Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 1 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/237

 Rowland after a pause made some remark about the beauty of the ball. It was very brilliant.

"Stupendous!" said the Cavaliere solemnly. "It 's a great day. We have four Roman princes, to say nothing of others." And he counted them over on his ringers and held up his hand triumphantly. "And there she stands, the girl to whom I—I, Giuseppino Giacosa—taught her alphabet and her piano-scales; there she stands in all her grace, and les grands de la terre come and do her homage. Here, in his quiet corner, her old master permits himself to be proud."

"It 's very friendly and very charming of him," Rowland benevolently said.

The Cavaliere drew his lids a little closer, but strange things came through. "It 's very natural, signore—at the same time that it 's very idiotic too. Christina's at any rate a brava ragazza; she remembers my little services. Here comes, however," he added in a moment, "the young Prince of the Belle-Arti. I 'm sure he has bowed lowest of all."

Rowland looked round and saw Roderick moving slowly across the room and casting about him his usual high light of contemplation. He presently joined them, nodded familiarly to the Cavaliere and immediately put to Rowland the largest "Have you seen her?"

"I 've seen Miss Light," Rowland answered on a smaller scale. "She 's looking remarkably well."

"I 'm intoxicated with her beauty!" Roderick continued so loud that several persons turned round. Rowland saw that he was flushed, and laid a 203