And in the
starlight his face lost its hard lines. But Carleton did not see.
The door was thrown open by an old Italian servant, who had the profile
of a captive Saracen king.
They went in together, and left the night full of perfume, and the song
of little waves fringed with starlight, that broke on the rocks like
fairy-gold--the vanishing fairy-gold of the Casino across the water.
And at the same moment (for it was very late) the dazzling illumination
of the Casino terrace was dimmed, as if half the diamonds had been shut
up in velvet cases.
A great peace fell upon the night, as though the throbbing of a
passionate heart had ceased.
X
Vanno Della Robbia wished to think no more of the false stars that he
had followed; for there was every reason now to believe them false
stars. Yet something deep down in him refused to believe this; and he
could not help thinking of them as before. But he would not give way to
what seemed like weakness, and so he fought against the memory.
If he had come to Monte Carlo only for the sake of the girl, he would
have left again next morning. Having come for other things, however, it
would have been weaker to go than stay. His brother and sister-in-law
had not arrived yet at their villa at Cap Martin, and were not due for
some days, as Angelo had taken his bride to Ireland, to show her to a
much loved cousin, the Duchess of Clare. Also there was the week of
aviation, to which Vanno had been looking forward with interest during
the voyage from Alexandria to Marseilles.
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