that finishes _Il
Barbiere_.

"There is nothing but music to express love," said the Duchess, moved by
that song as of two rapturous nightingales.

A tear twinkled in Emilio's eye; Massimilla, sublime in such beauty as
beams in Raphael's Saint-Cecilia, pressed his hand, their knees touched,
there was, as it seemed, the blossom of a kiss on her lips. The Prince
saw on her blushing face a glow of joy like that which on a summer's day
shines down on the golden harvest; his heart seemed bursting with
the tide of blood that rushed to it. He fancied that he could hear an
angelic chorus of voices, and he would have given his life to feel the
fire of passion which at this hour last night had filled him for the
odious Clarina; but he was at the moment hardly conscious of having a
body.

Massimilla, much distressed, ascribed this tear, in her guilelessness,
to the remark she had made as to Genovese's cavatina.

"But, _carino_," said she in Emilio's ear, "are not you as far better
than every expression of love, as cause is superior to effect?"

After handing the Duchess to her gondola, Emilio waited for Vendramin to
go to Florian's.

The Cafe Florian at Venice is a quite undefinable institution. Merchants
transact their business there, and lawyers meet to talk over their
most difficult cases. Florian's is at once an Exchange, a green-room, a
newspaper office, a club, a confessional,--and it is so well adapted to
the needs of the place that some Venetian women never know what their
husband's business may be, for, if they have a letter to write, they go
to write it there.

Spies, of course, abound at Florian's; but their presence only sharpens
Venetian wits, which may here exercise the discretion once so famous.
A great many persons spend the whole day at Florian's; in fact, to some
men Florian's is so much a matter of necessity, that between the acts
of an opera they leave the ladies in their boxes and take a turn to hear
what is going on there.

While the two friends were walking in the narrow streets of the Merceria
they did not speak, for there were too many people; but as they turned
into the Piazzi di San Marco, the Prince said:

"Do not go at once to the cafe. Let us walk about; I want to talk to
you."

He related his adventure with Clarina and explained his position. To
Vendramin Emilio's despair seemed so nearly allied to madness that
he promised to cure him completely if only he would give him _carte
blan