gondola
long wooden boat used to travel through the canals of Venice, which function like roads and run throughout the city
dilapadation
a state of decay or disrepair
palazzo
an Italian mansion, palace, or museum; in The Aspern Papers, Miss Bordereau lives in a palazzo
pecuniary
relating to money or financial transactions
cicerone
a guide for sightseers
obeisance
an act of respect, such as a bow or a curtsy
solicitude
care or concern for others
chagrin
distress at having been humiliated
secretary
a desk or bureau for holding papers
bereavement
grief, sorrow
melancholy
sad, pensive
franc
a currency used in various regions of Europe
spasm
a sudden convulsive movement
bohemian
socially unconventional, related to the arts
anguish
severe pain of suffering
droll
curious or unusual
astuteness
shrewdness, an ability to see things as they are
dingy
drab, gloomy, not stylish
vanity
excessive pride, especially in one's own appearance
relics
items left behind by a deceased person or from a period of history
