It was
one of the favourite parts of the Diva; and all the city was on the
tiptoe of expectation.
It was a matter of course that all the "society" would be there. The
entire first row of the boxes,--the "piano nobile," as it is called
in Italian theatres,--was the private property of the various noble
families of the city, which each had its box, with its coat of arms
duly emblazoned on the door thereof, in that tier. Nobody who did
not belong to "the society" of the town could in any way show his
intruding face in the "piano nobile." But above this sacred
hemicycle there was another range of boxes; equally private boxes;
as all the boxes of an Italian theatre are;--and the key of one of
these upper "loggie" had been secured by Ludovico, and presented to
Signora Orsola and Paolina for the great evening.
Of course he himself would be obliged to be in his proper place in
the Castelmare box, which was the stage box on the left hand of the
stage.
"Whether I may be able to run up and pay you a little visit in the
course of the evening, I don't know. You may be very sure I shall if
I can; but there will be all the world there, of course, and lo zio
in the box--unless, indeed, he should choose to go behind the
scenes. Talking of that," he added, as he was on the point of
leaving the room, "I don't know what to make of lo zio of late.
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