She read Count Orloff's billet with a satisfied smile; but soon laid it
aside for the delight of examining the jewels.
"How that shines, and how that sparkles," said the exhilarated poetess;
"not even a lover's eyes flash so brightly, nor is his smile so proud,
so full of rich certainty, as the sparkling of these gems! They are
enchanters, and a word from me can change these solitaires and
rosettes into a beautiful villa, or into a fragrant park with silent
arbors, intoxicating odors, and sweetly-singing birds. All that is
promised me by these stones--a lover's promises do not express half so
much. And only to think that it is Carlo, my former lover, to whom I
am indebted for these diamonds! From love to him I wished to destroy
Natalie, and that wish procured me the favor of the Russian count, and
consequently these brilliants. Poor Carlo! these diamonds outlast you.
How bright and beautiful were your glances that are now extinguished by
death--but this cruel, inexorable death has no power over diamonds!
It cannot strangle these as thou wert strangled, poor Carlo! I shall
remember thee this evening, Carlo, and hope the thought of thee may
inspire me for a right beautiful improvisation on death! I shall take
pains to bring to mind thy beautiful form overflowed with blood. Yes,
it will inspire in me a very effective improvisation, and I will at the
same time make a selection from my dear poets of some striking rhymes
upon death and the grave. And when I have the rhymes, the thoughts and
words will come of themselves. Rhymes, rhymes, these are the main things
with poets!"
And while the improvisatrice was thus speaking to herself, she had
mechanically adorned her person with the brilliants, attaching the
beautiful collar to her neck, the long pendants to her ears, and placing
the splendid diadem upon her brow.
She looked exceedingly beautiful in these ornaments, and consequently
rejoiced that her friend Cardinal Francesco Albani came at this precise
moment.
"He will be ravished?" said she, with a smile, advancing to meet him
with the proud and imposing dignity of a queen.
"You are beautiful as a goddess!" exclaimed the cardinal, "and whoever
sees you thus has seen the protecting divinity of ancient Rome, the
sublime Juno, queen of heaven!"
"Were I Juno, would you consent to be my Vulcan?" roguishly asked
Corilla.
"No," said Albani, laughing; "the noble Juno was not exactly true to her
Vulcan, and I require a faithful love! Would you be that, Corilla?"
"We shall see," said she, changing the arrangement of the diadem
before the glass--"we shall see, my worthy friend. But forget not the
conditions--first the laurel-crown!"
"You shall have it!" triumphantly responded the cardinal.
"Are you certain of that?" asked Corilla, with flashing eyes and glowing
cheeks.