The Count of Monte Cristo

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not even curiosity had been excited, and it was but too apparent
that the lovely creatures, into whose good graces he was desirous of
stealing, were all so much engrossed with themselves, their lovers,
or their own thoughts, that they had not so much as noticed him or the
manipulation of his glass.

The truth was, that the anticipated pleasures of the Carnival, with the
"holy week" that was to succeed it, so filled every fair breast, as to
prevent the least attention being bestowed even on the business of the
stage. The actors made their entries and exits unobserved or unthought
of; at certain conventional moments, the spectators would suddenly cease
their conversation, or rouse themselves from their musings, to listen
to some brilliant effort of Moriani's, a well-executed recitative by
Coselli, or to join in loud applause at the wonderful powers of La
Specchia; but that momentary excitement over, they quickly relapsed into
their former state of preoccupation or interesting conversation. Towards
the close of the first act, the door of a box which had been hitherto