United States or Lithuania ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
At that period, every day brought some political meeting or party conference, and the leaders of the coming elections, head-drummers, and subalterns swarmed into Vernöcze, bringing all sorts of news, asking for all sorts of information, and Countess Diodora was at the head of everything presiding at the councils, assisting them all with her advice, never tired, never slackening in spirit or courage, and never forgetting her position as hostess and a bountiful hostess, too.
Of course, this was offered as a bribe for my secrecy on the topic of last night, and I promised them not to tell Countess Diodora how they had been employed at the mock wedding. Poor things, why should I betray them for obeying orders?
Diodora seemed to be in excellent spirits, and looked beautiful; the suffering of last night had not told on her complexion the least bit. She wore a black lace scarf to conceal her hair, which was still in the state in which I had coiled and pinned it, except that a great ornamental tortoise-shell comb, of yellow hue, had been thrust into it.
Countess Diodora was strikingly handsome. Tall of stature and fully developed, her movements had all the elasticity of youth and all the majesty of a goddess. Her Creole complexion was in harmony with the great almond-shaped eyes, the Minerva forehead, Grecian nose, and shell-shaped mouth with its coral-red lips.
She gazed at me in evident wonder, and her eyes sparkled like two shining orbs. "You have returned?" she exclaimed, as if in doubt of my bodily reality. "Countess Diodora is asleep," I said, "and will not wake until the morning. Pray, take care not to disturb her." "And you you did not remain there?" pointing to the room I left. "I have done all I could, and my staying would be of no use to her.
In order to silence all accusations of bribery, of feasting the voters, and so forth, Countess Diodora, Siegfried's aunt, was ready to keep open house in Vernöcze for our political friends, and so there would be no need of engaging any public restaurants or wine-shops. Siegfried told me that Countess Diodora was a very active champion of our party, and very influential, too.
"It would not hurt you to be of the same creed," said Countess Diodora. "For instance, to believe that the rose was created by God and the cetonia by the Devil," I replied, smilingly. "And why those?" she asked. "My niece has complained to me that you crush these beautiful little beetles to death. In what have they offended you?" "Offended me? Do you hold me capable of such petty malice?
I understood the gesture, and extended my hand to Flamma. She accepted it, and I bowed and kissed her hand. That was our betrothal. Siegfried took out a cigarette, lighted it, and blow the smoke at the chandelier. "I had other intentions concerning Flamma's future," said Diodora again, "but, since her choice has fallen on you, I am satisfied at least, I do not object.
If I am not greatly mistaken, your ladyship and the two young ladies, your cousins, were yesterday at the pains to immortalise me by taking my photograph." "Impossible!" she cried. "It could not have been you! With the spade in hand, and oh, it is too odd!" And she broke into a loud laugh. A laughing Pallas! The two girls ran but of the grotto to see what the staid Diodora was laughing at.
Well, any day you please; but not now." Still she persisted. "It has to be done this evening. I can't keep it any longer. You did not accept of it from Diodora, so you must take it from me. It is no longer my own it is yours." "Dearest, there is no such distinction existing! Since this blessed morning neither of us can claim possession of anything that is not common to both alike.
Word Of The Day