Book excerpt: This novel is set in Rome during the Carnival of 1870, a time when society was divided into "Le Monde noir" and "Le Monde blanc." The story follows the distinguished Austrian couple, Otto and his wife, as they host tea-drinkings and dances in their historical palazzo on the Corso. The Countess, a princess Auerstein of the Auerstein-Zolling branch, is known for her strict morality and allows smoking in her drawing-room, where the prevailing tone is informal.