NEZ.)

IN: Perfectly satisfactory and I thank you.

GIOV: My own, my beautiful one! I love you! Be mine.

IN: Shall we not first have a little supper? You must be fatigued after
your exertions. And see! here is a nice glass of wine for you.

GIOV: After you, Madama. (DONNA INEZ _hesitates to drink_.) You see, my
beautiful one, I have had some experience in these matters, and now I
never drink anything poured out for me by a lady unless she drinks some
of it herself.

IN (_aside_): Being a Spanish lady of high degree I cannot possibly
refuse. I can only trust that as he is of noble birth and valorous, he
won't be such a blackguard as not to drink. (_Drinks_.)

GIOV: Brava! But--do you know?--after all, I think I should prefer a
fresh bottle, if it's quite the same to you, my beautiful one. (_He
empties his glass upon the floor_; _the wine flows about the stage in a
stream of fire_. DONNA INEZ _dies in agony_. _Exit_ DON GIOVANNI
_laughing_. _Curtain_.)

During the applause that followed, Brancaccia rose, exclaiming:

"Such a thing could not possibly happen."

She collected her wraps and we left the theatre, although the play was in
nine acts and we had only seen three. As soon as we got home, she
retired. I said to Peppino:

"I wish we had not gone to that play. I am sure Brancaccia has been
frightened by it."

"No," said he, "not frightened."

"But she's gone away to recover herself?"

"Look here, Brancaccia don't be thinking of the drama. She don't be
thinking of nothing--only the baby. She go to see if Ricuzzu is
sleeping."

PALERMO

CHAPTER III
MARIONETTISTS AT HOME

ALESSANDRO GRECO TO THE AUTHOR.
MARIONETTE THEATRE,
PIAZZA NUOVA, PALERMO,
4 _June_, 1909.

MY DEAR ENRICO,

Since I last wrote to you there has been a continual to-do and no
time for writing letters. What has been the to-do? Is it possible
you have forgotten my telling you that I am studying to be a singer
and that I take lessons every day? Now listen to this: Here in
Palermo, a new opera was performed recently for the benefit of the
victims of the earthquake at Messina. The story was taken from a
great German romance and the music was composed by an Italian who