The Daughter of an Empress

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.