Chapter 9 Chapter nine

The family of Counts de Derek is one of the oldest and most prestigious families in Romania, and its reputation was outstanding as early as before the country gained independence in the early 16th century.This family took part in all political events in the history of the Romanian provinces, and its name is thus engraved in history. Now, the D'Derek family is even more withered than the Degolz family.The famous beech tree on the top of the Carpathian castle still has three branches, but the Dederek family has only one left, that is, the Derdek of Craiova. The last generation of this branch is just arrived. The young Earl of Welster.

During his childhood, Franz never left the ancestral home where the count and his wife lived.The descendants of this family enjoy a high reputation, and they live in abundance and charity.They lived a comfortable and well-off aristocratic life in the country, leaving only once a year, and only had to go to the town of Craiova for family business, even though it was only a few miles away from the castle. This kind of life must have affected the education of their only son, and in the years to come Franz long felt the legacy of his youth.Only an old Italian priest was his tutor, and this priest's knowledge was very limited, and Franz learned nothing.So, from childhood to youth.He knew little about science, art, or contemporary literature.The ordinary time of the young earl was spent on the hobby of hunting.Day and night, he ran in the woods and on the plains, chasing deer and wild boars, and attacking wild animals with a dagger in hand.In these things he was valiant and strong-willed, and achieved remarkable feats in cruel struggles.

When he was just 15 years old, the Countess de Derek died, and he was not yet 21, and the count was killed in a hunting accident.In just a few years, both parents passed away.In the past, all his tenderness and tenderness in his heart were reflected in his filial piety to his parents, which made his youthful feelings rest.After that, he had no friends, and his tutor passed away. He lived alone in the world. For another three years the young count lived in isolation at the castle of Craiova.He is alone and never tries to connect with the outside world.He had been to Bucharest once or twice, only on business and only briefly, and he was always in a hurry to get back to the estate.

However, this kind of life cannot last forever.Later, Franz felt the need to get out of the Romanian mountains, to spread his wings and broaden his horizons. The young earl, when he was about 23 years old, decided to travel.The wealth accumulated by the family was sufficient to satisfy his new hobby.One day, he left his hometown of Valasia, leaving his old family in charge of Craiova Castle.He took Rozko with him.This man was a Romanian veteran who had served the Dederek family for a full ten years.He accompanied the young earl every time he went hunting.He is strong, brave, and loyal to his master.

The young earl planned to travel to Europe first, spending several months in the capitals and important cities of the continent.He believed that what he received in Craiova Castle was only an enlightenment education, and he should enrich and enrich himself during his travels.Therefore, he drew up a detailed plan.He has reason to do so. Franz de Derek decided to visit Italy as the first stop, because the old priest taught him fluent Italian.The fascinating land over there is full of cultural relics and historic sites, which strongly attracts young people.He stayed in that country for four years.He left Venice for Florence, Rome for Naples, visiting these capitals of art incessantly, unable to let go of his heartfelt love.As for countries such as France, Germany, Spain, Russia, and Britain, you can wait until he is a little older and mature in his thinking before visiting, and he may benefit more at that time.Instead, the passion of youth should be used to savor the charms of Italy's great cities.

At the age of twenty-seven, Franz Dederek visited Naples for the last time.He originally planned to stay there for only a few days, then go to Sicily, visit the ancient monuments of Tenaklia on the island, end his trip to Italy, and then return to Craiova Castle to rest for a year. An unexpected situation soon caused him to change his arrangement, and even determined his life, changing the trajectory of his life. Although the young count did not make much progress in science during the years he lived in Italy, because he felt himself stupid in that respect, at least, like a blind man who suddenly sees a light, he acquired an aesthetic taste.Facing the splendid culture and art, his soul was filled with joy.He visited the museums of Naples, Venice, Rome and Florence, lingering in front of outstanding paintings.At the same time, he often went to the opera house to watch the popular lyric dramas at that time, and was fascinated by the performances of the masters.

That is, during this last trip to Naples, under the special circumstances that will be described later, a feeling of incomparable intimacy and intensity invaded his heart. At that time, there was a famous female singer at the San Carlo Theater, her name was Lastila.She has a solid voice, skilled singing skills, and wonderful performances, conquering the hearts of countless music lovers.Lastella did not seek to develop abroad at that time, she only sang Italian songs, because at that time Italian music composition reached its peak again.The Carignan Theater in Turin, the La Scala Theater in Milan, the Fenice Theater in Venice, the Alfieri Theater in Florence, the Apollo Theater in Rome, and the San Carlo Theater in Naples took turns asking her to perform.She has been so successful on stage that she doesn't regret not singing in other European theaters.

Lastella was twenty-five at the time, and she was beautiful: beautiful long blonde hair, deep black eyes burning with passion, a pure face with a ruddy complexion, and a face that even Braxdale could not The beautiful figure created.There was a great artistry in this woman, another Mary Brown, sung by Muse: "Your song floats in heaven, taking away the pain!" The most beloved poet sings this voice in his immortal poems: "Only songs from the heart can touch people's hearts." Isn't this voice the euphemistic and sweet voice of La Stella, which lingers for three days?

This great artist devoted herself wholeheartedly to her singing career. She sang warm melodies with tender emotions, showing the surging emotions deep in her soul.But it is said that her heart has never been moved by anyone.She has never loved anyone, standing on the stage, in the eyes of thousands of admiring eyes, she has never given anyone a single glance.She seems to only want to live in art, only for art. The Count felt the irresistible impulse of first love the first time he saw Lastira.He has no intention of leaving Italy after visiting Sicily and has decided to stay in Naples until the end of the season.There seemed to be an invisible bond that he could not break to connect him to the female singer, and this bond was all her performances.The enthusiasm of the audience speaks volumes for her success, which is well-deserved.Several times Franz, unable to control his passion, tried to get close to her.But Lastella's door was closed relentlessly, to him as to her other ardent admirers.

From this it can be seen that the young earl soon became a most pitiable man.He only thought about Lastella, and lived only to see her perform and listen to her beautiful singing, and he had no intention of going out into high society.Throughout the day, mind and spirit are on high tension.His health was severely affected, and he soon collapsed.If there is a rival in love, how painful it would be for him.But he knew no, no one disturbed him - not even that odd figure.Considering the many twists and turns in the development of this story, it is necessary to introduce the appearance and character of this weirdo.

The man was between fifty and fifty-five years of age--at least on the time of Franz de Derek's last stay in Naples.The man was unpredictable, eccentric, reclusive, and seemed to avoid the stereotypes of high society.His family, status, past, no one knows.Today he is in Rome, tomorrow he is going to Florence, here is a point to make, it all depends on Lastella's itinerary.He actually had only one obsession: hearing the performances of the acclaimed diva Lastira, the leading star of the opera art world. From the day Franz de Derek saw Lastella in the theater of Naples, he lived only for her; however, for six years this eccentric admirer lived only for her singing For a long time, the song of a female singer was to him what air is to breathing.He never tried to get acquainted with her except on stage, did not visit her house or write to her.But whenever Lastella went to sing in any theater in Italy, one was sure to meet a tall man at the ticket gate, wrapped in a long dark coat and with a big-brimmed hat covering his face.He hurried into the corner of the box with the bars.Throughout the performance, he just stayed there motionless and silent.He left as soon as Lastella had finished singing the concluding song.No other singer or singer could fascinate him; he wouldn't even listen to them sing. Who is this loyal audience?Lastella had no way of asking.But she was timid by nature, and in the end she was frightened whenever the strange man was present--an inexplicable fear, but real nonetheless.Although she couldn't see him hiding in the corner of the box because he never opened the fence, she could feel those evil eyes staring at her, which disturbed her so much that the audience welcomed her with thunderous applause. Can't hear it anymore. As I have said, the strange man was never introduced to Lastella.But if he never tried to get acquainted with female singers-we emphasize this very much, but he was very careful when it came to female artists.Because of this, he paid a high price for the most beautiful portrait of a diva painted by the great painter Michele Gregorio.In the painting, she is passionate, excited, and elegant, playing her most beautiful role.This painting, bought by her admirers with huge sums of money, is indeed a treasure. Although this queer fellow always sat alone in his box when he went to see Lastella at the theater, and he never went out except to the theater, it does not follow from this that he was completely Live alone.No, he had a companion, as eccentric as he, who shared his life. This person is called Olvanik.He is of medium build, thin and pale, and as the old saying goes, "there is no flesh on his face".He has a very special feature. He wears a black eye patch on his right eye, which may have been blinded in a physical or chemical experiment.A pair of thick spectacles hung on the bridge of his nose, and a dark green light shone from the only short-sighted lens in his left eye.He often walked alone, gesticulating all the way, as if talking to some invisible person who never answered. The duo, a queer music fan and an equally eccentric Olvanik, had a reputation, at least in Italian cities.They appear during opera season.They piqued the public's curiosity, and although Rastila's admirer always evaded reporters and their imprudent interviews, people eventually found out his name and nationality.The man was originally from Romania.Later, Franz Dzerek found out that his name was Baron Rudolph de Golz. Such was the case when the young count first arrived in Naples.For two months, the San Carlo Theater was full.Lastila's shows are getting more and more successful by the day.Her various roles have never been more realistic and moving, and the audience's applause has never been more enthusiastic. Every time there was a performance, Franz always sat in the front seat of the main hall, and Baron de Golz hid in the corner of the box, bathed in the beautiful singing and intoxicated in the intoxicating music.Without it, he could barely survive. At this moment, there was a news circulating in Naples-at first the public did not want to believe it, but finally aroused the vigilance of music lovers. Rustella is said to be leaving the stage as soon as the season of the show ends.what!She is talented, in her prime, and her career is at its peak, how could she consider retiring? No matter how unbelievable the news sounds, it is true.Needless to say, Baron de Golz was one of the reasons. This mysterious and eerie audience, who always followed Lastila, even though he hid behind the fence of the box and could not see his people, finally made Lastila's nerves tense and his emotions became uncontrollable.Whenever she was on stage, she was restless, so obvious that even the audience felt it, and it gradually destroyed her body.Leaving Naples, fleeing to Rome, Venice, and all the other cities of the Italian peninsula, she knew she could not escape the pursuit of Baron de Golze.Even if she gave up Italy and went to Germany, Russia, and France, she couldn't escape his shadow.Wherever she goes to perform, he will follow her there.The only way to completely get rid of this ghost's entanglement is to leave the stage. Two months before the news of her decision to retire, Franz de Derek was determined to confide in the songstress.Unfortunately, the result was an irreparable disaster.He has no wife yet, and he has a lot of money in his pocket, so he can be accepted by Lastella and promised to be Countess Derdaleck. Lastella knew that for a long time the young count had been fascinated by her.She knew that this was an aristocrat, and any woman, even an aristocratic lady in the upper class, would be happy to entrust her happiness to him.Because she had considered the matter, she received her with undisguised kindness when the Count called to give his name.She accepted the earl's affection, agreed to be the earl's wife, and left the singing stage without regret. It was confirmed that Lastila would not be on stage once the season at the San Carlo Theater was over.She was about to marry, which had previously been reserved, was now assured. It is conceivable that this incident caused an uproar not only in the art world, but also in the Italian high society.The public first refused to believe this fact, and then grew jealous and angry at the young count who had robbed Lastella of his art and achievements, the idol of Italian music lovers, the greatest female singer of his time. .Franz de Derek is threatened physically, but the young count shrugs it off. The repercussions of the matter in the general public have been so strong that one can imagine that Baron Rudolf de Golz would lose all ties with life at the thought that Lastila would be taken from him. , How should he feel.He is said to have contemplated suicide.This may be true, because from that day on, Olvanik was no longer seen wandering the streets of Naples.He never left the baron's side, and even accompanied him to the St. Paul's Theater several times, and was shut up with the baron in the box that the baron must attend every performance-this was unprecedented for him. The charm is absolutely indifferent. The passage of time did little to assuage the inner turmoil that reached its peak on the night of Lastila's farewell performance.At that farewell show, Master Alconati's masterpiece "Orlando" was performed, and Lastella played the wonderful role of Angelica to bid farewell to the audience. That night, even if the San Carlo Theater was enlarged ten times, it would not be able to accommodate so many spectators. The entrance was so crowded that many people had to stand in the square.There were fears of demonstrations against Count de Derek, and even if there were not when Lastila was on stage, riots were inevitable when the fifth act of the opera came to an end. Baron de Golz was already sitting in the box, with Alvarnik by his side. Lastella appeared, more excited than ever; but she collected herself and threw herself into the performance.She sang so flawlessly, displaying her unparalleled artistic talent, it is difficult to describe in words.The audience at the scene were in high spirits and fell into a frenzy. During the whole performance, the young earl hid behind the scenes, impatient and unable to calm down. He cursed the long performance, annoyed that the applause and cheers repeatedly delayed the time.what!How much he wanted to rush onto the stage right away, take her who was about to become his bride, and take her far, far, so far away, so that she would always belong to him, only to him! The scene where the heroine Angelica dies finally arrives.Alconati's moving music has never been so pleasing, and Rastila's performance has never been so high-pitched.Her whole soul seemed to be exposed through her lips... But this voice, this piercing voice was about to disappear, and it would never be heard again. At this moment, the fence of Baron de Golze's box was opened.A strange head with long white hair and fire-breathing eyes stuck out.The face was dazed and frighteningly pale.In the background, under the blinding lights, Franz saw the strange man so clearly for the first time. Lastella was full of passion, retting the soul-stirring part of the coda... she sang with sublime emotion: Innamorata, mio ​​cuore tremante, Voglio morire... (Lover, my heart is trembling, I want to dedicate myself to love...) Suddenly, she stopped singing... Baron de Golz frightened her... The indescribable horror made her paralyzed... She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, and the mouth was stained red with blood... She shook a few times... fell down... The audience stood up, their hearts throbbing, panicked, and anxious to the extreme... A scream came from the box of the Baron de Golze... Franz had just rushed onto the stage, he lifted Lastella, took her in his arms... he watched her... called to her... "She's dead! . . . she's dead . . . " he cried, "she's dead! . . . " Rastila was dead, a vein in her chest burst... Her singing stopped abruptly with her last breath! The young earl was escorted back to the hotel, and it was feared that he would lose his mind and lose his mind.He was not able to attend Lastila's funeral.Her funeral was held with the great assistance of the citizens of Naples. The female singer is buried in the Shengxinying Cemetery, and the name is inscribed on the white marble stele: Lastila. On the night of Lastila's burial, a man came to St. Xinying Cemetery.His eyes were terrified, his head was bowed, his lips were tightly shut.For a long time he gazed at Lastella's grave.He seemed to prick up his ears, as if the voice of that outstanding female artist was about to float out of the tomb for the last time... The man was Rudolf Degolz. That night, Baron de Golz, accompanied by Olvanik, left Naples.Since he left, no one has heard of his whereabouts. The next day a letter to the young count arrived. There are only a few lines in the letter, and these few threatening words are simply written: You killed her! ...Let disaster befall you, Count D'Derek! Rudolf de Golz