Part 11 (2/2)
He raised two fingers to his lips, and blew a kiss to all the world.
”Such complexions! A wild rose in every cheek! But listen, now; this is not about an English young lady. I go up to the Church of St.
Mark--besides the bronze horses. I am enjoying the air, when I hear a sound; I turn; over there I see open windows; ah! the figure in the white dressing-gown! It is the _diva_ herself. They play the _Barbiere_ to-night, and she is practicing as she dusts her room. _Una voce poco fa_--it thrills all through the square. She puts the ornaments on the mantel-piece straight. _Lo giurai, la vincero!_--she goes to the mirror and makes the most beautiful att.i.tude. Ah, what a spectacle--the black hair all down--the white dressing-gown--_In sono docile_”--and again he kissed his two fingers. Then he said,
”But now, you. You do not look one day older. And how is Natalie?”
”Natalie is well, I believe,” said the other, gravely.
”You are a strange man. You have not a soft heart for the pretty creatures of the world; you are implacable. The little Natalushka, then; how is she?”
”The little Natalushka is grown big now; she is quite a woman.”
”A woman! She will marry an Englishman, and become very rich: is not that so?”
”Natalie--I mean, Natalushka will not marry,” said the other coldly.
”She knows she is very useful to me. She knows I have no other.”
”_Maintenant_: the business--how goes that?”
”Elsewhere, well; in England, not quite so well,” said Ferdinand Lind.
”But what can you expect? The English think they have no need of co-operation, except to get their groceries cheap. Why, everything is done in the open air there. If a scoundrel gets a lash too many in prison, you have it before Parliament next week. If a school-boy is kicked by his master, you have all the newspapers in the country ablaze.
The newspapers govern England. A penny journal has more power than the commander-in-chief.”
”Then why do you remain in England?”
”It is the safest for me, personally. Then there is most to be done there. Again, it is the head-quarters of money. Do you see, Calabressa?
One must have money, or one cannot work.”
The albino-looking man lit a cigarette.
”You despair, then, of England? No, you never despair.”
”There is a prospect. The Southern Englishman is apathetic; he is interested only, as I have said, in getting his tea and sugar cheap.
But the Northern Englishman is vigorous. The trades' a.s.sociations in the North are vast, powerful, wealthy; but they are suspicious of anything foreign. Members join us; the a.s.sociations will not. But what do you think of this, Calabressa: if one were to have the a.s.sistance of an Englishman whose father was one of the great iron-masters; whose name is well known in the north; who has a large fortune, and a strong will?”
”You have got such a man?”
”Not yet. He is only a Friend. But if I do not misjudge him, he will be a Companion soon. He is a man after my own heart; once with us, all the powers of the earth will not turn him back.”
”And his fortune?”
”He will help us with that also, no doubt.”
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