He came out of the little stage door of the Apollo theatre at Tor di Nona, and his eyes fell upon the broad bills and posters announcing the first appearance of "Giovanni Cardegna, the most distinguished pupil of the Maestro Ercole de Pretis, in Donizetti's opera the 'Favorita.'" His heart sank at the sight of his own name, and he turned towards the Bridge of Sant' Angelo to get away from it.

He was the last to leave the theatre, and De Pretis was with him.
At that moment he saw Hedwig von Lira sitting in an open carriage in front of the box office.

De Pretis bowed low; she smiled; and Nino took off his hat, but would not go near her, escaping in the opposite direction.

He thought she looked somewhat surprised, but his only idea was to get away, lest she should call him and put some awkward question.
An hour and a half later he entered her sitting-room.

There she sat, as usual, with her books, awaiting him perhaps for the last time, a fair, girlish figure with gold hair, but oh, so cold!--it makes me shiver to think of how she used to look.