The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-08-21

be pitied! HOla, amici! To the health
of our noble host, Conte Cesare Oliva!"
He waved his glass in the air three
times-every one followed his example
and drank the toast with enthusiasm. /
bowed my thanks and acknowledgements
and the superstitious dread which at
first had undoubtedly seized the COM
pany passed away Quickly-the talking,
merriment and laughter were resumed,
and soon it seemed as though the I'M
toward circumstance were entirely for
gotten. Only Guido Ferrari seemed still
some what disturbed In his mind-but
even his uneasiness dissipated itself by
degrees, and heated by the quantity of
wine he had taken, he began to talk with
boastful braggsrtism of his many sue
cessful gallantries, and related his most
questionable anecdotes in such a manner
as to cause some naughty establishment in
the mind Of the Duke di Marina, who
eyed him from time to time with ill-dis-
guised impotence that bordered on con-
tempt 1, on the contrary, listened to
everything he said with urbane courtesy
Il humored him and drew him out as
much as possible-I smiled complacently
at his poor jokes and vulgar witticisms,
and when he said something that was
more than usually outrageous, / content
ed myself with benevolent shake of my
head, and the mild remark
"Ah! young blood Young blood!" ut
tered in bland sotto-yoce.
The desert was now served and with
it came the costly wines which had or
dered to be kept back till then. Priceless
Chateau d'YQuem," ''Clos Vougeot,' of
ha xyinf ahas
cello," and an exceedingly superb La
crima Cristi" one after the other, these
were tasted, criticised and heartily appre-
ciated. There was also q very unique
brand Of champagne costing nearly forty
francs a bottle, which was sparkling and
mellow to the palate, but frerY in quail
ty. Teis particular beverage was so
seductive in favour that every one par
took of it freely, with the result that the
most discreet among the party now be-
came the most uproarious Antonio
Blscardi, the quiet, unobtrusive painter,
together with his fellow student, Crispj-
ohy Dulci, usually the shyest of Young
men, suddenly grew excited, and uttered
blatant nothings concerning their art.
Captain Freccia argued the niceties of
sword play with the Marquis D'Aven-
court, both speakers illustrating their
various points by thrusting their dessert
knives skillfully into the pulpy bodies of
the peaches they had on their plates.
Luciano Saiustri lay back at case in his
chair. his classic head reclining on the
velvet cushions, and recited in low and
measured tones one of his own poems, |
caringi little or nothing whether his |
neighbors attended to him or not. The |
The GLIDE tongue of the Marchese Quail |
dro ran on smoothly and sinceSsantly, |
though he frequently lost the thread of |
his anecdotes and became involved in a
maze OF contradictory assertions. The
rather large nose of the Cbevalier Man
cinl Redeemed visibly as he laughed Joy
ously to himself at nothing in particular,
in short, the table had become a gilt
tering whirlpool of excitement and fever
lsh folly, which at mere touch, or word
out Of season, might rise to a raging
storm Of frothy dissension. The Duke
di Marina and myself alone of all the
were composed as usual he
had resisted the champagne, and as for