He buzzed about
the large saloon from one group to another, raising himself on
tiptoe as he looked up into the faces of his noble friends and
patrons, and rubbing his hands together cheerily in the exuberance
of his satisfaction.
"You had the happiness of accompanying the illustrissimo Signor
Marchese to receive our honoured guest to-day, Signor Barone!" said
he to Manutoli, who was giving an account of his expedition, and of
the first appearance of the new "Diva," to a knot of young men
grouped around him; "mi rallegro! Mi rallegro! Ravenna could not
have had a more worthy representative than yourself, Signor Barone!
But is she not divine! What beauty! What a grace!"
"Why, Signor Ercole, one would think you had begotten her yourself.
She is a pretty creature certainly. What a smile she has!"
"Eh bene, Signori miei! Are you satisfied? Are you content? Have we
done well?" said the little man, buzzing off to another group. "Che
vi pare? Is she up to the mark, or is she not?"
"Bravo, Signor Ercole! We are all delighted with her!" said one.
"If she sings as she looks," cried another, "Ravenna has a prima
donna such as no other city in Italy has."
"Or in Europe, per Bacco!" added a third.
"What do you think of her, Signor Leandro? Did I say too much?"
asked the happy impresario, moving off to a console, against which
the poet was leaning in an abstracted attitude, while his eye, in a
fine frenzy rolling, managed nevertheless to look out for the
manifestation on the Diva's face of that impression which he doubted
not his figure and pose must make on her.
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