Page 541 (1/2)

"I speak the truth," said Carlo; "a poetess is a us whom the

muses themselves have consecrated, an irace of God, to whoels whisper the

rhymes, and the ifted artist, this consecrated

daughter of the ly asked the cardinal

Carlo indicated Natalie, and bowed to the ground before her

"Princess Tartaroff?" asked the cardinal, with astonishment

"That she is a princess, I know not," said Carlo, "but I am quite

certain she is a poetess!"

What was it that at thismaiden?

She now felt a pride, a blessed joy, and yet she had previously felt so

sad at Corilla's trius in

her, as if the word, the right word, pressed to her lips, as if she s for her sienuine child of Nature, she felt

herself the natural impulse to pour out in words, tones, and even in

tears, what agitated her soul, and to which she was unable to give a

naly to Count Paulo, praying for

his perht

the co this,

led in the conversation, and added their requests to those of

the cardinal; and, the feeling becoeneral, the requests for

an i; people, reat and celebrated improvisatrice Corilla, with a