
Set amid the genteel drawing rooms of 1880s Milan, the story opens with Ambrogio, a nervous yet determined figure, caught in a tense exchange with the eccentric Mr. Cilecca. Their conversation darts between riddles about porcelain, baroque frames, and a curious negotiation that hints at hidden motives and a looming deal. The dialogue crackles with witty repartee, while the stately yet slightly absurd atmosphere captures the quirks of a society preoccupied with appearances and bargains.
As the negotiation stalls, the sudden arrival of a pale, delicate young lady—her entrance marked by a shy smile and a tremor in her voice—shifts the balance of power in the room. Her presence raises questions about family ties, secret intentions, and the fragile alliances among Ambrogio, the count, and the opportunistic Cilecca. Listeners are drawn into a lively tableau of social maneuvering, where every glance and whispered price carries the promise of intrigue and unexpected outcomes.
Language
it
Duration
~9 hours (571K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Italy: A. Brigola, 1883.
Credits
Barbara Magni and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library)
Release date
2023-06-18
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1846–1918
An Italian novelist and journalist from Sardinia, he became a popular literary voice in late 19th-century Milan. His fiction was known for its gentle tone and close attention to everyday feeling rather than grand drama.
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