International Weekly Miscellany of Literature, Art and Science - Volume 1, No. 6, August 5, 1850Various
Science
International Weekly Miscellany of Literature, Art and Science - Volume 1, No. 6, August 5, 1850
Various
Art -- Periodicals; Literature -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
By degrees the stormy passion within her gave place to calm
reflection. This day she was to go away; she was to dwell beneath
another roof, to serve another mistress. Humiliation! always
humiliation! But at least it would be some change in her life. As she
thought of this, she returned hastily to the palace that she might
not, on the last day of her servitude, incur the anger of her young
mistress.
Scarcely was Anielka attired in her prettiest dress, when Constantia
came to her with a little box, from which she took several gay-colored
ribbons, and decked her in them herself, that the serf might do her
credit in the new family. And when Anielka, bending down to her feet,
thanked her, Constantia, with marvelous condescension, kissed her on
her forehead. Even Leon cast an admiring glance upon her. His servant
soon after came to conduct her to the carriage, and showing her where
to seat herself, they rolled off quickly toward Radapol.
For the first time in her life Anielka rode in a carriage. Her head
turned quite giddy, she could not look at the trees and fields as they
flew past her; but by degrees she became more accustomed to it, and
the fresh air enlivening her spirits, she performed the rest of the
journey in a tolerably happy state of mind. At last they arrived in
the spacious court-yard before the Palace of Radapol, the dwelling
of a once rich and powerful Polish family, now partly in ruin. It was
evident, even to Anielka, that the marriage was one for money on the
one side, and for rank on the other.
Among other renovations at the castle, occasioned by the approaching
marriage, the owner of it, Prince Pelazia, had obtained singers
for the chapel, and had engaged Signer Justiniani, an Italian, as
chapel-master. Immediately on Leon's arrival, Anielka was presented
to him. He made her sing a scale, and pronounced her voice to be
excellent.
Anielka found that, in Radapol, she was treated with a little more
consideration than at Olgogrod, although she had often to submit to
the caprices of her new mistress, and she found less time to read. But
to console herself, she gave all her attention to singing, which she
practiced several hours a day. Her naturally great capacity, under
the guidance of the Italian, began to develop itself steadily. Besides
sacred, he taught her operatic music. On one occasion Anielka sung
an aria in so impassioned and masterly style, that the enraptured
Justiniani clapped his hands for joy, skipped about the room, and not
finding words enough to praise her, exclaimed several times, "Prima
Donna! Prima Donna!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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