The Morning herald., 1877-03-07
j AND cRE'z||s!.
] CHAPTER xxxvu'
rur "pRoMErH EUs.

THE "PKOMEAAOoS E
third scene opened, 1t was
,,,Adssr,tsnding. Asr by which the God
r. .auce uauci is de1hroned, and gives
!, y IN 'ns If S'ti those present could this idea
1'1ss,,;'s lew +, bel be Ineligible. The most
,'s1s' % merely regarded the fable and its
!, without looking for any meaning
"A the surface. o,x.,,. -
y. 'as'', Tss like new revelation. She
s I'."s "a rd and stood in the custume
ptsa;r 'ts Greek has given to Athene, but
a' asnd she held the olive-her EN-
a"as a;.stead Of the spear. From beneath
i.n,st os her dark locks flowed down
.ss'. E.,s 'v.reathed in thick waves that
,.',d .s'i heavily about her head.
= ~ ,s s' Athene, the pure classical con-
= R Reatrice's features appeared in
.I,,S ~ iheauty-faultless in their per-
1sSSs H.osi,n mould. Her large, dark eyes
I, d With certain solemn meaning out
Nv s vast audience. Her whole face
.'snpI +;o and sublimed by the thought
''s1 s,s within her. In her artistic nature
Nd ID appropriated this character to her
nv !" M,harroughlv, "r that, as she stood there,
Il, herself to be in reality all that she
,.sned, The spectators caught the
.sslug from her. Yet SO marvellous
Isr S. beauty, so astonishing was the
ssion ri Of her form and feature, so ac-
~ , VAS The living representation Of the
I,odJess that the whole vast audience
,Se glance burst forth into pealing
pdss Of spontaneous and irresistible
sa,rice had opened her mouth to begin,
Inthat thunder Of admiration arose
MI back a pace. Was it the applause
had oyerawed her?
/ Hr eyes we're fixed on one spot at the
irne right of the pit. A face was there
I'M exclaimed her. A face, pale, sad,
|anful, with dark eyes fixed on hers in
|udhst despair. ,,,
|Aalrice faltered and fell back, but it was
M The roar of applause. 1t was tht
[s-lhe one face among three thousand
(b,s her, the one, the only one she saw.
4 how in that moment all the past came
Eijpg before her-the Indian Ocean, the
[hy pirate, where that face first appeared
kitIan!ic, the shipwreck, the long sail
NJ the seas in the boat, the African isle !!
|hs stood so long that the spectators
(adered.
FAddenly the face which bad so transfix-
Rber sank down. He was gone, or had
Clhimself. Was it because he knew that
! vas the cause of her silence?
The face disappeared, and the spell was
nksn. Langhetti stood at the side.scenes,
hehng with deep agitation the silence of
hrice. He was on the point of taking
desperate step Of going forward when
Aav that she had regained her compo-
he
Se regaiaed it, and Moved a step for
md with such calm serenity that no one
nd have suspected her of having lost it.
kbegan to sing. In an opera words are
Shng-music is all in all. 1t is suffic-
Afthe words express, even in a feeble
! general way, the ideas which breathe
dbnrn in the music. Thus it was with
.vords in the opening song of Beatrice.
But the music What language can
saibe it?
Upon this all the richest stores Of Ian :
stlis genius had been lavished. Into
sail the soul of Beatrice was thrown
hsubllme self.forgetfulness. She ceased
be herself Before the audience she was
hene.
Her voice, always marvelously rich and
!, was now grander and more capacious
10 ever. 1t poured forth a full stream
natchless harmony that carried all the
ilsnce captive. Strong, soaf ag, pene-
ting, it rose easily to the highe8 notes,
4 flung them forth with a lavish, and
The same time far.reaching power that
letrated every heart, and thrilled all
. heard it. Reused 10 the highest en-
lslasm by the sight of that vast assem-
ge, Beatrice gave herself up to the in
I!cation Of the hour. She threw her
into the spirit of the piece; she took
p into her heart the thought of Lam
atI, and uttered it forth to the listeners
70 harmonies that we're almost divine
% harmonies as they had never before
laere was the silence of death as she
y Her voice stilled all other sounds.
Na listener seemed almost afraid to
a'he' Some looked at one another in
'a'enent, but most of them sat notion
!. With their heads stretched forward,
conscious ;sN OF any thing except that one
AZ last it ceased. For a moment there
pause. Then there arose deep,
y lnlnuer of annlauaa thot doapenod