Towards midnight a report ran through the ball-room, which caused quite a stir. This was a disadvantage in Vanina's eyes. He was the most brilliant young man in Rome, and a Prince to boot but, if you had given him a novel to read, he would have flung the book away after twenty pages, saying that it made his head ache. She appeared to find more pleasure in teasing young Livio Savelli, who seemed deeply in love. She then accepted the invitations of certain extremely handsome and extremely noble Englishmen their starched manner irritated her. Her father, Principe Don Asdrubale Vanini, had wished her to dance first of all with two or three Sovereign Princes from Germany. Immediately the foreigners and the young Romans, deserting all the other rooms, crowded into the room in which she was. Amid so many remarkable women it was hard to decide which was the most beautiful: the award was for some time undetermined but at length Principessa Vanina Vanini, the girl with the raven hair and fiery eye, was proclaimed queen of the ball. This evening he had been fortunate in his invitations the men seemed dazzled. Kings have not a palace of Roman architecture: they are obliged to invite the great ladies of their courts the Duca di B- invites only lovely women. None of the courts of Europe, they were saying, can compare with this. One could see the foreigners who entered the room struck by the magnificence of this ball.

A singular pride was displayed in her every gesture. A girl whom her sparkling eyes and ebon tresses proclaimed of Roman birth entered, escorted by her father every eye followed her. The most beautiful women of Rome vied with them for the prize of beauty. The fair, retiring beauties of noble England had intrigued for the honour of being present at this ball they arrived in crowds. All the most sumptuous treasures that the arts of Italy, the luxury of Paris and London can furnish had been collected for the adornment of this palace. All Rome was astir: the Duca di B-, the famous banker, was giving a ball in his new palazzo on the Piazza di Venezia.

Stendhal vanina vanini