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Article HOTEL INCIDENT IN THE RIVIERA. ← Page 3 of 5 Article HOTEL INCIDENT IN THE RIVIERA. Page 3 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Hotel Incident In The Riviera.
are much nearer to Russia than Sicil y is , so perhaps she prefers to become Mrs . Count , etc ., to the other thing . " Those of us who Avere not in love with the princess began to Avish the absurd affair
at an end . The lady Avas most unfairly fair to each ; for she gave each of them enough encouragement to make them savagely jealous of one another , Avithout going far enough with either to give the
other any grounds of complaint . But for her beautiful eyes , I Avould compare her to a tableau vivant of Justice holding the scales . I can , hoAvever , safely liken her to Helen ; for she AA'as sotting by the ears
not only the tAvo most interested individuals , but also the Avhole Avorld about her ; and it Avanted but a spark to commence a conflagration , certainly an explosion , between those two .
We had an American at the Hotel du Bon Vivant , a quiet , thoughtful man , too much of an invalid to talk much , and very reserved in his manners . We little thought that the dreaded spark Avould be dropped
by him ; but it was . The baron Avas describing to a knot of us , including the count , as we were lounging in the entrance-hall after luncheon , his Syracusan villa , with its exquisite
gardens . The American Avas listening with his usual air of abstraction , and quietly interposed a question . " Did I understand you to say that the villa d ' Aosta in the Strada cli Palermo belongs to you ? "
" Si , signer , the Villa d'Aosta you speak of is the one . It is mine . It has been in my family for several generations , ' ' " You ' ve got a tenant there now who's a friend of mine "—
" No , siguor , no : I do not let my villa , nor other of my residences . " "Well , that ' s queer , I consider , " said the American . " 1 came direct from Sicily
last month , and a friend of mine Avas tenant of that villa for the winter , and I stayed a day or two Avith him in that very house . Guess there ' s some bunkum some-Avheres I "
Part of these remarks were made in Italian ; some ejaculated in English . " Bagatelle ! " replied the Baron ; " you are mistaken , signer ! It must have been
some other Villa d'Aosta . " "No , it wasn ' t , " replied the American ; " and for my part , I think you are no more a baron than I ' m Julius Ca _ sav . "
Hotel Incident In The Riviera.
He certainly looked offended , though happily the last sentence Avas in English ; in fact , he had been so unaccustomed to be contradicted , that it positively confused him . And I could not help noticing that
the count looked excessively tickled , as Avell as triumphant . That evening , Avhen the baron advanced to attend the princess to the salon , she declined his offer to place the shaAvl on
her shoulders , as he had ahvays done ; and in the most perfect manner , Avithout snubbing or putting him doAvn , allov-ed him to discover for himself that she Avas utterly indifferent to him . It Avas just as if the
moon Avere to take the place of the sun , in a quiet and undemonstrative way , with no explanation g iven . But , of course , an explanation Avas to be demanded ; and as soon as the dinner
Avas over , the baron sought , and obtained , a tete-a-tete in the corner of the Salle des Dames . We all had the decency to read Galignani , or play bezique , or otherwise to throw a veil over our curiosity , as Ave
anxiously watched the development of the plot , and tried to hedge our bets before it was too late . Suddenly the baron started to his feet , and uttered a loud execrative exclamation , Avhich I decline to translate . His soul
noAv most clearly betrayed its passionateness , but there AA * as rather more light than SAvcetness in his eyes as he glared round the room in search of the hapless American .
We all sprang to our feet too ; the ladies near the door rapidly retreated , and the men looked at one another , half-amused , half-angrily .
"If I kneAv AVIIO had poisoned the mind of madame , I Avould ' dilaniate' himtear him to p ieces , " shrieked the baron . " That Viper of an American ! "
" It Avas not the American , " answered the count , corning quietly out of the recess ; " / told madame Avhat he had
discovered . " The baron so far forgot the perfectness of his manners , aud evident desire to please , as with his open palm to slap the count on the face . But in another second
he found himself m that physical checkmate known as chancery—and there , before the princess , in the Salle des Dames , Avas being displayed a scene from the British ring ; chairs and tables going
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Hotel Incident In The Riviera.
are much nearer to Russia than Sicil y is , so perhaps she prefers to become Mrs . Count , etc ., to the other thing . " Those of us who Avere not in love with the princess began to Avish the absurd affair
at an end . The lady Avas most unfairly fair to each ; for she gave each of them enough encouragement to make them savagely jealous of one another , Avithout going far enough with either to give the
other any grounds of complaint . But for her beautiful eyes , I Avould compare her to a tableau vivant of Justice holding the scales . I can , hoAvever , safely liken her to Helen ; for she AA'as sotting by the ears
not only the tAvo most interested individuals , but also the Avhole Avorld about her ; and it Avanted but a spark to commence a conflagration , certainly an explosion , between those two .
We had an American at the Hotel du Bon Vivant , a quiet , thoughtful man , too much of an invalid to talk much , and very reserved in his manners . We little thought that the dreaded spark Avould be dropped
by him ; but it was . The baron Avas describing to a knot of us , including the count , as we were lounging in the entrance-hall after luncheon , his Syracusan villa , with its exquisite
gardens . The American Avas listening with his usual air of abstraction , and quietly interposed a question . " Did I understand you to say that the villa d ' Aosta in the Strada cli Palermo belongs to you ? "
" Si , signer , the Villa d'Aosta you speak of is the one . It is mine . It has been in my family for several generations , ' ' " You ' ve got a tenant there now who's a friend of mine "—
" No , siguor , no : I do not let my villa , nor other of my residences . " "Well , that ' s queer , I consider , " said the American . " 1 came direct from Sicily
last month , and a friend of mine Avas tenant of that villa for the winter , and I stayed a day or two Avith him in that very house . Guess there ' s some bunkum some-Avheres I "
Part of these remarks were made in Italian ; some ejaculated in English . " Bagatelle ! " replied the Baron ; " you are mistaken , signer ! It must have been
some other Villa d'Aosta . " "No , it wasn ' t , " replied the American ; " and for my part , I think you are no more a baron than I ' m Julius Ca _ sav . "
Hotel Incident In The Riviera.
He certainly looked offended , though happily the last sentence Avas in English ; in fact , he had been so unaccustomed to be contradicted , that it positively confused him . And I could not help noticing that
the count looked excessively tickled , as Avell as triumphant . That evening , Avhen the baron advanced to attend the princess to the salon , she declined his offer to place the shaAvl on
her shoulders , as he had ahvays done ; and in the most perfect manner , Avithout snubbing or putting him doAvn , allov-ed him to discover for himself that she Avas utterly indifferent to him . It Avas just as if the
moon Avere to take the place of the sun , in a quiet and undemonstrative way , with no explanation g iven . But , of course , an explanation Avas to be demanded ; and as soon as the dinner
Avas over , the baron sought , and obtained , a tete-a-tete in the corner of the Salle des Dames . We all had the decency to read Galignani , or play bezique , or otherwise to throw a veil over our curiosity , as Ave
anxiously watched the development of the plot , and tried to hedge our bets before it was too late . Suddenly the baron started to his feet , and uttered a loud execrative exclamation , Avhich I decline to translate . His soul
noAv most clearly betrayed its passionateness , but there AA * as rather more light than SAvcetness in his eyes as he glared round the room in search of the hapless American .
We all sprang to our feet too ; the ladies near the door rapidly retreated , and the men looked at one another , half-amused , half-angrily .
"If I kneAv AVIIO had poisoned the mind of madame , I Avould ' dilaniate' himtear him to p ieces , " shrieked the baron . " That Viper of an American ! "
" It Avas not the American , " answered the count , corning quietly out of the recess ; " / told madame Avhat he had
discovered . " The baron so far forgot the perfectness of his manners , aud evident desire to please , as with his open palm to slap the count on the face . But in another second
he found himself m that physical checkmate known as chancery—and there , before the princess , in the Salle des Dames , Avas being displayed a scene from the British ring ; chairs and tables going