text:  Believing her however to be there on such good authority we were getting very sorry for Bellini's mother when we were unexpectedly relieved by finding it was only a bit of make-believe; for it was now divulged _che questa madre che piangea il suo figlio_ was not in fact his personal mother but "_Italy_" dressed up _like_ his mother and gone to Paris on purpose to weep and put garlands on the composer's tomb amaranth and crocus and whatever else was in season