But I would like you to admire my boy's audacity, and to review the situation, before I go on to speak of that important event in his life, his first appearance on the boards of the opera.

At the time of his _debut_ he was still disguised as a teacher of Italian to the young contessina.
She thought him interesting and intelligent, but that was all.

Her thoughts were entirely, though secretly, engrossed by the mysterious singer whom she had heard twice but had not seen as far as she knew.
Nino, on the other hand, loved her to desperation, and would have acted like a madman had he been deprived of his privilege of speaking to her three times a week.

He loved her with the same earnest determination to win her that he had shown for years in the study of his art, and with all the rest of his nature besides, which is saying much--not to mention his soul, of which he thinks a great deal more than I do.
Besides this, the baroness had apparently fallen in love with him, had made him her intimate, and flattered him in a way to turn his head.
Then she seemed to have thought better of her passion, and had promised him her friendship,--a promise which he himself considered of no importance whatever.

As for the old Conte de Lira, he read the German newspapers, and cared for none of these things.