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Updated: July 11, 2025
He came out of the little stage door of the Apollo theatre at Tor di Nona, and his eyes fell upon the broad bills and posters announcing the first appearance of "Giovanni Cardegna, the most distinguished pupil of the Maestro Ercole de Pretis, in Donizetti's opera the 'Favorita." His heart sank at the sight of his own name, and he turned towards the Bridge of Sant' Angelo to get away from it.
"I only wished to say," returned Benoni, "that I consider you in the light of an interesting phenomenon. Nay, Signor Cardegna, do not look so fierce. I am an old man " "An old devil," said Nino hotly. "An old fool," said I. "An old reprobate," said Hedwig, from her corner, in deepest indignation. "Precisely," returned Benoni, smilingly. "Many people have been good enough to tell me so before.
I asked him as a favour to come here and sing to you to-night. I thought it might please you." "A relation of yours!" exclaimed the contessina. And the others approached so that they all made a group in the disc of moonlight. "Just think, my dear baroness, this wonderful voice is a relation of Signor Cardegna, my excellent Italian master!"
But if there is anyone who can teach a poor dilettante to pronounce them," she added, laying the hat away on a chair, and pushing a footstool to Hedwig's feet, "that someone is Signor Cardegna."
At all events, the thing was done, and Hedwig von Lira became for the rest of her life Edvigia Cardegna. And I felt very guilty. The pair went down the steps of the house together in front of me, and stopped as they reached the street; forgetting my presence, I presume. They had not forgotten me so long as I was needed to be of use to them; but I must not complain.
"I think, Signor Cardegna," said Hedwig, with more courage than would have been expected from such a mere child, she is twenty, but Northern people are not grown up till they are thirty, at least, "I think it would have been more obliging if, when I asked you so much about your cousin, you had acknowledged that you had no cousin, and that the singer was none other than yourself."
One instant more, and Nino was at her feet, kissing the hem of her dress, and speechless with happiness, for his tears of joy flowed fast. Tenderly Hedwig bent to him, and laid her two hands on his bare head, pressing down the thick and curly hair with a trembling, passionate motion. "Signor Cardegna, you must not kneel there, nay, sir, I know you love me! Would I have come to you else?
I know of your meetings, your comings and your goings " They reached the door, but Benoni barred the way with his long arm, and seemed about to lay a hand upon her wrist, so that she shrank back against the heavy doorpost in an agony of horror and loathing and wounded pride. "I know Cardegna, and I knew the poor baroness who killed herself because he basely abandoned her.
"That depends on the most illustrious Signor Cardegna," said Benoni, smiling. "He only asked you to find them. He probably did not anticipate that I would help you." It did not appear to me that Benoni had helped me much, after all. You might as well look for a needle in a haystack as try to find anyone who goes to the Italian mountains.
His hat was perfectly new, and so smoothly brushed that it reflected a circular image of the objects in the room. But he had a certain dignity that saved his foppery from seeming ridiculous. "You are very kind," he answered. "Perhaps you would like to hear some news of Signor Cardegna, your boy, for he is nothing else." "Indeed" I said, "I should be very glad. Has he written to you, baron?"
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