The little Princess called for Roma the following night, and they drove
to the opera in her magnificent English carriage. Already the theatre
was full and the orchestra was tuning up. With the movement of people
arriving and recognising each other there was an electrical atmosphere
which affected everybody. Don Camillo came, oiled and perfumed, and when
he had removed the cloaks of the ladies and they took their places in
the front of the box, there was a slight tingling all over the house.
This pleased the little Princess immensely, and she began to sweep the
place with her opera-glass.
"Crowded already!" she said. "And every face looking up at my box!
That's what it is to have for your companion the most beautiful and the
most envied girl in Rome. What a sensation! Nothing to what it will be,
though, when your illustrious friend arrives."
At that moment David Rossi appeared at the back, and the Princess
welcomed him effusively.
"So glad! So honoured! Gi-gi, let me introduce you--Honourable Rossi,
Don Camillo Luigi Murelli."
Roma looked at him--he had an air of distinction in a dress coat such as
comes to one man in a thousand. He looked at Roma--she wore a white gown
with violets on one shoulder and two rows of pearls about her beautiful
white throat. The Princess looked at both of them, and her little eyes
twinkled.
"Never been here before, Mr. Rossi? Then you must allow me to explain
everything. Take this chair between Roma and myself. No, you must not
sit back. _You_ can't mind observation--so used to it, you know."
Without further ado David Rossi took his place in front of the box, and
then a faint commotion passed over the house. There were looks of
surprise and whispered comments, and even some trills of laughter.
He bore it without flinching, as if he had come for it and expected it,
and was taking it as a penance.
Roma dropped her head and felt ashamed, but the little Princess went on
talking. "These boxes on the first tier are occupied by Roman society
generally, those on the second tier mainly by the diplomatic corps, and
the stalls are filled by all sorts and conditions of people--political
people, literary people, even trades-people if they're rich enough or
can pretend to be."
"And the upper circles?" asked Rossi.
"Oh," in a tired voice, "professional people, I think--Collegio Romano
and University of Rome, you know."
"And the gallery?"
"Students, I suppose." Then eagerly, after bowing to somebody below,
"Gi-gi, there's Lu-lu. Don't forget to ask him to supper.... All the
beautiful young men of Rome are here to-night, Mr. Rossi, and presently
they'll pay a round of calls on the ladies in the boxes."
The voice of the Princess was suddenly drowned by the sharp tap of the
conductor, followed by the opening blast of the overture. Then the
lights went down and the curtain rose, but still the audience kept up a
constant movement in the lower regions of the house, and there was an
almost unbroken chatter.
The curtain fell on the first act without anybody knowing what the opera
had been about, except that Samson loved a woman named Delilah, and the
lords of the Philistines were tempting her to betray him. Students in
the gallery, recognisable by their thin beards, shouted across at each
other for the joy of shouting, and spoke by gestures to their professors
below. People all over the house talked gaily on social subjects, and
there was much opening and shutting of the doors of boxes. The beautiful
young man called Lu-lu came to pay his respects to the Princess, and
there was a good deal of gossip and laughter.
The second act was more dramatic than the first, showing Samson in his
character as a warrior, and when the curtain came down again, General
Morra, the Minister of War, visited the Princess's box.
"So you're taking lessons in the art of war from the professor who slew
an army with the jaw-bone of an ass?" said Don Camillo.
"Wish we could enlist a few thousands of him--jaw-bones as well," said
the General. "The gentleman might be worth having at the War Office, if
it was only as a _jettatura_." And then in a low voice to the Princess,
with a glance at Roma, "Your beautiful young friend doesn't look so well
to-night."
The Princess shrugged her shoulders. "Of the pains of love one suffers
but does not die," she whispered.
"You surely cannot mean...."
The Princess put the tip of her fan to his lips and laughed.
Roma was conscious of a strange conflict of feelings. The triumph she
had promised herself by David Rossi's presence with her in public--the
triumph over the envious ones who would have rejoiced in her
downfall--brought her no pleasure.
The third act dealt with the allurements of Delilah, and was received
with a good deal of laughter.
"Ah, these sweet, round, soft things--they can do anything they like
with the giants," said Don Camillo.
The Baron, who had dined with the King, came round at the end of the
next act, wearing a sash diagonally across his breast, with crosses,
stars, and other decorations. He bowed to David Rossi with ceremonious
politeness, greeted Don Camillo familiarly, kissed the hand of the
Princess, and offered his arm to Roma to take her into the corridor to
cool--she was flushed and overheated.
"I see you are getting on, my child! Excellent idea to bring him here!
Everybody is saying you cannot be the person he intended, so his trumpet
has brayed to no purpose."
"You received my letters?" she said in a faltering voice.
"Yes, but don't be uneasy. I'm neither the prophet nor the son of a
prophet if we are not on the right track. What a fortunate thought about
the man Minghelli! An inspiration! You asked what his fault was in
London--forgery, my dear!"
"That's serious enough, isn't it?"
"In a Secretary of Legation, yes, but in a police agent...."
He laughed significantly, and she felt her skin creep.
"Has he found out anything?" she asked.
"Not yet, but he is clearly on the track of great things. It is nearly
certain that your King David is a person wanted by the law."
Her hand twitched at his arm, but they were turning at the end of the
corridor and she pretended to trip over her train.
"Some clues missing still, however, and to find them we are sending
Minghelli to London."
"London? Anything connected with my father?"
"Possibly! We shall see. But there's the orchestra and here's your box!
You're wonderful, my dear! Already you've undone the mischief he did
you, and one half of your task is accomplished. Diplomatists! Pshaw!
We'll all have to go to school to a girl. Adieu!"
All through the next act Roma seemed to feel a sting on her arm where
the Baron had touched it, and she was conscious of colouring up when the
Princess said:
"Everybody is looking this way, my dear! See what it is to be the most
talked-of girl in Rome!"
And then she felt David Rossi's hand on the back of her chair, and heard
his soft voice saying:
"The light is in your eyes, Donna Roma. Let me change places with you
for a while."
After that everything passed in a kind of confusion. She heard somebody
say:
"He's putting a good deal of heart into it, poor thing!"