813. When the Duck finished narrating his stories, Buboni made some interesting observations. "Duck", he said, "I suppose the real point of the story about Vivaldi and the choir of orphans is this interesting fact that Vivaldi turns out to be Netochka's father. We may have suspected this conclusion to the story if we were paying attention at the beginning when you said that Vivaldi was a priest in name only who enjoyed the fair sex."
814. But I for one did not see the conclusion coming, and I have to commend you on your storytelling skills in that you suspended the most important point until the last word, since the last word of your story is indeed 'daughter'. And not only that but you didn't bother to foreshadow the conclusion like so many storytellers would do.
815. We did not know how that story would end till the last word, and it is interesting to compare the Vivaldi story with the earlier one about Marie Antoinette. In the story of Marie Antoinette the Duck gives us all sorts of details about when she is just ten years old, but we know already how the story of Marie Antoinette is going to end, when she is 37 years old and a young mother she will have her head chopped off.
816. Does the knowledge of the conclusion of Marie Antoinette's story affect our reaction. Does the thought run through your mind, 'what difference does it make if Marie learns a piece of music in time for Mozart's visit since no matter what she does she is doomed to tragedy in the end. Do the hanging storm clouds which will bring inevitable tragedy render all the little tender details of her young life superfluous. To the scaffold, let's be done with it, who cares about her childish pranks.
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