is
now in America. I was asked to sing as a supplementary tenor. We
had a month of rehearsals and in the end the performance was
splendidly successful. O my dear friend! If you had seen me on the
stage! I was dressed as a warrior with a wig of curly hair and a
pair of moustaches. I also received applause, and, when I appeared
before the audience to bow my acknowledgments, I thought: "Oh, if
only my dear friend were present, how he would be applauding me!"
You will understand after that whether I have had any time to write
to you; but now that things have calmed down a little and there is
less going on I can write to you as much as you like.

As you know, I am always busy in the teatrino; the other evening we
repeated Samson, that play which you once saw here. If you will
believe me, I was thinking of you the whole time because I remembered
that when we gave it two years ago you were present.

Just now in the _Story of the Paladins_, Orlando is throwing away his
arms and running about naked in the woods, mad for love of Angelica;
and soon we shall have the burning of Bizerta and the destruction of
the Africans. This will finish in July and we shall then begin the
_Story of Guido Santo_.

What have you done with that photograph of myself which I gave you
and which you put into your cigarette-case? Is still there, or have
you lost it? I have often promised to send you another but have not
done so because when you come to Palermo in September I hope we shall
be photographed together, you and I. Nevertheless I send you this
one now, it was taken by an English lady who came to the teatrino
last summer; you see me getting into a rage with a paladin, I am
talking seriously to him and swearing at him because he will not let
me dress him properly.

I will not prolong this letter, I do not wish to bore you; but I
promise you that I will never fail to let you know of my doings and I
count on you to tell me of yours.

Costantino, Sansone, Rinaldo, Rosina, Angelica, Ferrau, Pasquino,
Onofrio and all the other marionettes embrace you and send you their
kind regards.

I am and always shall be
Your affectionate friend
ALESSANDRO GRECO (Buf