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THE SEDUCERBeing the fourth offspring of one of the more notable bourgeois families in that colonial city, the boy was feeling restless: well, his two older sisters were practicing a role and would soon tread the scene. It was as if a bare wall had grown a window onto a boundless landscape – as if the ceiling had collapsed and unknown constellations had appeared in the celestial sphere. This was uttered by the boy’s mother, who was playfully illustrating her son’s restlessness – or rather, metamorphosis – to her friend. There were no important roles to play and the modest stage was provided by the convent of the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception of Ivrea, which was situated on the Corso. In order to celebrate the carnival, the school had put on a play. ‘What amuses me is t
