Tenacious

The hush was broken by a single cry of 'Viva il conquistatore!' It was taken up all over the room in a bedlam of joyous shouts. Nelson, in his splendid decorations, responded by beaming and bowing to left and right.

Lady Hamilton struck an imperious pose and cried, 'Avast, all ye! I present Duke Nelson, Marquis Nile, Baron Alexandria, Viscount Pyramid, Baron Crocodile and the Prince of Victory!'

Laughter and patriotic cries burst out and the three descended into the gathering. Presently the ambassador held up his hands for silence. 'For those who love Naples, an evening of civilisation. Pray come with me, let the entertainments begin!'

In the drawing room a semicircle of elegant chairs in two rows faced a small ensemble of harpsichord to one side, two violins to the other. The musicians remained in a bowed position while the guests settled.

Kydd found a chair in the second row from which he could see Nelson and the Hamiltons. They were in fine form, Sir William animated and relaxed while his lady seemed to be in full flood of sociability towards her distinguished guest. Nelson appeared equally engaged, his responses to Lady Hamilton's sallies almost boyish in their artlessness.

Hamilton rose and faced his guests. 'I know you will be amazed and delighted when I tell you that I have persuaded the famed tenor Romualdo Farrugia to perform for us tonight. He will begin with Pergolesi's 'Lo frate 'nnamorato,' of course in the original Neapolitan dialect ...'

Next to Kydd Renzi stirred with interest. 'Farrugia! What a coup! In opera buffo the finest in all Naples—which is to say the world.'

A short, dark man in an extravagantly rich costume strode out and bowed low, then fixed his audience with a fierce gaze. A cascade of notes on the harpsichord concluded with entry of the violin continuo and the piece began. It was magnificent: the effortless power of his voice infused every note with its full charge of emotion and significance. Kydd had never heard anything like it.

The singer retired to a storm of applause. Hamilton rose and turned to the guests. 'Equally fortunate is it that the noted soprano Bellina Cossi is delaying her return to Vienna to perform for us tonight. She sings about a shepherdess at the banks of a river who does not feel inclined to waste herself on a lukewarm lover ... Of course this is the Scarlatti cantata 'Su'l margine d'un rio.''

The beauty of the crystal clear notes, their passion and tenderness moved Kydd and he felt detached from his hardy sea life. The music, just as it had in Venice, lifted him into an untouchable realm of the spirit. In a warm haze he heard Hamilton announce a duet—a scene from a recent Cimarosa opera, Le Astutzie Femminili. He let the music wash deliciously over him, and was sincerely sorry when it was over.

'An intermission,' Hamilton announced, 'but do not despair. We shall shortly have our own particular entertainment for you ...'

The scraping of chairs and murmured conversations were muted under the lingering spell of the music, but livened as the guests partook of sweetmeats and Lachryma Christi. They returned to stand informally about the front of the room.

'Are you prepared?' called Hamilton. 'Then—Act the first!'

First one, then another black man in turban and baggy trousers came through the door. Naked from the waist up they carried between them a long scarlet curtain on brass rods. Intrigued, the guests watched as the men took position; they bowed and when they rose, so did the rods, suspending the curtain in a creditable imitation of a miniature stage.

'Ah! I believe I know what is to come,' said Renzi. Mysterious bumps and scrapes sounded from behind the curtain. Urgent whispers could be heard, and then Hamilton emerged. 'Ecce!' he called— and swept aside the curtain.

At first Kydd could not make out what was happening, but then he saw that it was Lady Hamilton in a theatrical pose, standing motionless before a large upright seashell in a flowing classical Greek robe, all composed within an empty picture frame. Candles were held artfully by the ambassador to throw a dramatic light upon her. Kydd was astonished at the diaphanous material of her gown, which left little to the imagination, and a decollete that would be thought risque even at the theatre. At the same time he saw that the chubbiness had not extinguished a very real beauty—an expressive and angelic face raised to heaven that was the quintessence of innocence.

'Aphrodite rises fr'm the waves!' Several shouts vied with each other. They were rewarded with a smile from the enchantress and then the curtain closed. It opened again to a different pose: an ardent, lovelorn entwining around the branch of a tree, beseeching an unseen figure, and still in the filmy gown.

'Glycera frolicking with Alcibiades!' A slight frown appeared while protracted but jovial disputation took place.

'Cleopatra and Antony receive the news!' called Renzi at length, to be thrown a dazzling smile. Kydd looked to see how Nelson was receiving the entertainment and was startled to see the gallant admiral wildly applauding each manifestation, always gracefully acknowledged by Lady Hamilton.

Places were resumed for the second half, Dorabella and Guglielmo from Cost Fan Tutte. Kydd had seen Lady Hamilton sit with Nelson again, her arm laid on his and not removed. He glanced about: no one seemed to have noticed except possibly Troubridge, who stared forward stonily.

The plot of the scene was whispered brokenly by Renzi. It seemed to be nothing but unlikely disguises and trifling complications following a wager, but the music carried Kydd along once more.

At the end, Hamilton thanked the performers and added, 'Our entertainment is concluded for tonight, my friends and honoured guests. The hour is late, but for those who wish to indulge there is a faro table in the next room.'

The guests rose in a babble of excited talk as Hamilton and his lady escorted Nelson to the next room. 'What do we do now, Nicholas?' Kydd whispered.

'At this hour we have the civilised choice: to linger or depart immediately,' Renzi replied. 'Nothing will be imputed from our actions.'

'Would it be at all curious, should we desire t' see a faro table without we play?'

'I don't think so, brother,' Renzi said. They moved into the next room where already a large card table was set