never to rise again.

Everything that art, taste, and royal luxury could suggest was included
in the arrangements for this brilliant ball, to which a hundred and
fifty guests had been invited, not one of whom had refused to attend.

And now--now, in the afternoon of this, the last of my self-imposed
probation--I sat alone with my fair wife in the drawing-room of the
Villa Romani, conversing lightly on various subjects connected with the
festivities of the coming morrow. The long windows were open--the warm
spring sunlight lay like a filmy veil of woven gold on the tender green
of the young grass, birds sung for joy and flitted from branch to
branch, now poising hoveringly above their nests, now soaring with all
the luxury of perfect liberty into the high heaven of cloudless
blue--the great creamy buds of the magnolia looked ready to burst into
wide and splendid flower between their large, darkly shining leaves,
the odor of violets and primroses floated on every delicious breath of
air, and round the wide veranda the climbing white china roses had
already unfurled their little crumpled rosette-like blossoms to the
balmy wind. It was spring in Southern Italy--spring in the land where,
above all other lands, spring is lovely--sudden and brilliant in its
beauty as might be the smile of a happy angel. Gran Dio!--talk of
angels! Had I not a veritable angel for my companion at that moment?
What fair being, even in Mohammed's Paradise of Houris, could outshine
such charms as those which it was my proud privilege to gaze upon
without rebuke--dark eyes, rippling golden hair, a dazzling and perfect
face, a form to tempt the virtue of a Galahad, and lips that an emperor
might long to touch--in vain? Well, no!--not altogether in vain: if his
imperial majesty could offer a bribe large enough--let us say a diamond
the size of a pigeon's egg--he might possibly purchase one,
nay!--perhaps two kisses from that seductive red mouth, sweeter than
the ripest strawberry. I glanced at her furtively from time to time
when she was not aware of my gaze; and glad was I of the sheltering
protection of the dark glasses I wore, for I knew and felt that there
was a terrible look in my eyes--the look of a half-famished tiger ready
to spring on some long-desired piece of prey. She herself was
exceptionally bright and cheerful; with her riante features and agile
movements, she reminded me of some tropical bird of gorgeous plumage
swaying to and fro on