome them also is multiplied. This was exemplified in the case of
the concert. It was, however, strange that the very hotels where the
ducal _artiste_ had been worst treated, where her advances had been
worst received, were those to which the invitations came first. Here and
there some affronts given by the noble Italians who were the intimate
friends of the Duke of Palma, but they were all submitted to, so anxious
was the world to enjoy the long-desired but unexpected pleasure of
hearing La Felina.

This took place many months before the entertainments, the preparations
for which we described at the commencement of this chapter. On the day
appointed for the concert, a long file of carriages filled up the whole
Faubourg St. H