mpelled to request the
Duchessa Lucchesini, who was seated next me, to lower her beautiful arm,
as the splendour of the brilliants on her bracelet--I, of course, said
the lustre of the arm itself--was so great as to obstruct my view of the
stage. She smilingly complied. The last long-drawn note of the overture
was over, the curtain had risen, and the _prima donna_ Schenkelmann was
just trilling forth that exquisite _aria_ with which the opera of the
_Gasthaus_ begins, when the door of the box immediately adjoining the
imperial one opened, and a party entered in the gay Wallachian costume.
The first who took her place, in a sort of decorated chair in front, and
who was familiarly greeted by his Majesty, was a young lady, as it
seemed to me even then, of most surpassing beauty. Her dark raven hair
was held back from a brow as white as alabaster by a circlet of gorgeous
emeralds, whose pale mild light added to the pensive melancholy of her
features. I have no heart to describe her further, although that image
stands before me now, as clearly as when I first riveted these longing
eyes upon her charms!--O Amalia!

"Her immediate companion was a tall stalwart nobleman, beneath whose
cloak glittered a close-fitting tunic of ring-mail. His looks were
haughty and unprepossessing; he cast a fierce glance at the box which
contained the Esterhazys; bowed coldly in return to the recognition of
the Emperor; and seated himself beside his beautiful companion. I
thought--but it might be fancy--that she involuntarily shrank from his
contact. The remainder of the box was occupied by Wallachian ladies and
grandees.

"My curiosity was so whetted, that I hardly could wait until the
Schenkelmann had concluded, before assailing my neighbour the Duchessa
with questions.

"'Is it possible?' said she. 'Have you been so long in Vienna,
chevalier, and yet never seen the great attraction of the day--the
Wallachian fawn, as that foolish Count Kronthaler calls her? I declare I
begin to believe that you men of science are absolutely born blind!'

"'Not so, beautiful Lucchesini! But remember that ever since my arrival
I have been constantly gazing on a star.'

"'You flatterer! But, seriously, I thought every one knew the Margravine
of Kalbs-Kuchen. She is the greatest heiress in Europe--has a
magnificent independent principality, noble palaces, and such diamonds!
That personage beside her is her relation, the Duke of Kalbs-Braten, the
representati