Indeed, she was joking about the fast, for she had expended my substance of late in fattening Nino, as she called it, for his appearance, and there was to be broiled chickens for supper that very night.

He was only pale because he was in love.

As for me, I made up my mind to stand in the slides, so that I could see the contessina; for Nino had whispered to me that she had not yet recognised him, though she stared hard across the footlights.

Therefore I took up a good position on the left of the stage, facing the Lira box, which was on the right.
The curtain went up, and Nino stood there, looking like a real monk, with a book in his hand and his eyes cast down, as he began to walk slowly along.

I saw Hedwig von Lira's gaze rest on his square, pale face at least one whole minute.