lka's ambition was fired, her heart was softened, and she
wept violently.

Five months had scarcely elapsed, when a _furore_ was created in
Vienna by the first appearance, at the Italian Opera, of the Signora
Giovanna. Her enormous salary at once afforded her the means of even
extravagant expenditure. Her haughty treatment of male admirers only
attracted new ones; but in the midst of her triumphs she thought often
of the time when the poor orphan of Pobereze was cared for by nobody.
This remembrance made her receive the flatteries of the crowd with
an ironical smile; their fine speeches fell coldly on her ear, their
eloquent looks made no impression on her heart: _that_, no change
could alter, no temptation win.

In the flood of unexpected success a new misfortune overwhelmed her.
Since their arrival at Vienna, Teresina's health rapidly declined, and
in the sixth month of Anielka's operatic reign she expired, leaving
all her wealth, which was considerable, to her friend.

Once more Anielka was alone in the world. Despite all the honors and
blandishments of her position, the old feeling of desolateness came
upon her. The new shock destroyed her health. She was unable to appear
on the stage. To sing was a painful effort; she grew indifferent to
what passed around her. Her greatest consolation was in succoring the
poor and friendless, and her generosity was most conspicuous to all
young orphan girls without fortune. She had never ceased to love her
native land, and seldom appeared in society, unless it was to meet her
countrymen. If ever she sang, it was in Polish.

A year had elapsed since the death of the Signora Teresina, when
the Count Selka, a rich noble of Volkynia, at that time in Vienna,
solicited her presence at a party. It was impossible to refuse the
Count and his lady, from whom she had received great kindness.
She went. When in their saloons, filled with all the fashion and
aristocracy in Vienna, the name of Giovanna was announced, a general
murmur was heard. She entered, pale and languid, and proceeded between
the two rows made for her by the admiring assembly, to the seat of
honor beside the mistress of the house.

Shortly after, the Count Selka led her to the piano. She sat down
before it, and thinking what she should sing, glanced round upon the
assembly. She could not help feeling that the admiration which beamed
from the faces around her was the work of her own merit, for had she
neglected the grea