The Leopard

by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

“Don Calogero,” said the Prince, “the love of these two young people is the basis, the only foundation, of their future happiness. We all know that. But we men of a certain age, men of experience, we have to think of other things, too. There is no point in my telling you how illustrious is the family of Falconeri; it came to Sicily with Charles of Anjou, flourished under Aragonese, Spanish, Bourbon kings (if I may name them in your presence), and I am sure that they will also prosper under the new dynasty from the mainland (may God preserve it).” (It was impossible to tell how much the Prince was being ironic or how much he was being mistaken.) “They were Peers of the Realm, Grandees of Spain, Knights of Santiago, and, when they have a fancy to be Knights of Malta, they need only raise a finger and the Via Condotti pours diplomas out on them without a moment’s hesitation, so far at least.” (This perfidious insinuation was entirely lost on Don Calogero, who was quite ignorant of the statutes of the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta.)