Volume I Part 29 (1/2)
”What! La Luciola disdains our advances, and falls in love with this Neapolitan! That is treason”
”Then your excellency--”
”I give you _carte blanche_; bring Aslitta to the citadel, but not before the close of the performance; I wish to hear the opera to the end”
The adjutant tore a piece of paper froave it to San Pietro The count gave a diabolical laugh
His course was easy now
As much as San Pietro had tried, he could not remember whom La Luciola looked like Thanks to his wound, a blank had occurred in his memory, and certain episodes of his former life were covered with a heavy veil
As he now threw a glance at the opposite box, a part of this veil was torn asunder, and like a dazed person he looked at the gentleman dressed in black The latter transfixed hihed and hid his face in his handkerchief He could not aze of those coal-black eyes
”No, no,” he muttered, anxiously ”No one knows htened”
As soon as the first act was over, San Pietro turned to an officer and said:
”Do you know the gentle in the opposite box?”
”Not personally, but from reputation He is said to be enormously rich”
”What is his name?”
”The Count of Monte-Cristo; his wife, who is sitting next to him, is wonderfully handsome; they say she is a Greek The pretty boy is their son”
”Thanks,” said San Pietro; and then he muttered to himself: ”'Tis he; he has a son! This time he will not escape me”
”Do you know the count's political opinions?” said San Pietro, after a pause
”I only know that ientlero with his card to Radetzky, asking the marshal to allow him to pay his respects to him”
”That is decisive”
The opera had in the an a er appeared with an order which called the adjutant to the marshal's house What could the officers do? The service went before everything else, and they disappeared just as La Luciola, Ruinta, and Signor Tino were singing a beautiful trio
At length the last scene came; the rose, the proud queen of flowers, assented to the reen vines was raised before an altar constructed of evergreens
Red, white and green! The national colors!
At this nal Immediately every one rose and clapped their hands, and he joyously exclai!”