登陆注册
5154600000090

第90章

Mark's Place, where the voice of gaiety and song was loud.The busy hum of mingling sounds was heard at a considerable distance on the water, and, had not a bright moon-light discovered the city, with its terraces and towers, a stranger would almost have credited the fabled wonders of Neptune's court, and believed, that the tumult arose from beneath the waves.

They landed at St.Mark's, where the gaiety of the colonnades and the beauty of the night, made Madame Montoni willingly submit to the Count's solicitations to join the promenade, and afterwards to take a supper with the rest of the party, at his Casino.If any thing could have dissipated Emily's uneasiness, it would have been the grandeur, gaiety, and novelty of the surrounding scene, adorned with Palladio's palaces, and busy with parties of masqueraders.

At length they withdrew to the Casino, which was fitted up with infinite taste, and where a splendid banquet was prepared; but here Emily's reserve made the Count perceive, that it was necessary for his interest to win the favour of Madame Montoni, which, from the condescension she had already shewn to him, appeared to be an achievement of no great difficulty.He transferred, therefore, part of his attention from Emily to her aunt, who felt too much flattered by the distinction even to disguise her emotion; and before the party broke up, he had entirely engaged the esteem of Madame Montoni.

whenever he addressed her, her ungracious countenance relaxed into smiles, and to whatever he proposed she assented.He invited her, with the rest of the party, to take coffee, in his box at the opera, on the following evening, and Emily heard the invitation accepted, with strong anxiety, concerning the means of excusing herself from attending Madame Montoni thither.

It was very late before their gondola was ordered, and Emily's surprise was extreme, when, on quitting the Casino, she beheld the broad sun rising out of the Adriatic, while St.Mark's Place was yet crowded with company.Sleep had long weighed heavily on her eyes, but now the fresh sea-breeze revived her, and she would have quitted the scene with regret, had not the Count been present, performing the duty, which he had imposed upon himself, of escorting them home.

There they heard that Montoni was not yet returned; and his wife, retiring in displeasure to her apartment, at length released Emily from the fatigue of further attendance.

Montoni came home late in the morning, in a very ill humour, having lost considerably at play, and, before he withdrew to rest, had a private conference with Cavigni, whose manner, on the following day, seemed to tell, that the subject of it had not been pleasing to him.

In the evening, Madame Montoni, who, during the day, had observed a sullen silence towards her husband, received visits from some Venetian ladies, with whose sweet manners Emily was particularly charmed.They had an air of ease and kindness towards the strangers, as if they had been their familiar friends for years; and their conversation was by turns tender, sentimental and gay.Madame, though she had no taste for such conversation, and whose coarseness and selfishness sometimes exhibited a ludicrous contrast to their excessive refinement, could not remain wholly insensible to the captivations of their manner.

In a pause of conversation, a lady who was called Signora Herminia took up a lute, and began to play and sing, with as much easy gaiety, as if she had been alone.Her voice was uncommonly rich in tone, and various in expression; yet she appeared to be entirely unconscious of its powers, and meant nothing less than to display them.She sung from the gaiety of her heart, as she sat with her veil half thrown back, holding gracefully the lute, under the spreading foliage and flowers of some plants, that rose from baskets, and interlaced one of the lattices of the saloon.Emily, retiring a little from the company, sketched her figure, with the miniature scenery around her, and drew a very interesting picture, which, though it would not, perhaps, have borne criticism, had spirit and taste enough to awaken both the fancy and the heart.When she had finished it, she presented it to the beautiful original, who was delighted with the offering, as well as the sentiment it conveyed, and assured Emily, with a smile of captivating sweetness, that she should preserve it as a pledge of her friendship.

In the evening Cavigni joined the ladies, but Montoni had other engagements; and they embarked in the gondola for St.Mark's, where the same gay company seemed to flutter as on the preceding night.

The cool breeze, the glassy sea, the gentle sound of its waves, and the sweeter murmur of distant music; the lofty porticos and arcades, and the happy groups that sauntered beneath them; these, with every feature and circumstance of the scene, united to charm Emily, no longer teased by the officious attentions of Count Morano.But, as she looked upon the moon-light sea, undulating along the walls of St.

Mark, and, lingering for a moment over those walls, caught the sweet and melancholy song of some gondolier as he sat in his boat below, waiting for his master, her softened mind returned to the memory of her home, of her friends, and of all that was dear in her native country.

After walking some time, they sat down at the door of a Casino, and, while Cavigni was accommodating them with coffee and ice, were joined by Count Morano.He sought Emily with a look of impatient delight, who, remembering all the attention he had shewn her on the preceding evening, was compelled, as before, to shrink from his assiduities into a timid reserve, except when she conversed with Signora Herminia and the other ladies of her party.

同类推荐
  • 新吾吕先生实政录

    新吾吕先生实政录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 阿育王息坏目因缘经

    阿育王息坏目因缘经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说懈怠耕者经

    佛说懈怠耕者经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 校订三国遗事叙

    校订三国遗事叙

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编官常典都察院部

    明伦汇编官常典都察院部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 所有

    所有

    不是所有真心都夹杂着假意,不是所有付出都期待回报,不是所有物质都承载感情,不是所有言语都出自本心,不是所有朋友都要灌溉,不是所有婚姻都是坟墓。生活中不止亲情、友情、爱情,也不止理想、工作、事业,还有人生在世存在的意义。
  • 经年又似锦

    经年又似锦

    佛家普渡,众生相里的痴嗔念欲不过事镜中繁花水中霁月,稍一执念,便一朝倾覆,纵成枉然。四年后,顾思远逮到当年仓皇而逃的林似锦,内心欣喜,像是逃逸多年的囚犯终于落网。这一次,他不顾挣扎。大概擅长逃避的人最适合’不轻言放弃’的人。多年未果,他求的不过是大庭小院,树叶榛榛。
  • 希望

    希望

    希望是一种很原始的力量,它隐藏在内心的深处,激发出这种力量将得到一种全新的思想变革。国家、企业、个人都需要这种力量,这是我研究了大半辈子的课题,我的理想就是将这种力量教给每一个人,让他们能自行掌握从谷底走向巅峰的方法。
  • The Golden Slipper

    The Golden Slipper

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 念念不忘:盛世豪门宠妻

    念念不忘:盛世豪门宠妻

    他仗着身后的权势飞扬跋扈,她仗着他的宠爱刁蛮任性,最好的年纪,他们相爱,也相互伤害。安泽一脸戏谑的看着凌晓,“遮什么遮,又不是没有看过!”凌晓的脸愈发红润,“你个流氓,给我滚出去!”当岁月带走稚嫩,他们在彼此的爱里慢慢成长,她一袭高雅的长裙站在他身边,等着他给她颁发影后的奖杯,一对璧人,只是站在那里,就是绝美的风景。她红唇轻启:“今天,我站在这里,最感谢的就是我身边的安泽先生,我也想问他一个问题,你能不能再娶我一次?”
  • 邪王想入非妃

    邪王想入非妃

    她自小是孤儿,在庵堂长大,曾在深山采药时救他。一朝庵堂人亡庙毁,她沦为小乞丐,而又辗转被他收留,却从此沦为棋子。他是王府嫡子,不良于行,救她不过是因她根骨奇佳,甚至亲手将她磨砺成了他手里最锋利的剑。他无心无情,仅将她视作棋子,可待棋子有了脾气,有了所谓的心上人,甚至人毁命亡时,他方寸大乱,惊急攻心。他是邻国皇子,曾与她一道为乞,他亲口允诺护她,最后却又亲手将她推入了火海深渊。试看女主如何由弱到强,试看女主绝后重生时,满身华贵,倾国绝丽的她如何演绎这‘惊世’二字,如何将天地变色,狼烟角逐,最后坐收渔利,人心与天地齐收。
  • 一剑化神

    一剑化神

    一心寄一剑,一剑结知交;一人夺天命,一命换众生!风云开榜,雷霆敕字,天榜异动,烽火四起,身负九幽冥煞的枯境少年,明心御剑,剑行九阳,于微末崛起,匡扶天下!书友群:555691395
  • 水镜录

    水镜录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 他说我最珍贵

    他说我最珍贵

    沈怀钰娶我,只不过用我当幌子,掩饰他不为人知的隐情,还差点沦落为替他生孩子的道具。沈以南娶我,明确地和我说,只是想让我替他生个孩子……我唐之雅招谁惹谁了!翻来覆去都是要为你们沈家生孩子!后来孩子还未出生,我却从沈太太变成他尴尬的婚外女朋友。我想逃,逃不出他的手掌和他360°无死角的呵护宠爱。我说,亲爱的,总有渣渣想虐我。他说,唐小猪,渣渣有你男人收拾,你只需不(给)变(我)应(生)万(猴)变(子)!
  • 秘密档案

    秘密档案

    1999年5月8日晚上10点,当我刚从外地采访顺道回到江苏常熟老家的父母亲身边时,电话铃突然响起:……你看新闻了吗?北约把我国驻南斯拉夫大使馆炸了!今天大学生们和不少市民都到大街上游行呢!在北京的妻子告诉我一个晴天霹雳般的消息。