FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46  
47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   >>   >|  
tention to your personal appearance! Have recourse to art where nature has been unkind. Put a little paint on those cheeks, which look so pale with spleen. Poor creature! Your puny face will never find a bidder. LEONORA (in a lively manner to ARABELLA). Congratulate me, girl. It is impossible I can have lost my Fiesco; or, if I have, the loss must be but trifling. (The chocolate is brought, ARABELLA pours it out.) JULIA. Do you talk of losing Fiesco? Good God! How could you ever conceive the ambitious idea of possessing him? Why, my child, aspire to such a height? A height where you cannot but be seen, and must come into comparison with others. Indeed, my dear, he was a knave or a fool who joined you with FIESCO. (Taking her hand with a look of compassion.) Poor soul! The man who is received in the assemblies of fashionable life could never be a suitable match for you. (She takes a dish of chocolate.) LEONORA (smiling at ARABELLA). If he were, he would not wish to mix with such assemblies. JULIA. The Count is handsome, fashionable, elegant. He is so fortunate as to have formed connections with people of rank. He is lively and high-spirited. Now, when he severs himself from these circles of elegance and refinement, and returns home warm with their impressions, what does he meet? His wife receives him with a commonplace tenderness; damps his fire with an insipid, chilling kiss, and measures out her attentions to him with a niggardly economy. Poor husband! Here, a blooming beauty smiles upon him--there he is nauseated by a peevish sensibility. Signora, signora, for God's sake consider, if he have not lost his understanding, which will he choose? LEONORA (offering her a cup of chocolate). You, madam--if he have lost it. JULIA. Good! This sting shall return into your own bosom. Tremble for your mockery! But before you tremble--blush! LEONORA. Do you then know what it is to blush, signora? But why not? 'Tis a toilet trick. JULIA. Oh, see! This poor creature must be provoked if one would draw from her a spark of wit. Well--let it pass this time. Madam, you were bitter. Give me your hand in token of reconciliation. LEONORA (offering her hand with a significant look). Countess, my anger ne'er shall trouble you. JULIA (offering her hand). Generous, indeed! Yet may I not be so, too? (Maliciously.) Countess, do you not think I must love that person whose image I bear constantly about me? LEONORA (blushing
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46  
47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

LEONORA

 

ARABELLA

 

chocolate

 

offering

 
fashionable
 

height

 

assemblies

 
signora
 

creature

 
lively

Countess

 

Fiesco

 
choose
 

understanding

 

return

 
receives
 

commonplace

 
tenderness
 

insipid

 

husband


economy

 

nauseated

 

beauty

 
smiles
 

blooming

 

niggardly

 

chilling

 

Signora

 

measures

 

peevish


sensibility

 

attentions

 

Generous

 

trouble

 

reconciliation

 

significant

 
Maliciously
 
constantly
 
blushing
 

person


bitter
 

toilet

 

Tremble

 

mockery

 

tremble

 

provoked

 

losing

 

conceive

 

ambitious

 

appearance