ness to her mind.

Like most women when under the stress of some unusual agitation, she
overstepped her ordinary limitations and assumed something of the
Pythoness, though still remaining calm and beautiful; for it was the
form of her thoughts that was wrung with desperation, not the features
of her face. And perhaps she wanted to shine with all her wit to lend
some charm to life and detain her lover from death.

When the orchestra had given out the three chords in C major, placed
at the opening by the composer to announce that the overture will be
sung--for the real overture is the great movement beginning with this
stern attack, and ending only when light appears at the command of
Moses--the Duchess could not control a little spasmodic start, that
showed how entirely the music was in accordance with her concealed
distress.

"Those three chords freeze the blood," said she. "They announce trouble.
Listen attentively to this introduction; the terrible lament of a nation
stricken by the hand of God. What wailing! The King, the Queen, their
first-born son, all the dignitaries of the kingdom are sighing; they are
wounded in their pride, in their conquests; checked in their avarice.
Dear Rossini! you have done well to throw this bone to gnaw to the
_Tedeschi_, who declared we had no harmony, no science!

"Now you will hear the ominous melody the maestro has engrafted on to
this profound harmonic composition, worthy to compare with the most
elaborate structures of the Germans, but never fatiguing or tiresome.

"You French, who carried through such a bloodthirsty revolution, who
crushed your aristocracy under the paw of the lion mob, on the day when
this oratorio is performed in your capital, you will understand this
glorious dirge of the victims on whom God is avenging his chosen people.
None but an Italian could have written this pregnant and inexhaustible
theme--truly Dantesque. Do you think that it is nothing to have such a
dream of vengeance, even for a moment? Handel, Sebastian Bach, all you
old German masters, nay, even you, great Beethoven, on your knees! Here
is the queen of arts, Italy triumphant!"

The Duchess had spoken while the curtain was being raised. And now the
physician heard the sublime symphony with which the composer introduces
the great Biblical drama. It is to express the sufferings of a whole
nation. Suffering is uniform in its expression, especially physical
suffering. Thus, having instinctively