Albert’s Carnival Flirtation with Masked Peasant
Albert is especially pleased to have access to the count’s carriage, as it allows him to match the elegant carriage of the masked peasant women he has been flirting with. During a Carnival procession, a fresh bouquet of violets thrown from a carriage of harlequins signals to Albert that the peasant women have adopted his costume just as he adopted theirs. He presses the faded violets he already carries to his lips when he passes their calash, delighting the women and their companions, and their flirtation continues for the rest of the day.
Franz Attends Papal Audience, Skips Carnival
When Franz returns to their lodgings that evening, he receives a letter from the embassy informing him he will be granted a papal audience with Pope Gregory XVI the next day. Driven by both religious reverence and gratitude for the repeated favor, Franz chooses to skip the next day’s Carnival activities, spending his time after the Vatican visit reflecting on pious thoughts rather than joining the rowdy masked celebrations.
Albert Requests Solo Carriage for His Romance
When Albert returns overjoyed that evening, he reveals the masked peasant removed her mask to show him her face, and he has determined she is a member of the aristocracy. He asks Franz for the favor of using the carriage alone the next day to pursue his romance, reasoning that his absence the prior day is why the woman chose to reveal her identity. Franz, curious about such romantic adventures and eager to accommodate his friend, agrees to spend the next day watching the Carnival from the windows of the Rospoli Palace instead.
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