terrifying hearts and stupefying minds; frus-
trated of his hopes and deceived in his fore-
sight; such suspicions, not exactly justified, yet 
not altogether without justification, shot across 
my mind as I looked upon the countenance of 
the Prince, upon which a new-found paleness 
ceaselessly increased upon its ordinary pale-
ness like snow falling upon snow. His lips 
tightened more and more, and his eyes flamed 
with an interior fire like that of jealousy and 
bitterness, even while he ostensibly applauded 
the talents of his old friend, the strange buf-
foon who made such excellent fun of death. At 
a certain moment I saw His Highness lean back 
towards a little page-boy who was standing 
behind him and whisper in his ear. The merry 
countenance of the pretty child lit up with a 
smile; then he hurriedly left the royal box as if 
to execute an urgent commission. 
Some minutes later a sharp and prolonged 
hiss interrupted Fanciullo in one of his best 
moments, tearing asunder at one and the 
same moment every ear and every heart, and, 
from that part of the room whence this unex-
pected sound of disapproval had leapt, a child, 
stifled with laughter, ran into the corridor. 
Fanciullo, shaken, awakened in his dream, 
first closed his eyes, then opened them almost 
at once, enormously enlarged; then opened his