FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140  
141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   >>  
es, passed and repassed along the spacious veranda, which ran the entire length of the building, carrying fruit, wine, and ices to those who preferred the balmy air and starry sky without, to the heat and glitter of the crowded salon within. With difficulty I made my way through the dense mass that filled the antechamber, and at length reached one of the reception-rooms, scarcely less crowded. On every side I beheld some of the highest persons of the city: groups of officers in splendid uniforms, ambassadors glittering in orders and crosses, distinguished foreigners, artists, authors, were all mingled together in thick profusion, enjoying the magnificence and splendour which unbounded wealth, guided and directed by the most cultivated taste, could create. Standing in mute admiration of a beautiful figure of Psyche, which seemed fresh from the chisel of Canova, I was roused by a voice addressing me, while at the same moment my shoulder was gently tapped. I turned;--it was the Count himself. "Ah, Monsieur le Baron," said he, "'_Enfin apres un an!_' as Racine has it. Where have you buried yourself and all your agreeability these ages past? But come, I shall not tax your invention for excuses and apologies; follow me--the Countess has heard me frequently speak of you, and longs to make your acquaintance. This way--after me as well as you can." The friendly tone of the Count, as well as its being almost the first time of my being addressed by my new title, brought a deep blush to my cheek, which fortunately was unobserved as I followed him in the crowd. He passed through this room to one still larger, filled with parties playing at several small tables, and thence into an oval salon, where waltzing was going on. With great difficulty we got through this, and arrived at a curtain of white cloth, fringed at the bottom with deep and massive silver lace; this he drew gently aside, and we entered the boudoir. Upon a small ottoman, over which was thrown a rich Persian shawl, sat the Countess. "Isadora," said the Count, as he approached--"Isadora, '_carissima mia_,' this is my friend, Carl Stelling." She lifted her head from the picture she was shewing to a lady beside her, and as her eye beamed fully upon me and her lips parted to address me, I fell fainting to the ground. "It is!--it is!" I muttered, as the last ray of consciousness was leaving my whirling brain. When I recovered, the Count was standing over me ba
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140  
141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   >>  



Top keywords:
Isadora
 

filled

 

Countess

 
gently
 

crowded

 

passed

 

length

 

difficulty

 

veranda

 

tables


parties

 
larger
 

playing

 
curtain
 
arrived
 

fringed

 

spacious

 

waltzing

 

entire

 

friendly


building

 

carrying

 

acquaintance

 

unobserved

 

fortunately

 
bottom
 

addressed

 

brought

 

parted

 

address


fainting

 

shewing

 
beamed
 

ground

 

recovered

 

standing

 

whirling

 

leaving

 

muttered

 

consciousness


picture
 
ottoman
 

thrown

 

Persian

 

boudoir

 
silver
 

entered

 
Stelling
 
lifted
 

friend