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diff --git a/old/jcven11.txt b/old/jcven11.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4d608c9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/jcven11.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4141 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext of Venice, by Jacques Casanova de Seingalt +#7 in our series by Jacques Casanova de Seingalt + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before distributing this or any other +Project Gutenberg file. + +We encourage you to keep this file, exactly as it is, on your +own disk, thereby keeping an electronic path open for future +readers. Please do not remove this. + +This header should be the first thing seen when anyone starts to +view the etext. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + + + + + +This etext was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net> + + + + + +MEMOIRS OF JACQUES CASANOVA de SEINGALT 1725-1798 +TO PARIS AND PRISON, Volume 2b--VENICE + + +THE RARE UNABRIDGED LONDON EDITION OF 1894 TRANSLATED BY ARTHUR +MACHEN TO WHICH HAS BEEN ADDED THE CHAPTERS DISCOVERED +BY ARTHUR SYMONS. + + + + +VENICE + + +CHAPTER X + +My Stay in Vienna--Joseph II--My Departure for Venice + + +Arrived, for the first time, in the capital of Austria, at the age of +eight-and-twenty, well provided with clothes, but rather short of +money--a circumstance which made it necessary for me to curtail my +expenses until the arrival of the proceeds of a letter of exchange +which I had drawn upon M. de Bragadin. The only letter of +recommendation I had was from the poet Migliavacca, of Dresden, +addressed to the illustrious Abbe Metastasio, whom I wished ardently +to know. I delivered the letter the day after my arrival, and in one +hour of conversation I found him more learned than I should have +supposed from his works. Besides, Metastasio was so modest that at +first I did not think that modesty natural, but it was not long +before I discovered that it was genuine, for when he recited +something of his own composition, he was the first to call the +attention of his hearers to the important parts or to the fine +passages with as much simplicity as he would remark the weak ones. +I spoke to him of his tutor Gravina, and as we were on that subject +he recited to me five or six stanzas which he had written on his +death, and which had not been printed. Moved by the remembrance of +his friend, and by the sad beauty of his own poetry, his eyes were +filled with tears, and when he had done reciting the stanzas he said, +in a tone of touching simplicity,'Ditemi il vero, si puo air meglio'? + +I answered that he alone had the right to believe it impossible. +I then asked him whether he had to work a great deal to compose his +beautiful poetry; he shewed me four or five pages which he had +covered with erasures and words crossed and scratched out only +because he had wished to bring fourteen lines to perfection, and he +assured me that he had never been able to compose more than that +number in one day. He confirmed my knowledge of a truth which I had +found out before, namely, that the very lines which most readers +believe to have flowed easily from the poet's pen are generally those +which he has had the greatest difficulty in composing. + +"Which of your operas," I enquired, "do you like best?" + +"'Attilio Regolo; ma questo non vuol gia dire che sia il megliore'." + +"All your works have been translated in Paris into French prose, but +the publisher was ruined, for it is not possible to read them, and it +proves the elevation and the power of your poetry." + +"Several years ago, another foolish publisher ruined himself by a +translation into French prose of the splendid poetry of Ariosto. +I laugh at those who maintain that poetry can be translated into +prose." + +"I am of your opinion." + +"And you are right." + +He told me that he had never written an arietta without composing the +music of it himself, but that as a general rule he never shewed his +music to anyone. + +"The French," he added, "entertain the very strange belief that it is +possible to adapt poetry to music already composed." + +And he made on that subject this very philosophical remark: + +"You might just as well say to a sculptor, 'Here is a piece of +marble, make a Venus, and let her expression be shewn before the +features are chiselled.'" + +I went to the Imperial Library, and was much surprised to meet De la +Haye in the company of two Poles, and a young Venetian whom his +father had entrusted to him to complete his education. I believed +him to be in Poland, and as the meeting recalled interesting +recollections I was pleased to see him. I embraced him repeatedly +with real pleasure. + +He told me that he was in Vienna on business, and that he would go to +Venice during the summer. We paid one another several visits, and +hearing that I was rather short of money he lent me fifty ducats, +which I returned a short time after. He told me that Bavois was +already lieutenant-colonel in the Venetian army, and the news +afforded me great pleasure. He had been fortunate enough to be +appointed adjutant-general by M. Morosini, who, after his return from +his embassy in France, had made him Commissary of the Borders. I was +delighted to hear of the happiness and success of two men who +certainly could not help acknowledging me as the original cause of +their good fortune. In Vienna I acquired the certainty of De la Haye +being a Jesuit, but he would not let anyone allude to the subject. + +Not knowing where to go, and longing for some recreation, I went to +the rehearsal of the opera which was to be performed after Easter, +and met Bodin, the first dancer, who had married the handsome +Jeoffroi, whom I had seen in Turin. I likewise met in the same place +Campioni, the husband of the beautiful Ancilla. He told me that he +had been compelled to apply for a divorce because she dishonoured him +too publicly. Campioni was at the same time a great dancer and a +great gambler. I took up my lodgings with him. + +In Vienna everything is beautiful; money was then very plentiful, and +luxury very great; but the severity of the empress made the worship +of Venus difficult, particularly for strangers. A legion of vile +spies, who were decorated with the fine title of Commissaries of +Chastity, were the merciless tormentors of all the girls. The +empress did not practise the sublime virtue of tolerance for what is +called illegitimate love, and in her excessive devotion she thought +that her persecutions of the most natural inclinations in man and +woman were very agreeable to God. Holding in her imperial hands the +register of cardinal sins, she fancied that she could be indulgent +for six of them, and keep all her severity for the seventh, lewdness, +which in her estimation could not be forgiven. + +"One can ignore pride," she would say, "for dignity wears the same +garb. Avarice is fearful, it is true; but one might be mistaken +about it, because it is often very like economy. As for anger, it is +a murderous disease in its excess, but murder is punishable with +death. Gluttony is sometimes nothing but epicurism, and religion +does not forbid that sin; for in good company it is held a valuable +quality; besides, it blends itself with appetite, and so much the +worse for those who die of indigestion. Envy is a low passion which +no one ever avows; to punish it in any other way than by its own +corroding venom, I would have to torture everybody at Court; and +weariness is the punishment of sloth. But lust is a different thing +altogether; my chaste soul could not forgive such a sin, and I +declare open war against it. My subjects are at liberty to think +women handsome as much as they please; women may do all in their +power to appear beautiful; people may entertain each other as they +like, because I cannot forbid conversation; but they shall not +gratify desires on which the preservation of the human race depends, +unless it is in the holy state of legal marriage. Therefore, all the +miserable creatures who live by the barter of their caresses and of +the charms given to them by nature shall be sent to Temeswar. I am +aware that in Rome people are very indulgent on that point, and that, +in order to prevent another greater crime (which is not prevented), +every cardinal has one or more mistresses, but in Rome the climate +requires certain concessions which are not necessary here, where the +bottle and the pipe replace all pleasures. (She might have added, +and the table, for the Austrians are known to be terrible eaters.) + +"I will have no indulgence either for domestic disorders, for the +moment I hear that a wife is unfaithful to her husband, I will have +her locked up, in spite of all, in spite of the generally received +opinion that the husband is the real judge and master of his wife; +that privilege cannot be granted in my kingdom where husbands are by +far too indifferent on that subject. Fanatic husbands may complain +as much as they please that I dishonour them by punishing their +wives; they are dishonoured already by the fact of the woman's +infidelity." + +"But, madam, dishonour rises in reality only from the fact of +infidelity being made public; besides, you might be deceived, +although you are empress." + +"I know that, but that is no business of yours, and I do not grant +you the right of contradicting me." + +Such is the way in which Maria Teresa would have argued, and +notwithstanding the principle of virtue from which her argument had +originated, it had ultimately given birth to all the infamous deeds +which her executioners, the Commissaries of Chastity, committed with +impunity under her name. At every hour of the day, in all the +streets of Vienna, they carried off and took to prison the poor girls +who happened to live alone, and very often went out only to earn an +honest living. I should like to know how it was possible to know +that a girl was going to some man to get from him consolations for +her miserable position, or that she was in search of someone disposed +to offer her those consolations? Indeed, it was difficult. A spy +would follow them at a distance. The police department kept a crowd +of those spies, and as the scoundrels wore no particular uniform, it +was impossible to know them; as a natural consequence, there was a +general distrust of all strangers. If a girl entered a house, the +spy who had followed her, waited for her, stopped her as she came +out, and subjected her to an interrogatory. If the poor creature +looked uneasy, if she hesitated in answering in such a way as to +satisfy the spy, the fellow would take her to prison; in all cases +beginning by plundering her of whatever money or jewellery she +carried about her person, and the restitution of which could never be +obtained. Vienna was, in that respect a true den of privileged +thieves. It happened to me one day in Leopoldstadt that in the midst +of some tumult a girl slipped in my hand a gold watch to secure it +from the clutches of a police-spy who was pressing upon her to take +her up. I did not know the poor girl, whom I was fortunate enough to +see again one month afterwards. She was pretty, and she had been +compelled to more than one sacrifice in order to obtain her liberty. +I was glad to be able to hand her watch back to her, and although she +was well worthy of a man's attention I did not ask her for anything +to reward my faithfulness. The only way in which girls could walk +unmolested in the streets was to go about with their head bent down +with beads in hand, for in that case the disgusting brood of spies +dared not arrest them, because they might be on their way to church, +and Maria Teresa would certainly have sent to the gallows the spy +guilty of such a mistake. + +Those low villains rendered a stay in Vienna very unpleasant to +foreigners, and it was a matter of the greatest difficulty to gratify +the slightest natural want without running the risk of being annoyed. +One day as I was standing close to the wall in a narrow street, I was +much astonished at hearing myself rudely addressed by a scoundrel +with a round wig, who told me that, if I did not go somewhere else to +finish what I had begun, he would have me arrested! + +"And why, if you please?" + +"Because, on your left, there is a woman who can see you." + +I lifted up my head, and I saw on the fourth story, a woman who, with +the telescope she had applied to her eye, could have told whether I +was a Jew or a Christian. I obeyed, laughing heartily, and related +the adventure everywhere; but no one was astonished, because the same +thing happened over and over again every day. + +In order to study the manners and habits of the people, I took my +meals in all sorts of places. One day, having gone with Campioni to +dine at "The Crawfish," I found, to my great surprise, sitting at the +table d'hote, that Pepe il Cadetto, whose acquaintance I had made at +the time of my arrest in the Spanish army, and whom I had met +afterwards in Venice and in Lyons, under the name of Don Joseph +Marcati. Campioni, who had been his partner in Lyons, embraced him, +talked with him in private, and informed me that the man had resumed +his real name, and that he was now called Count Afflisio. He told me +that after dinner there would be a faro bank in which I would have an +interest, and he therefore requested me not to play. I accepted the +offer. Afflisio won: a captain of the name of Beccaxia threw the +cards at his face--a trifle to which the self-styled count was +accustomed, and which did not elicit any remark from him. When the +game was over, we repaired to the coffee-room, where an officer of +gentlemanly appearance, staring at me, began to smile, but not in an +offensive manner. + +"Sir," I asked him, politely, "may I ask why you are laughing?" + +"It makes me laugh to see that you do not recognize me." + +"I have some idea that I have seen you somewhere, but I could not say +where or when I had that honour." + +"Nine years ago, by the orders of the Prince de Lobkowitz, I escorted +you to the Gate of Rimini." + +"You are Baron Vais:" + +"Precisely." + +We embraced one another; he offered me his friendly services, +promising to procure me all the pleasure he could in Vienna. I +accepted gratefully, and the same evening he presented me to a +countess, at whose house I made the acquaintance of the Abbe +Testagrossa, who was called Grosse-Tete by everybody. He was +minister of the Duke of Modem, and great at Court because he had +negotiated the marriage of the arch-duke with Beatrice d'Este. I +also became acquainted there with the Count of Roquendorf and Count +Sarotin, and with several noble young ladies who are called in +Germany frauleins, and with a baroness who had led a pretty wild +life, but who could yet captivate a man. We had supper, and I was +created baron. It was in vain that I observed that I had no title +whatever: "You must be something," I was told, "and you cannot be +less than baron. You must confess yourself to be at least that, if +you wish to be received anywhere in Vienna." + +"Well, I will be a baron, since it is of no importance." + +The baroness was not long before she gave me to understand that she +felt kindly disposed towards me, and that she would receive my +attentions with pleasure; I paid her a visit the very next day. "If +you are fond of cards," she said, "come in the evening." At her +house I made the acquaintance of several gamblers, and of three or +four frauleins who, without any dread of the Commissaries of +Chastity, were devoted to the worship of Venus, and were so kindly +disposed that they were not afraid of lowering their nobility by +accepting some reward for their kindness--a circumstance which proved +to me that the Commissaries were in the habit of troubling only the +girls who did not frequent good houses. + +The baroness invited me to introduce, all my friends, so I brought to +her house Vais, Campioni, and Afflisio. The last one played, held +the bank, won; and Tramontini, with whom I had become acquainted, +presented him to his wife, who was called Madame Tasi. It was +through her that Afflisio made the useful acquaintance of the Prince +of Saxe-Hildburghausen. This introduction was the origin of the +great fortune made by that contrabrand count, because Tramontini, who +had become his partner in all important gambling transactions, +contrived to obtain for him from the prince the rank of captain in +the service of their imperial and royal majesties, and in less than +three weeks Afflisio wore the uniform and the insignia of his grade. +When I left Vienna he possessed one: hundred thousand florins. Their +majesties were fond of gambling but not of punting. The emperor had +a creature of his own to hold the bank. He was a kind, magnificent, +but not extravagant, prince. I saw him in his grand imperial +costume, and I was surprised to see him dressed in the Spanish +fashion. I almost fancied I had before my eyes Charles V. of Spain, +who had established that etiquette which was still in existence, +although after him no emperor had been a Spaniard, and although +Francis I. had nothing in common with that nation. + +In Poland, some years afterwards, I saw the same caprice at the +coronation of Stanislas Augustus Poniatowski, and the old palatine +noblemen almost broke their hearts at the sight of that costume; but +they had to shew as good a countenance as they could, for under +Russian despotism the only privilege they enjoyed was that of +resignation. + +The Emperor Francis I. was, handsome, and would have looked so under +the hood of a monk as well as under an imperial crown. He had every +possible consideration for his wife, and allowed her to get the state +into debt, because he possessed the art of becoming himself the +creditor of the state. He favoured commerce because it filled his +coffers. He was rather addicted to gallantry, and the empress, who +always called him master feigned not to notice it, because she did +not want the world to know that her charms could no longer captivate +her royal spouse, and the more so that the beauty of her numerous +family was generally admired. All the archduchesses except the +eldest seemed to me very handsome; but amongst the sons I had the +opportunity of seeing only the eldest, and I thought the expression +of his face bad and unpleasant, in spite of the contrary opinion of +Abbe Grosse-Tete, who prided himself upon being a good physiognomist. + +"What do you see," he asked me one day, "on the countenance of that +prince?" + +"Self-conceit and suicide." + +It was a prophecy, for Joseph II. positively killed himself, although +not wilfully, and it was his self-conceit which prevented him from +knowing it. He was not wanting in learning, but the knowledge which +he believed himself to possess destroyed the learning which he had in +reality. He delighted in speaking to those who did not know how to +answer him, whether because they were amazed at his arguments, or +because they pretended to be so; but he called pedants, and avoided +all persons, who by true reasoning pulled down the weak scaffolding +of his arguments. Seven years ago I happened to meet him at +Luxemburg, and he spoke to me with just contempt of a man who had +exchanged immense sums of money, and a great deal of debasing +meanness against some miserable parchments, and he added,-- + +"I despise men who purchase nobility." + +"Your majesty is right, but what are we to think of those who sell +it?" + +After that question he turned his back upon me, and hence forth he +thought me unworthy of being spoken to. + +The great passion of that king was to see those who listened to him +laugh, whether with sincerity or with affectation, when he related +something; he could narrate well and amplify in a very amusing manner +all the particulars of an anecdote; but he called anyone who did not +laugh at his jests a fool, and that was always the person who +understood him best. He gave the preference to the opinion of +Brambilla, who encouraged his suicide, over that of the physicians +who were directing him according to reason. Nevertheless, no one +ever denied his claim to great courage; but he had no idea whatever +of the art of government, for he had not the slightest knowledge of +the human heart, and he could neither dissemble nor keep a secret; he +had so little control over his own countenance that he could not even +conceal the pleasure he felt in punishing, and when he saw anyone +whose features did not please him, he could not help making a wry +face which disfigured him greatly. + +Joseph II. sank under a truly cruel disease, which left him until the +last moment the faculty of arguing upon everything, at the same time +that he knew his death to be certain. This prince must have felt the +misery of repenting everything he had done and of seeing the +impossibility of undoing it, partly because it was irreparable, +partly because if he had undone through reason what he had done +through senselessness, he would have thought himself dishonoured, for +he must have clung to the last to the belief of the infallibility +attached to his high birth, in spite of the state of languor of his +soul which ought to have proved to him the weakness and the +fallibility of his nature. He had the greatest esteem for his +brother, who has now succeeded him, but he had not the courage to +follow the advice which that brother gave him. An impulse worthy of +a great soul made him bestow a large reward upon the physician, a man +of intelligence, who pronounced his sentence of death, but a +completely opposite weakness had prompted him, a few months before, +to load with benefits the doctors and the quack who made him believe +that they had cured him. He must likewise have felt the misery of +knowing that he would not be regretted after his death--a grievous +thought, especially for a sovereign. His niece, whom he loved +dearly, died before him, and, if he had had the affection of those +who surrounded him, they would have spared him that fearful +information, for it was evident that his end was near at hand, and no +one could dread his anger for having kept that event from him. + +Although very much pleased with Vienna and with the pleasures I +enjoyed with the beautiful frauleins, whose acquaintance I had made +at the house of the baroness, I was thinking of leaving that +agreeable city, when Baron Vais, meeting me at Count Durazzo's +wedding, invited me to join a picnic at Schoenbrunn. I went, and I +failed to observe the laws of temperance; the consequence was that I +returned to Vienna with such a severe indigestion that in twenty-four +hours I was at the point of death. + +I made use of the last particle of intelligence left in me by the +disease to save my own life. Campioni, Roquendorf and Sarotin were +by my bedside. M. Sarotin, who felt great friendship for me, had +brought a physician, although I had almost positively declared that I +would not see one. That disciple of Sangrado, thinking that he could +allow full sway to the despotism of science, had sent for a surgeon, +and they were going to bleed me against my will. I was half-dead; I +do not know by what strange inspiration I opened my eyes, and I saw a +man, standing lancet in hand and preparing to open the vein. + +"No, no!" I said. + +And I languidly withdrew my arm; but the tormentor wishing, as the +physician expressed it, to restore me to life in spite of myself, got +hold of my arm again. I suddenly felt my strength returning. I put +my hand forward, seized one of my pistols, fired, and the ball cut +off one of the locks of his hair. That was enough; everybody ran +away, with the exception of my servant, who did not abandon me, and +gave me as much water as I wanted to drink. On the fourth day I had +recovered my usual good health. + +That adventure amused all the idlers of Vienna for several days, and +Abbe Grosse-Tete assured me that if I had killed the poor surgeon, it +would not have gone any further, because all the witnesses present in +my room at the time would have declared that he wanted to use +violence to bleed me, which made it a case of legitimate self- +defence. I was likewise told by several persons that all the +physicians in Vienna were of opinion that if I had been bled I should +have been a dead man; but if drinking water had not saved me, those +gentlemen would certainly not have expressed the same opinion. I +felt, however, that I had to be careful, and not to fall ill in the +capital of Austria, for it was likely that I should not have found a +physician without difficulty. At the opera, a great many persons +wished after that to make my acquaintance, and I was looked upon as a +man who had fought, pistol in hand, against death. A miniature- +painter named Morol, who was subject to indigestions and who was at +last killed by one, had taught me his system which was that, to cure +those attacks, all that was necessary was to drink plenty of water +and to be patient. He died because he was bled once when he could +not oppose any resistance. + +My indigestion reminded me of a witty saying of a man who was not +much in the habit of uttering many of them; I mean M. de Maisonrouge, +who was taken home one day almost dying from a severe attack of +indigestion: his carriage having been stopped opposite the Quinze- +Vingts by some obstruction, a poor man came up and begged alms, +saying, + +"Sir, I am starving." + +"Eh! what are you complaining of?" answered Maisonrouge, sighing +deeply; "I wish I was in your place, you rogue!" + +At that time I made the acquaintance of a Milanese dancer, who had +wit, excellent manners, a literary education, and what is more--great +beauty. She received very good society, and did the honours of her +drawing-room marvellously well. I became acquainted at her house +with Count Christopher Erdodi, an amiable, wealthy and generous man; +and with a certain Prince Kinski who had all the grace of a +harlequin. That girl inspired me with love, but it was in vain, for +she was herself enamoured of a dancer from Florence, called +Argiolini. I courted her, but she only laughed at me, for an +actress, if in love with someone, is a fortress which cannot be +taken, unless you build a bridge of gold, and I was not rich. Yet I +did not despair, and kept on burning my incense at her feet. She +liked my society because she used to shew me the letters she wrote, +and I was very careful to admire her style. She had her own portrait +in miniature, which was an excellent likeness. The day before my +departure, vexed at having lost my time and my amorous compliments, I +made up my mind to steal that portrait--a slight compensation for not +having won the original. As I was taking leave of her, I saw the +portrait within my reach, seized it, and left Vienna for Presburg, +where Baron Vais had invited me to accompany him and several lovely +frauleins on a party of pleasure. + +When we got out of the carriages, the first person I tumbled upon was +the Chevalier de Talvis, the protector of Madame Conde-Labre, whom I +had treated so well in Paris. The moment he saw me, he came up and +told me that I owed him his revenge. + +"I promise to give it to you, but I never leave one pleasure for +another," I answered; "we shall see one another again." + +"That is enough. Will you do me the honour to introduce me to these +ladies?" + +"Very willingly, but not in the street." + +We went inside of the hotel and he followed us. Thinking that the +man, who after all was as brave as a French chevalier, might amuse +us, I presented him to my friends. He had been staying at the same +hotel for a couple of days, and he was in mourning. He asked us if +we intended to go to the prince-bishop's ball; it was the first news +we had of it. Vais answered affirmatively. + +"One can attend it," said Talvis, "without being presented, and that +is why we intend to go, for I am not known to anybody here." + +He left us, and the landlord, having come in to receive our orders, +gave us some particulars respecting the ball. Our lovely frauleins +expressing a wish to attend it, we made up our minds to gratify them. + +We were not known to anyone, and were rambling through the +apartments, when we arrived before a large table at which the prince- +bishop was holding a faro bank. The pile of gold that the noble +prelate had before him could not have been less than thirteen or +fourteen thousand florins. The Chevalier de Talvis was standing +between two ladies to whom he was whispering sweet words, while the +prelate was shuffling the cards. + +The prince, looking at the chevalier, took it into his head to ask +him, in a most engaging manner to risk a card. + +"Willingly, my lord," said Talvis; "the whole of the bank upon this +card." + +"Very well," answered the prelate, to shew that he was not afraid. + +He dealt, Talvis won, and my lucky Frenchman, with the greatest +coolness, filled his pockets with the prince's gold. The bishop, +astonished, and seeing but rather late how foolish he had been, said +to the chevalier, + +"Sir, if you had lost, how would you have managed to pay me?" + +"My lord, that is my business." + +"You are more lucky than wise." + +"Most likely, my lord; but that is my business." + +Seeing that the chevalier was on the point of leaving, I followed +him, and at the bottom of the stairs, after congratulating him, I +asked him to lend me a hundred sovereigns. He gave them to me at +once, assuring me that he was delighted to have it in his power to +oblige me. + +"I will give you my bill." + +"Nothing of the sort." + +I put the gold into my pocket, caring very little for the crowd of +masked persons whom curiosity had brought around the lucky winner, +and who had witnessed the transaction. Talvis went away, and I +returned to the ball-room. + +Roquendorf and Sarotin, who were amongst the guests, having heard +that the chevalier had handed me some gold, asked me who he was. I +gave them an answer half true and half false, and I told them that +the gold I had just received was the payment of a sum I had lent him +in Paris. Of course they could not help believing me, or at least +pretending to do so. + +When we returned to the inn, the landlord informed us that the +chevalier had left the city on horseback, as fast as he could gallop, +and that a small traveling-bag was all his luggage. We sat down to +supper, and in order to make our meal more cheerful, I told Vais and +our charming frauleins the manner in which I had known Talvis, and +how I had contrived to have my share of what he had won. + +On our arrival in Vienna, the adventure was already known; people +admired the Frenchman and laughed at the bishop. I was not spared by +public rumour, but I took no notice of it, for I did not think it +necessary to defend myself. No one knew the Chevalier de Talvis, and +the French ambassador was not even acquainted with his name. I do +not know whether he was ever heard of again. + +I left Vienna in a post-chaise, after I had said farewell to my +friends, ladies and gentlemen, and on the fourth day I slept in +Trieste. The next day I sailed for Venice, which I reached in the +afternoon, two days before Ascension Day. After an absence of three +years I had the happiness of embracing my beloved protector, M. de +Bragadin, and his two inseparable friends, who were delighted to see +me in good health and well equipped. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +I Return the Portrait I Had Stolen in Vienna I Proceed to Padua; An +Adventure on My Way Back, and Its Consequences--I Meet Therese Imer +Again--My Acquaintance With Mademoiselle C. C. + + +I found myself again in my native country with that feeling of +delight which is experienced by all true-hearted men, when they see +again the place in which they have received the first lasting +impressions. I had acquired some experience; I knew the laws of +honour and politeness; in one word, I felt myself superior to most of +my equals, and I longed to resume my old habits and pursuits; but I +intended to adopt a more regular and more reserved line of conduct. + +I saw with great pleasure, as I entered my study, the perfect 'statu +quo' which had been preserved there. My papers, covered with a thick +layer of dust, testified well enough that no strange hand had ever +meddled with them. + +Two days after my arrival, as I was getting ready to accompany the +Bucentoro, on which the Doge was going, as usual, to wed the +Adriatic, the widow of so many husbands, and yet as young as on the +first day of her creation, a gondolier brought me a letter. It was +from M. Giovanni Grimani, a young nobleman, who, well aware that he +had no right to command me, begged me in the most polite manner to +call at his house to receive a letter which had been entrusted to him +for delivery in my own hands. I went to him immediately, and after +the usual compliments he handed me a letter with a flying seal, which +he had received the day before. + +Here are the contents: + +"Sir, having made a useless search for my portrait after you left, +and not being in the habit of receiving thieves in my apartment, I +feel satisfied that it must be in your possession. I request you to +deliver it to the person who will hand you this letter. + + "FOGLIAZZI." + +Happening to have the portrait with me, I took it out of my pocket, +and gave it at once to M. Grimani, who received it with a mixture of +satisfaction and surprise for he had evidently thought that the +commission entrusted to him would be more difficult to fulfil, and he +remarked, + +"Love has most likely made a thief of you but I congratulate you, for +your passion cannot be a very ardent one." + +"How can you judge of that?" + +"From the readiness with which you give up this portrait." + +"I would not have given it up so easily to anybody else." + +"I thank you; and as a compensation I beg you to accept my +friendship." + +"I place it in my estimation infinitely above the portrait, and even +above the original. May I ask you to forward my answer?" + +"I promise you to send it. Here is some paper, write your letter; +you need not seal it." + +I wrote the following words: + +"In getting rid of the portrait, Casanova experiences a satisfaction +by far superior to that which he felt when, owing to a stupid fancy, +he was foolish enough to put it in his pocket." + +Bad weather having compelled the authorities to postpone the +wonderful wedding until the following Sunday, I accompanied M. de +Bragadin, who was going to Padua. The amiable old man ran away from, +the noisy pleasures which no longer suited his age, and he was going +to spend in peace the few days which the public rejoicings would have +rendered unpleasant for him in Venice. On the following Saturday, +after dinner, I bade him farewell, and got into the post-chaise to +return to Venice. If I had left Padua two minutes sooner or later, +the whole course of my life would have been altered, and my destiny, +if destiny is truly shaped by fatal combinations, would have been +very different. But the reader can judge for himself. + +Having, therefore, left Padua at the very instant marked by fatality, +I met at Oriago a cabriolet, drawn at full speed by two post-horses, +containing a very pretty woman and a man wearing a German uniform. +Within a few yards from me the vehicle was suddenly upset on the side +of the river, and the woman, falling over the officer, was in great +danger of rolling into the Brenta. I jumped out of my chaise without +even stopping my postillion, and rushing to the assistance of the +lady I remedied with a chaste hand the disorder caused to her toilet +by her fall. + +Her companion, who had picked himself up without any injury, hastened +towards us, and there was the lovely creature sitting on the ground +thoroughly amazed, and less confused from her fall than from the +indiscretion of her petticoats, which had exposed in all their +nakedness certain parts which an honest woman never shews to a +stranger. In the warmth of her thanks, which lasted until her +postillion and mine had righted the cabriolet, she often called me +her saviour, her guardian angel. + +The vehicle being all right, the lady continued her journey towards +Padua, and I resumed mine towards Venice, which I reached just in +time to dress for the opera. + +The next day I masked myself early to accompany the Bucentoro, which, +favoured by fine weather, was to be taken to the Lido for the great +and ridiculous ceremony. The whole affair is under the +responsibility of the admiral of the arsenal, who answers for the +weather remaining fine, under penalty of his head, for the slightest +contrary wind might capsize the ship and drown the Doge, with all the +most serene noblemen, the ambassadors, and the Pope's nuncio, who is +the sponsor of that burlesque wedding which the Venetians respect +even to superstition. To crown the misfortune of such an accident it +would make the whole of Europe laugh, and people would not fail to +say that the Doge of Venice had gone at last to consumate his +marriage. + +I had removed my mask, and was drinking some coffee under the +'procuraties' of St. Mark's Square, when a fine-looking female mask +struck me gallantly on the shoulder with her fan. As I did not know +who she was I did not take much notice of it, and after I had +finished my coffee I put on my mask and walked towards the Spiaggia +del Sepulcro, where M. de Bragadin's gondola was waiting for me. As +I was getting near the Ponte del Paglia I saw the same masked woman +attentively looking at some wonderful monster shewn for a few pence. +I went up to her; and asked her why she had struck me with her fan. + +"To punish you for not knowing me again after having saved my life." +I guessed that she was the person I had rescued the day before on the +banks of the Brenta, and after paying her some compliments I enquired +whether she intended to follow the Bucentoro. + +"I should like it," she said, "if I had a safe gondola." + +I offered her mine, which was one of the largest, and, after +consulting a masked person who accompanied her, she accepted. Before +stepping in I invited them to take off their masks, but they told me +that they wished to remain unknown. I then begged them to tell me if +they belonged to the suite of some ambassador, because in that case I +should be compelled, much to my regret, to withdraw my invitation; +but they assured me that they were both Venetians. The gondola +belonging to a patrician, I might have committed myself with the +State Inquisitors-a thing which I wished particularly to avoid. +We were following the Bucentoro, and seated near the lady I allowed +myself a few slight liberties, but she foiled my intentions by +changing her seat. After the ceremony we returned to Venice, and the +officer who accompanied the lady told me that I would oblige them by +dining in their company at "The Savage." I accepted, for I felt +somewhat curious about the woman. What I had seen of her at the time +of her fall warranted my curiosity. The officer left me alone with +her, and went before us to order dinner. + +As soon as I was alone with her, emboldened by the mask, I told her +that I was in love with her, that I had a box at the opera, which I +placed entirely at her disposal, and that, if she would only give me +the hope that I was not wasting my time and my attentions, I would +remain her humble servant during the carnival. + +"If you mean to be cruel," I added, "pray say so candidly." + +"I must ask you to tell me what sort of a woman you take me for?" + +"For a very charming one, whether a princess or a maid of low degree. +Therefore, I hope that you will give me, this very day, some marks of +your kindness, or I must part with you immediately after dinner." + +"You will do as you please; but I trust that after dinner you will +have changed your opinion and your language, for your way of speaking +is not pleasant. It seems to me that, before venturing upon such an +explanation, it is necessary to know one another. Do you not think +so?" + +"Yes, I do; but I am afraid of being deceived." + +"How very strange! And that fear makes you begin by what ought to be +the end?" + +"I only beg to-day for one encouraging word. Give it to me and I +will at once be modest, obedient and discreet." + +"Pray calm yourself." + +We found the officer waiting for us before the door of "The Savage," +and went upstairs. The moment we were in the room, she took off her +mask, and I thought her more beautiful than the day before. I wanted +only to ascertain, for the sake of form and etiquette, whether the +officer was her husband, her lover, a relative or a protector, +because, used as I was to gallant adventures, I wished to know the +nature of the one in which I was embarking. + +We sat down to dinner, and the manners of the gentleman and of the +lady made it necessary for me to be careful. It was to him that I +offered my box, and it was accepted; but as I had none, I went out +after dinner under pretence of some engagement, in order to get one +at the opera-buffa, where Petrici and Lasqui were then the shining +stars. After the opera I gave them a good supper at an inn, and I +took them to their house in my gondola. Thanks to the darkness of +the night, I obtained from the pretty woman all the favours which can +be granted by the side of a third person who has to be treated with +caution. As we parted company, the officer said, + +"You shall hear from me to-morrow." + +"Where, and how?" + +"Never mind that." + +The next morning the servant announced an officer; it was my man. +After we had exchanged the usual compliments, after I had thanked him +for the honour he had done me the day before, I asked him to tell me +his name. He answered me in the following manner, speaking with +great fluency, but without looking at me: + +"My name is P----C----. My father is rich, and enjoys great +consideration at the exchange; but we are not on friendly terms at +present. I reside in St. Mark's Square. The lady you saw with me +was a Mdlle. O----; she is the wife of the broker C----, and her +sister married the patrician P----M----. But Madame C---- is at +variance with her husband on my account, as she is the cause of my +quarrel with my father. + +"I wear this uniform in virtue of a captaincy in the Austrian +service, but I have never served in reality. I have the contract for +the supply of oxen to the City of Venice, and I get the cattle from +Styria and Hungary. This contract gives me a net profit of ten +thousand florins a year; but an unforeseen embarrassment, which I +must remedy; a fraudulent bankruptcy, and some extraordinary +expenditure, place me for the present in monetary difficulties. Four +years ago I heard a great deal about you, and wished very much to +make your acquaintance; I firmly believe that it was through the +interference of Heaven that we became acquainted the day before +yesterday. I have no hesitation in claiming from you an important +service which will unite us by the ties of the warmest friendship. +Come to my assistance without running any risk yourself; back these +three bills of exchange. You need not be afraid of having to pay +them, for I will leave in your hands these three other bills which +fall due before the first. Besides, I will give you a mortgage upon +the proceeds of my contract during the whole year, so that, should I +fail to take up these bills, you could seize my cattle in Trieste, +which is the only road through which they can come." + +Astonished at his speech and at his proposal, which seemed to me a +lure and made me fear a world of trouble which I always abhorred, +struck by the strange idea of that man who, thinking that I would +easily fall into the snare, gave me the preference over so many other +persons whom he certainly knew better than me, I did not hesitate to +tell him that I would never accept his offer. He then had recourse +to all his eloquence to persuade me, but I embarrassed him greatly by +telling him how surprised I was at his giving me the preference over +all his other acquaintances, when I had had the honour to know him +only for two days. + +"Sir" he said, with barefaced impudence, "having recognised in you a +man of great intelligence, I felt certain that you would at once see +the advantages of my offer, and that you would not raise any +objection." + +"You must see your mistake by this time, and most likely you will +take me for a fool now you see that I should believe myself a dupe if +I accepted." + +He left me with an apology for having troubled me, and saying that he +hoped to see me in the evening at St. Mark's Square, where he would +be with Madame C----, he gave me his address, telling me that he had +retained possession of his apartment unknown to his father. This was +as much as to say that he expected me to return his visit, but if I +had been prudent I should not have done so. + +Disgusted at the manner in which that man had attempted to get hold +of me, I no longer felt any inclination to try my fortune with his +mistress, for it seemed evident that they were conspiring together to +make a dupe of me, and as I had no wish to afford them that +gratification I avoided them in the evening. It would have been wise +to keep to that line of conduct; but the next day, obeying my evil +genius, and thinking that a polite call could not have any +consequences, I called upon him. + +A servant having taken me to his room, he gave me the most friendly +welcome, and reproached me in a friendly manner for not having shewn +myself the evening before. After that, he spoke again of his +affairs, and made me look at a heap of papers and documents; I found +it very wearisome. + +"If you make up your mind to sign the three bills of exchange," he +said, "I will take you as a partner in my contract." + +By this extraordinary mark of friendship, he was offering me--at +least he said so--an income of five thousand florins a year; but my +only answer was to beg that the matter should never be mentioned +again. I was going to take leave of him, when he said that he wished +to introduce me to his mother and sister. + +He left the room, and came back with them. The mother was a +respectable, simple-looking woman, but the daughter was a perfect +beauty; she literally dazzled me. After a few minutes, the over- +trustful mother begged leave to retire, and her daughter remained. +In less than half an hour I was captivated; her perfection delighted +me; her lively wit, her artless reasoning, her candour, her +ingenuousness, her natural and noble feelings, her cheerful and +innocent quickness, that harmony which arises from beauty, wit, and +innocence, and which had always the most powerful influence over me-- +everything in fact conspired to make me the slave of the most perfect +woman that the wildest dreams could imagine. + +Mdlle. C---- C---- never went out without her mother who, although +very pious, was full of kind indulgence. She read no books but her +father's--a serious man who had no novels in his library, and she was +longing to read some tales of romance. She had likewise a great wish +to know Venice, and as no one visited the family she had never been +told that she was truly a prodigy of beauty. Her brother was writing +while I conversed with her, or rather answered all the questions +which she addressed to me, and which I could only satisfy by +developing the ideas that she already had, and that she was herself +amazed to find in her own mind, for her soul had until then been +unconscious of its own powers. Yet I did not tell her that she was +lovely and that she interested me in the highest degree, because I +had so often said the same to other women, and without truth, that I +was afraid of raising her suspicions. + +I left the house with a sensation of dreamy sadness; feeling deeply +moved by the rare qualities I had discovered in that charming girl, I +promised myself not to see her again, for I hardly thought myself the +man to sacrifice my liberty entirely and to ask her in marriage, +although I certainly believed her endowed with all the qualities +necessary to minister to my happiness. + +I had not seen Madame Manzoni since my return to Venice, and I went +to pay her a visit. I found the worthy woman the same as she had +always been towards me, and she gave me the most affectionate +welcome. She told me that Therese Imer, that pretty girl who had +caused M. de Malipiero to strike me thirteen years before, had just +returned from Bayreuth, where the margrave had made her fortune. As +she lived in the house opposite, Madame Manzoni, who wanted to enjoy +her surprise, sent her word to come over. She came almost +immediately, holding by the hand a little boy of eight years--a +lovely child--and the only one she had given to her husband, who was +a dancer in Bayreuth. Our surprise at seeing one another again was +equal to the pleasure we experienced in recollecting what had +occurred in our young days; it is true that we had but trifles to +recollect. I congratulated her upon her good fortune, and judging of +my position from external appearances, she thought it right to +congratulate me, but her fortune would have been established on a +firmer basis than mine if she had followed a prudent line of conduct. +She unfortunately indulged in numerous caprices with which my readers +will become acquainted. She was an excellent musician, but her +fortune was not altogether owing to her talent; her charms had done +more for her than anything else. She told me her adventures, very +likely with some restrictions, and we parted after a conversation of +two hours. She invited me to breakfast for the following day. She +told me that the margrave had her narrowly watched, but being an old +acquaintance I was not likely to give rise to any suspicion; that is +the aphorism of all women addicted to gallantry. She added that I +could, if I liked, see her that same evening in her box, and that M. +Papafava, who was her god-father, would be glad to see me. I called +at her house early the next morning, and I found her in bed with her +son, who, thanks to the principles in which he had been educated, got +up and left the room as soon as he saw me seated near his mother's +bed. I spent three hours with her, and I recollect that the last was +delightful; the reader will know the consequence of that pleasant +hour later. I saw her a second time during the fortnight she passed +in Venice, and when she left I promised to pay her a visit in +Bayreuth, but I never kept my promise. + +I had at that time to attend to the affairs of my posthumous brother, +who had, as he said, a call from Heaven to the priesthood, but he +wanted a patrimony. Although he was ignorant and devoid of any merit +save a handsome face, he thought that an ecclesiastical career would +insure his happiness, and he depended a great deal upon his +preaching, for which, according to the opinion of the women with whom +he was acquainted, he had a decided talent. I took everything into +my hands, and I succeeded in obtaining for him a patrimony from M. +Grimani, who still owed us the value of the furniture in my father's +house, of which he had never rendered any account. He transferred to +him a life-interest in a house in Venice, and two years afterwards my +brother was ordained. But the patrimony was only fictitious, the +house being already mortgaged; the Abbe Grimani was, however, a kind +Jesuit, and those sainted servants of God think that all is well that +ends well and profitably to themselves. I shall speak again of my +unhappy brother whose destiny became involved with mine. + +Two days had passed since I had paid my visit to P---- C----, when I +met him in the street. He told me that his sister was constantly +speaking of me, that she quoted a great many things which I had told +her, and that his mother was much pleased at her daughter having made +my acquaintance. "She would be a good match for you," he added, "for +she will have a dowry of ten thousand ducats. If you will call on me +to-morrow, we will take coffee with my mother and sister." + +I had promised myself never again to enter his house, but I broke my +word. It is easy enough for a man to forget his promises under such +circumstances. + +I spent three hours in conversation with the charming girl and when I +left her I was deeply in love. As I went away, I told her that I +envied the destiny of the man who would have her for his wife, and my +compliment, the first she had ever received, made her blush. + +After I had left her I began to examine the nature of my feelings +towards her, and they frightened me, for I could neither behave +towards Mdlle. C---- C---- as an honest man nor as a libertine. +I could not hope to obtain her hand, and I almost fancied I would +stab anyone who advised me to seduce her. I felt that I wanted some +diversion: I went to the gaming-table. Playing is sometimes an +excellent lenitive to calm the mind, and to smother the ardent fire +of love. I played with wonderful luck, and I was going home with +plenty of gold, when in a solitary narrow street I met a man bent +down less by age than by the heavy weight of misery. As I came near +him I recognized Count Bonafede, the sight of whom moved me with +pity. He recognized me likewise. We talked for some time, and at +last he told me the state of abject poverty to which he was reduced, +and the great difficulty he had to keep his numerous family. "I do +not blush," he added, "in begging from you one sequin which will keep +us alive for five or six days." I immediately gave him ten, trying +to prevent him from lowering himself in his anxiety to express his +gratitude, but I could not prevent him from shedding tears. As we +parted, he told me that what made him most miserable was to see the +position of his daughter, who had become a great beauty, and would +rather die than make a sacrifice of her virtue. "I can neither +support her in those feelings," he said, with a sigh, "nor reward her +for them." + +Thinking that I understood the wishes with which misery had inspired +him, I took his address, and promised to pay him a visit. I was +curious to see what had become of a virtue of which I did not +entertain a very high opinion. I called the next day. I found a +house almost bare of furniture, and the daughter alone-- +a circumstance which did not astonish me. The young countess had +seen me arrive, and received me on the stairs in the most amiable +manner. She was pretty well dressed, and I thought her handsome, +agreeable, and lively, as she had been when I made her acquaintance +in Fort St. Andre. Her father having announced my visit, she was in +high spirits, and she kissed me with as much tenderness as if I had +been a beloved lover. She took me to her own room, and after she had +informed me that her mother was ill in bed and unable to see me, she +gave way again to the transport of joy which, as she said, she felt +in seeing me again. The ardour of our mutual kisses, given at first +under the auspices of friendship, was not long in exciting our senses +to such an extent that in less than a quarter of an hour I had +nothing more to desire. When it was all over, it became us both, of +course, to be, or at least to appear to be, surprised at what had +taken place, and I could not honestly hesitate to assure the poor +countess that it was only the first token of a constant and true +love. She believed it, or she feigned to believe it, and perhaps I +myself fancied it was true--for the moment. When we had become calm +again, she told me the fearful state to which they were reduced, her +brothers walking barefooted in the streets, and her father having +positively no bread to give them. + +"Then you have not any lover?" + +"What? a lover! Where could I find a man courageous enough to be my +lover in such a house as this? Am I a woman to sell myself to the +first comer for the sum of thirty sous? There is not a man in Venice +who would think me worth more than that, seeing me in such a place as +this. Besides, I was not born for prostitution." + +Such a conversation was not very cheerful; she was weeping, and the +spectacle of her sadness, joined to the picture of misery which +surrounded me, was not at all the thing to excite love. I left her +with a promise to call again, and I put twelve sequins in her hand. +She was surprised at the amount; she had never known herself so rich +before. I have always regretted I did not give her twice as much. + +The next day P---- C---- called on me, and said cheerfully that his +mother had given permission to her daughter to go to the opera with +him, that the young girl was delighted because she had never been +there before, and that, if I liked, I could wait for them at some +place where they would meet me. + +"But does your sister know that you intend me to join you?" + +"She considers it a great pleasure." + +"Does your mother know it?" + +"No; but when she knows it she will not be angry, for she has a great +esteem for you." + +"In that case I will try to find a private box." + +"Very well; wait for us at such a place." + +The scoundrel did not speak of his letters of exchange again, and as +he saw that I was no longer paying my attentions to his mistress, and +that I was in love with his sister, he had formed the fine project of +selling her to me. I pitied the mother and the daughter who had +confidence in such a man; but I had not the courage to resist the +temptation. I even went so far as to persuade myself that as I loved +her it was my duty to accept the offer, in order to save her from +other snares; for if I had declined her brother might have found some +other man less scrupulous, and I could not bear the idea. I thought +that in my company her innocence ran no risk. + +I took a box at the St. Samuel Opera, and I was waiting for them at +the appointed place long before the time. They came at last, and the +sight of my young friend delighted me. She was elegantly masked, and +her brother wore his uniform. In order not to expose the lovely girl +to being recognized on account of her brother, I made them get into +my gondola. He insisted upon being landed near the house of his +mistress, who was ill, he said, and he added that he would soon join +us in our box. I was astonished that C---- C---- did not shew any +surprise or repugnance at remaining alone with me in the gondola; but +I did not think the conduct of her brother extraordinary, for it was +evident that it was all arranged beforehand in his mind. + +I told C---- C---- that we would remain in the gondola until the +opening of the theatre, and that as the heat was intense she would do +well to take off her mask, which she did at once. The law I had laid +upon myself to respect her, the noble confidence which was beaming on +her countenance and in her looks, her innocent joy--everything +increased the ardour of my love. + +Not knowing what to say to her, for I could speak to her of nothing +but love--and it was a delicate subject--I kept looking at her +charming face, not daring to let my eyes rest upon two budding globes +shaped by the Graces, for fear of giving the alarm to her modesty. +"Speak to me," she said at last; "you only look at me without +uttering a single word. You have sacrificed yourself for me, because +my brother would have taken you with him to his lady-love, who, to +judge from what he says, must be as beautiful as an angel." + +"I have seen that lady." + +"I suppose she is very witty." + +"She may be so; but I have no opportunity of knowing, for I have +never visited her, and I do not intend ever to call upon her. Do not +therefore imagine, beautiful C---- C----, that I have made the +slightest sacrifice for your sake." + +"I was afraid you had, because as you did not speak I thought you +were sad." + +"If I do not speak to you it is because I am too deeply moved by your +angelic confidence in me." + +"I am very glad it is so; but how could I not trust you? I feel much +more free, much more confident with you than with my brother himself. +My mother says it is impossible to be mistaken, and that you are +certainly an honest man. Besides, you are not married; that is the +first thing I asked my brother. Do you recollect telling me that you +envied the fate of the man who would have me for his wife? Well, at +that very moment I was thinking that your wife would be the happiest +woman in Venice." + +These words, uttered with the most candid artlessness, and with that +tone of sincerity which comes from the heart, had upon me an effect +which it would be difficult to describe; I suffered because I could +not imprint the most loving kiss upon the sweet lips which had just +pronounced them, but at the same time it caused me the most delicious +felicity to see that such an angel loved me. + +"With such conformity of feelings," I said, "we would, lovely C----, +be perfectly happy, if we could be united for ever. But I am old +enough to be your father." + +"You my father? You are joking! Do you know that I am fourteen?" + +"Do you know that I am twenty-eight?" + +"Well, where can you see a man of your age having a daughter of mine? +If my father were like you, he would certainly never frighten me; I +could not keep anything from him." + +The hour to go to the theatre had come; we landed, and the +performance engrossed all her attention. Her brother joined us only +when it was nearly over; it had certainly been a part of his +calculation. I took them to an inn for supper, and the pleasure I +experienced in seeing the charming girl eat with a good appetite made +me forget that I had had no dinner. I hardly spoke during the +supper, for love made me sick, and I was in a state of excitement +which could not last long. In order to excuse my silence, I feigned +to be suffering from the toothache. + +After supper, P---- C---- told his sister that I was in love with +her, and that I should certainly feel better if she would allow me to +kiss her. The only answer of the innocent girl was to offer me her +laughing lips, which seemed to call for kisses. I was burning; but +my respect for that innocent and naive young creature was such that I +only kissed her cheek, and even that in a manner very cold in +appearance. + +"What a kiss!" exclaimed P---- C----. "Come, come, a good lover's +kiss!" + +I did not move; the impudent fellow annoyed me; but his sister, +turning her head aside sadly, said, + +"Do not press him; I am not so happy as to please him." + +That remark gave the alarm to my love; I could no longer master my +feelings. + +"What!" I exclaimed warmly, "what! beautiful C----, you do not +condescend to ascribe my reserve to the feeling which you have +inspired me with? You suppose that you do not please me? If a kiss +is all that is needed to prove the contrary to you, oh! receive it +now with all the sentiment that is burning in my heart!" + +Then folding her in my arms, and pressing her lovingly against my +breast, I imprinted on her mouth the long and ardent kiss which I had +so much wished to give her; but the nature of that kiss made the +timid dove feel that she had fallen into the vulture's claws. She +escaped from my arms, amazed at having discovered my love in such a +manner. Her brother expressed his approval, while she replaced her +mask over her face, in order to conceal her confusion. I asked her +whether she had any longer any doubts as to my love. + +"You have convinced me," she answered, "but, because you have +undeceived me, you must not punish me." + +I thought that this was a very delicate answer, dictated by true +sentiment; but her brother was not pleased with it, and said it was +foolish. + +We put on our masks, left the inn, and after I had escorted them to +their house I went home deeply in love, happy in my inmost soul, yet +very sad. + +The reader will learn in the following chapters the progress of my +love and the adventures in which I found myself engaged. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +Progress of My Intrigue with the Beautiful C. C. + + +The next morning P---- C---- called on me with an air of triumph; he +told me that his sister had confessed to her mother that we loved one +another, and that if she was ever to be married she would be unhappy +with any other husband. + +"I adore your sister," I said to him; "but do you think that your +father will be willing to give her to me?" + +"I think not; but he is old. In the mean time, love one another. My +mother has given her permission to go to the opera this evening with +us." + +"Very well, my dear friend, we must go." + +"I find myself under the necessity of claiming a slight service at +your hands." + +"Dispose of me." + +"There is some excellent Cyprus wine to be sold very cheap, and I can +obtain a cask of it against my bill at six months. I am certain of +selling it again immediately with a good profit; but the merchant +requires a guarantee, and he is disposed to accept yours, if you will +give it. Will you be kind enough to endorse my note of hand?" + +"With pleasure." + +I signed my name without hesitation, for where is the man in love who +in such a case would have refused that service to a person who to +revenge himself might have made him miserable? We made an +appointment for the evening, and parted highly pleased with each +other. + +After I had dressed myself, I went out and bought a dozen pairs of +gloves, as many pairs of silk stockings, and a pair of garters +embroidered in gold and with gold clasps, promising myself much +pleasure in offering that first present to my young friend. + +I need not say that I was exact in reaching the appointed place, but +they were there already, waiting for me. Had I not suspected the +intentions of P---- C----, their coming so early would have been very +flattering to my vanity. The moment I had joined them, P---- C---- +told me that, having other engagements to fulfil, he would leave his +sister with me, and meet us at the theatre in the evening. When he +had gone, I told C---- C---- that we would sail in a gondola until +the opening of the theatre. + +"No," she answered, "let us rather go to the Zuecca Garden." + +"With all my heart." + +I hired a gondola and we went to St. Blaze, where I knew a very +pretty garden which, for one sequin, was placed at my disposal for +the remainder of the day, with the express condition that no one else +would be allowed admittance. We had not had any dinner, and after I +had ordered a good meal we went up to a room where we took off our +disguises and masks, after which we went to the garden. + +My lovely C---- C---- had nothing on but a bodice made of light silk +and a skirt of the same description, but she was charming in that +simple costume! My amorous looks went through those light veils, and +in my imagination I saw her entirely naked! I sighed with burning +desires, with a mixture of discreet reserve and voluptuous love. + +The moment we had reached the long avenue, my young companion, as +lively as a fawn, finding herself at liberty on the green sward, and +enjoying that happy freedom for the first time in her life, began to +run about and to give way to the spirit of cheerfulness which was +natural to her. When she was compelled to stop for want of breath, +she burst out laughing at seeing me gazing at her in a sort of +ecstatic silence. She then challenged me to run a race; the game was +very agreeable to me. I accepted, but I proposed to make it +interesting by a wager. + +"Whoever loses the race," I said, "shall have to do whatever the +winner asks." + +"Agreed!" + +We marked the winning-post, and made a fair start. I was certain to +win, but I lost on purpose, so as to see what she would ask me to do. +At first she ran with all her might while I reserved my strength, and +she was the first to reach the goal. As she was trying to recover +her breath, she thought of sentencing me to a good penance: she hid +herself behind a tree and told me, a minute afterwards, that I had to +find her ring. She had concealed it about her, and that was putting +me in possession of all her person. I thought it was a delightful +forfeit, for I could easily see that she had chosen it with +intentional mischief; but I felt that I ought not to take too much +advantage of her, because her artless confidence required to be +encouraged. We sat on the grass, I visited her pockets, the folds of +her stays, of her petticoat; then I looked in her shoes, and even at +her garters which were fastened below the knees. Not finding +anything, I kept on my search, and as the ring was about her, I was +of course bound to discover it. My reader has most likely guessed +that I had some suspicion of the charming hiding-place in which the +young beauty had concealed the ring, but before coming to it I wanted +to enjoy myself. The ring was at last found between the two most +beautiful keepers that nature had ever rounded, but I felt such +emotion as I drew it out that my hand was trembling. + +"What are you trembling for?" she asked. + +"Only for joy at having found the ring; you had concealed it so well! +But you owe me a revenge, and this time you shall not beat me." + +"We shall see." + +We began a new race, and seeing that she was not running very fast, I +thought I could easily distance her whenever I liked. I was +mistaken. She had husbanded her strength, and when we had run about +two-thirds of the race she suddenly sprang forward at full speed, +left me behind, and I saw that I had lost. I then thought of a +trick, the effect of which never fails; I feigned a heavy fall, and I +uttered a shriek of pain. The poor child stopped at once, ran back +to me in great fright, and, pitying me, she assisted me to raise +myself from the ground. The moment I was on my feet again, I laughed +heartily and, taking a spring forward, I had reached the goal long +before her. + +The charming runner, thoroughly amazed, said to me, + +"Then you did not hurt yourself?" + +"No, for I fell purposely." + +"Purposely? Oh, to deceive me! I would never have believed you +capable of that. It is not fair to win by fraud; therefore I have +not lost the race." + +"Oh! yes, you have, for I reached the goal before you." + +"Trick for trick; confess that you tried to deceive me at the start." + +"But that is fair, and your trick is a very different thing." + +"Yet it has given me the victory, and + + "Vincasi per fortund o per ingano, + Il vincer sempre fu laudabil cosa"... + +"I have often heard those words from my brother, but never from my +father. Well, never mind, I have lost. Give your judgment now, I +will obey." + +"Wait a little. Let me see. Ah! my sentence is that you shall +exchange your garters for mine." + +"Exchange our garters! But you have seen mine, they are ugly and +worth nothing." + +"Never mind. Twice every day I shall think of the person I love, and +as nearly as possible at the same hours you will have to think of +me." + +"It is a very pretty idea, and I like it. Now I forgive you for +having deceived me. Here are my ugly garters! Ah! my dear deceiver, +how beautiful yours are! What a handsome present! How they will +please my mother! They must be a present which you have just +received, for they are quite new." + +"No, they have not been given to me. I bought them for you, and I +have been racking my brain to find how I could make you accept them. +Love suggested to me the idea of making them the prize of the race. +You may now imagine my sorrow when I saw that you would win. +Vexation inspired me with a deceitful stratagem which arose from a +feeling you had caused yourself, and which turned entirely to your +honour, for you must admit that you would have shewn a very hard +heart if you had not come to my assistance." + +"And I feel certain that you would not have had recourse to that +stratagem, if you could have guessed how deeply it would pain me." + +"Do you then feel much interest in me?" + +"I would do anything in the world to convince you of it. I like my +pretty garters exceedingly; I will never have another pair, and I +promise you that my brother shall not steal them from me." + +"Can you suppose him capable of such an action?" + +"Oh! certainly, especially if the fastenings are in gold." + +"Yes, they are in gold; but let him believe that they are in gilt +brass." + +"Will you teach me how to fasten my beautiful garters?" + +"Of course I will." + +We went upstairs, and after our dinner which we both enjoyed with a +good appetite, she became more lively and I more excited by love, but +at the same time more to be pitied in consequence of the restraint to +which I had condemned myself. Very anxious to try her garters, she +begged me to help her, and that request was made in good faith, +without mischievous coquetry. An innocent young girl, who, in spite +of her fifteen years, has not loved yet, who has not frequented the +society of other girls, does not know the violence of amorous desires +or what is likely to excite them. She has no idea of the danger of a +tete-a-tete. When a natural instinct makes her love for the first +time, she believes the object of her love worthy of her confidence, +and she thinks that to be loved herself she must shew the most +boundless trust. + +Seeing that her stockings were too short to fasten the garter above +the knee, she told me that she would in future use longer ones, and I +immediately offered her those that I had purchased. Full of +gratitude she sat on my knees, and in the effusion of her +satisfaction she bestowed upon me all the kisses that she would have +given to her father if he had made her such a present. I returned +her kisses, forcibly keeping down the violence of my feelings. I +only told her that one of her kisses was worth a kingdom. My +charming C---- C---- took off her shoes and stockings, and put on one +of the pairs I had given her, which went halfway up her thigh. The +more innocent I found her to be, the less I could make up my mind to +possess myself of that ravishing prey. + +We returned to the garden, and after walking about until the evening +we went to the opera, taking care to keep on our masks, because, the +theatre being small, we might easily have been recognized, and my +lovely friend was certain that her father would not allow her to come +out again, if he found out that she had gone to the opera. + +We were rather surprised not to see her brother. On our left we had +the Marquis of Montalegre, the Spanish ambassador, with his +acknowledged mistress, Mdlle. Bola, and in the box on our right a man +and a woman who had not taken off their masks. Those two persons +kept their eyes constantly fixed upon us, but my young friend did not +remark it as her back was turned towards them. During the ballet, +C---- C---- having left the libretto of the opera on the ledge of the +box, the man with the mask stretched forth his hand and took it. +That proved to me that we were known to him, and I said so to my +companion, who turned round and recognized her brother. The lady who +was with him could be no other than Madame C----. As P---- C---- +knew the number of our box, he had taken the next one; he could not +have done so without some intention, and I foresaw that he meant to +make his sister have supper with that woman. I was much annoyed, but +I could not prevent it without breaking off with him, altogether, and +I was in love. + +After the second ballet, he came into our box with his lady, and +after the usual exchange of compliments the acquaintance was made, +and we had to accept supper at his casino. As soon as the two ladies +had thrown off their masks, they embraced one another, and the +mistress of P---- C---- overwhelmed my young friend with compliments +and attentions. At table she affected to treat her with extreme +affability, and C---- C---- not having any experience of the world +behaved towards her with the greatest respect. I could, however, see +that C----, in spite of all her art, could hardly hide the vexation +she felt at the sight of the superior beauty which I had preferred to +her own charms. P---- C----, who was of an extravagant gaiety, +launched forth in stupid jokes at which his mistress alone laughed; +in my anger, I shrugged my shoulders, and his sister, not +understanding his jests, took no notice of them. Altogether our +'partie caree' was not formed of congenial spirits, and was rather a +dull affair. + +As the dessert was placed on the table, P---- C----, somewhat excited +by the wine he had drunk, kissed his lady-love, and challenged me to +follow his example with his sister. I told him that I loved Mdlle. +C---- C---- truly, and that I would not take such liberties with her +until I should have acquired a legal right to her favours. P---- +C---- began to scoff at what I had said, but C---- stopped him. +Grateful for that mark of propriety, I took out of my pocket the +twelve pairs of gloves which I had bought in the morning, and after I +had begged her acceptance of half a dozen pairs I gave the other six +to my young friend. P---- C---- rose from the table with a sneer, +dragging along with him his mistress, who had likewise drunk rather +freely, and he threw himself on a sofa with her. The scene taking a +lewd turn, I placed myself in such a manner as to hide them from the +view of my young friend, whom I led into the recess of a window. But +I had not been able to prevent C---- C---- from seeing in a looking- +glass the position of the two impudent wretches, and her face was +suffused with blushes; I, however, spoke to her quietly of +indifferent things, and recovering her composure she answered me, +speaking of her gloves, which she was folding on the pier-table. +After his brutal exploit, P---- C---- came impudently to me and +embraced me; his dissolute companion, imitating his example, kissed +my young friend, saying she was certain that she had seen nothing. +C---- C---- answered modestly that she did not know what she could +have seen, but the look she cast towards me made me understand all +she felt. If the reader has any knowledge of the human heart, he +must guess what my feelings were. How was it possible to endure such +a scene going on in the presence of an innocent girl whom I adored, +when I had to fight hard myself with my own burning desires so as not +to abuse her innocence! I was on a bed of thorns! Anger and +indignation, restrained by the reserve I was compelled to adopt for +fear of losing the object of my ardent love, made me tremble all +over. The inventors of hell would not have failed to place that +suffering among its torments, if they had known it. The lustful P--- +C---- had thought of giving me a great proof of his friendship by the +disgusting action he had been guilty of, and he had reckoned as +nothing the dishonour of his mistress, and the delicacy of his sister +whom he had thus exposed to prostitution. I do not know how I +contrived not to strangle him. The next day, when he called on me, +I overwhelmed him with the most bitter reproaches, and he tried to +excuse himself by saying that he never would have acted in that +manner if he had not felt satisfied that I had already treated his +sister in the tete-a-tete in the same way that he treated his +mistress before us. + +My love for C---- C---- became every instant more intense, and I had +made up my mind to undertake everything necessary to save her from +the fearful position in which her unworthy brother might throw her by +selling her for his own profit to some man less scrupulous than I +was. It seemed to me urgent. What a disgusting state of things! +What an unheard-of species of seduction! What a strange way to gain +my friendship! And I found myself under the dire necessity of +dissembling with the man whom I despised most in the world! I had +been told that he was deeply in debt, that he had been a bankrupt in +Vienna, where he had a wife and a family of children, that in Venice +he had compromised his father who had been obliged to turn him out of +his house, and who, out of pity, pretended not to know that he had +kept his room in it. He had seduced his wife, or rather his +mistress, who had been driven away by her husband, and after he had +squandered everything she possessed, and he found himself at the end +of his wits, he had tried to turn her prostitution to advantage. His +poor mother who idolized him had given him everything she had, even +her own clothes, and I expected him to plague me again for some loan +or security, but I was firmly resolved on refusing. I could not bear +the idea of C---- C---- being the innocent cause of my ruin, and used +as a tool by her brother to keep up his disgusting life. + +Moved by an irresistible feeling, by what is called perfect love, I +called upon P---- C---- on the following day, and, after I had told +him that I adored his sister with the most honourable intentions, I +tried to make him realize how deeply he had grieved me by forgetting +all respect, and that modesty which the most inveterate libertine +ought never to insult if he has any pretension to be worthy of +respectable society. + +"Even if I had to give up," I added, "the pleasure of seeing your +angelic sister, I have taken the firm resolution of not keeping +company with you; but I candidly warn you that I will do everything +in my power to prevent her from going out with you, and from being +the victim of some infamous bargain in your hands." + +He excused himself again by saying that he had drunk too much, and +that he did not believe that my love for his sister was such as to +despise the gratification of my senses. He begged my pardon, he +embraced me with tears in his eyes, and I would, perhaps have given +way to my own emotion, when his mother and sister entered the room. +They offered me their heart-felt thanks for the handsome present I +had given to the young lady. I told the mother that I loved her +daughter, and that my fondest hope was to obtain her for my wife. + +"In the hope of securing that happiness, madam," I added, "I shall +get a friend to speak to your husband as soon as I shall have secured +a position giving me sufficient means to keep her comfortably, and to +assure her happiness." + +So saying I kissed her hand, and I felt so deeply moved that the +tears ran down my cheeks. Those tears were sympathetic, and the +excellent woman was soon crying like me. She thanked me +affectionately, and left me with her daughter and her son, who looked +as if he had been changed into a statue. + +There are a great many mothers of that kind in the world, and very +often they are women who have led a virtuous life; they do not +suppose that deceit can exist, because their own nature understands +only what is upright and true; but they are almost always the victims +of their good faith, and of their trust in those who seem to them to +be patterns of honesty. What I had told the mother surprised the +daughter, but her astonishment was much greater when she heard of +what I had said to her brother. After one moment of consideration, +she told him that, with any other man but me, she would have been +ruined; and that, if she had been in the place of Madame C----, she +would never have forgiven him, because the way he had treated her was +as debasing for her as for himself. P---- C---- was weeping, but the +traitor could command tears whenever he pleased. + +It was Whit Sunday, and as the theatres were closed he told me that, +if I would be at the same place of Appointment as before, the next +day, he would leave his sister with me, and go by himself with Madame +C----, whom he could not honourably leave alone. + +"I will give you my key," he added, "and you can bring back my sister +here as soon as you have supper together wherever you like." + +And he handed me his key, which I had not the courage to refuse. +After that he left us. I went away myself a few minutes afterwards, +having previously agreed with C---- C---- that we would go to the +Zuecca Garden on the following day. + +I was punctual, and love exciting me to the highest degree I foresaw +what would happen on that day. I had engaged a box at the opera, and +we went to our garden until the evening. As it was a holiday there +were several small parties of friends sitting at various tables, and +being unwilling to mix with other people we made up our minds to +remain in the apartment which was given to us, and to go to the opera +only towards the end of the performance. I therefore ordered a good +supper. We had seven hours to spend together, and my charming young +friend remarked that the time would certainly not seem long to us. +She threw off her disguise and sat on my knees, telling me that I had +completed the conquest of her heart by my reserve towards her during +the supper with her brother; but all our conversation was accompanied +by kisses which, little by little, were becoming more and more +ardent. + +"Did you see," she said to me, "what my brother did to Madame C---- +when she placed herself astride on his knees? I only saw it in the +looking-glass, but I could guess what it was." + +"Were you not afraid of my treating you in the same manner?" + +"No, I can assure you. How could I possibly fear such a thing, +knowing how much you love me? You would have humiliated me so deeply +that I should no longer have loved you. We will wait until we are +married, will we not, dear? You cannot realize the extent of the joy +I felt when I heard you speak to my mother as you did! We will love +each other for ever. But will you explain to me, dearest, the +meaning of the words embroidered upon my garters?" + +"Is there any motto upon them? I was not aware of it." + +"Oh, yes! it is in French; pray read it." + +Seated on my knees, she took off one of her garters while I was +unclasping the other, and here are the two lines which I found +embroidered on them, and which I ought to have read before offering +them to her: + + 'En voyant chaque jour le bijou de ma belle, + Vous lui direz qu'Amour veut qu'il lui soit fidele.' + +Those verses, rather free I must confess, struck me as very comic. +I burst out laughing, and my mirth increased when, to please her, I +had to translate their meaning. As it was an idea entirely new to +her, I found it necessary to enter into particulars which lighted an +ardent fire in our veins. + +"Now," she observed, "I shall not dare to shew my garters to anybody, +and I am very sorry for it." + +As I was rather thoughtful, she added, + +"Tell me what you are thinking of?" + +"I am thinking that those lucky garters have a privilege which +perhaps I shall never enjoy. How I wish myself in their place: I may +die of that wish, and die miserable." + +"No, dearest, for I am in the same position as you, and I am certain +to live. Besides, we can hasten our marriage. As far as I am +concerned, I am ready to become your wife to-morrow if you wish it. +We are both free, and my father cannot refuse his consent." + +"You are right, for he would be bound to consent for the sake of his +honour. But I wish to give him a mark of my respect by asking for +your hand, and after that everything will soon be ready. It might be +in a week or ten days." + +"So soon? You will see that my father will say that I am too young." + +"Perhaps he is right." + +"No; I am young, but not too young, and I am certain that I can be +your wife." + +I was on burning coals, and I felt that it was impossible for me to +resist any longer the ardent fire which was consuming me. + +"Oh, my best beloved!" I exclaimed, "do you feel certain of my love? +Do you think me capable of deceiving you? Are you sure that you will +never repent being my wife?" + +"More than certain, darling; for you could not wish to make me +unhappy." + +"Well, then, let our marriage take place now. Let God alone receive +our mutual pledges; we cannot have a better witness, for He knows the +purity of our intentions. Let us mutually engage our faith, let us +unite our destinies and be happy. We will afterwards legalize our +tender love with your father's consent and with the ceremonies of the +Church; in the mean time be mine, entirely mine." + +"Dispose of me, dearest. I promise to God, I promise to you that, +from this very moment and for ever, I will be your faithful wife; I +will say the same to my father, to the priest who will bless our +union--in fact, to everybody." + +"I take the same oath towards you, darling, and I can assure you that +we are now truly married. Come to my arms! Oh, dearest, complete my +felicity!" + +"Oh, dear! am I indeed so near happiness!" + +After kissing her tenderly, I went down to tell the mistress of the +house not to disturb us, and not to bring up our dinner until we +called for it. During my short absence, my charming C---- C---- had +thrown herself dressed on the bed, but I told her that the god of +love disapproved of unnecessary veils, and in less than a minute I +made of her a new Eve, beautiful in her nakedness as if she had just +come out of the hands of the Supreme Artist. Her skin, as soft as +satin, was dazzlingly white, and seemed still more so beside her +splendid black hair which I had spread over her alabaster shoulders. +Her slender figure, her prominent hips, her beautifully-modelled +bosom, her large eyes, from which flashed the sparkle of amorous +desire, everything about her was strikingly beautiful, and presented +to my hungry looks the perfection of the mother of love, adorned by +all the charms which modesty throws over the attractions of a lovely +woman. + +Beside myself, I almost feared lest my felicity should not prove +real, or lest it should not be made perfect by complete enjoyment, +when mischievous love contrived, in so serious a moment, to supply me +with a reason for mirth. + +"Is there by any chance a law to prevent the husband from undressing +himself?" enquired beautiful C---- C----. + +"No, darling angel, no; and even if there were such a barbarous law, +I would not submit to it." + +In one instant, I had thrown off all my garments, and my mistress, in +her turn, gave herself up to all the impulse of natural instinct and +curiosity, for every part of my body was an entirely new thing to +her. At last, as if she had had enough of the pleasure her eyes were +enjoying, she pressed me against her bosom, and exclaimed, + + +"Oh! dearest, what a difference between you and my pillow!" + +"Your pillow, darling? You are laughing; what do you mean?" + +"Oh! it is nothing but a childish fancy; I am afraid you will be +angry." + +"Angry! How could I be angry with you, my love, in the happiest +moment of my life?" + +"Well, for several days past, I could not go to sleep without holding +my pillow in my arms; I caressed it, I called it my dear husband; I +fancied it was you, and when a delightful enjoyment had left me +without movement, I would go to sleep, and in the morning find my +pillow still between my arms." + +My dear C---- C---- became my wife with the courage of a true +heroine, for her intense love caused her to delight even in bodily +pain. After three hours spent in delicious enjoyment, I got up and +called for our supper. The repast was simple, but very good. We +looked at one another without speaking, for how could we find words +to express our feelings? We thought that our felicity was extreme, +and we enjoyed it with the certainty that we could renew it at will. + +The hostess came up to enquire whether we wanted anything, and she +asked if we were not going to the opera, which everybody said was so +beautiful. + +"Have you never been to the opera?" + +"Never, because it is too dear for people in our position. My +daughter has such a wish to go, that, God forgive me for saying it! +she would give herself, I truly believe, to the man who would take +her there once." + +"That would be paying very dear for it," said my little wife, +laughing. "Dearest, we could make her happy at less cost, for that +hurts very much." + +"I was thinking of it, my love. Here is the key of the box, you can +make them a present of it." + +"Here is the key of a box at the St. Moses Theatre," she said to the +hostess; "it costs two sequins; go instead of us, and tell your +daughter to keep her rose-bud for something better." + +"To enable you to amuse yourself, my good woman; take these two +sequins," I added. "Let your daughter enjoy herself well." + +The good hostess, thoroughly amazed at the generosity of her guests, +ran in a great hurry to her daughter, while we were delighted at +having laid ourselves under the pleasant necessity of again going to +bed. She came up with her daughter, a handsome, tempting blonde, who +insisted upon kissing the hands of her benefactors. + +"She is going this minute with her lover," said the mother. "He is +waiting for her; but I will not let her go alone with him, for he is +not to be trusted; I am going with them." + +"That is right, my good woman; but when you come back this evening, +let the gondola wait for us; it will take us to Venice." + +"What! Do you mean to remain here until we return?" + +"Yes, for this is our wedding-day." + +"To-day? God bless you!" + +She then went to the bed, to put it to rights, and seeing the marks +of my wife's virginity she came to my dear C---- C---- and, in her +joy, kissed her, and immediately began a sermon for the special +benefit of her daughter, shewing her those marks which, in her +opinion, did infinite honour to the young bride: respectable marks, +she said, which in our days the god of Hymen sees but seldom on his +altar. + +The daughter, casting down her beautiful blue eyes, answered that the +same would certainly be seen on her wedding-day. + +"I am certain of it," said the mother, "for I never lose sight of +thee. Go and get some water in this basin, and bring it here. This +charming bride must be in need of it." + +The girl obeyed. The two women having left us, we went to bed, and +four hours of ecstatic delights passed off with wonderful rapidity. +Our last engagement would have lasted longer, if my charming +sweetheart had not taken a fancy to take my place and to reverse the +position. Worn out with happiness and enjoyment, we were going to +sleep, when the hostess came to tell us that the gondola was waiting +for us. I immediately got up to open the door, in the hope that she +would amuse us with her description of the opera; but she left that +task to her daughter, who had come up with her, and she went down +again to prepare some coffee for us. The young girl assisted my +sweetheart to dress, but now and then she would wink at me in a +manner which made me think that she had more experience than her +mother imagined. + +Nothing could be more indiscreet than the eyes of my beloved +mistress; they wore the irrefutable marks of her first exploits. It +is true that she had just been fighting a battle which had positively +made her a different being to what she was before the engagement. + +We took some hot coffee, and I told our hostess to get us a nice +dinner for the next day; we then left in the gondola. The dawn of +day was breaking when we landed at St. Sophia's Square, in order to +set the curiosity of the gondoliers at fault, and we parted happy, +delighted, and certain that we were thoroughly married. I went to +bed, having made up my mind to compel M. de Bragadin, through the +power of the oracle, to obtain legally for me the hand of my beloved +C---- C----. I remained in bed until noon, and spent the rest of the +day in playing with ill luck, as if Dame Fortune had wished to warn +me that she did not approve of my love. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +Continuation of My Intrigues with C. C.--M. de Bragadin Asks the Hand +of That Young Person for Me--Her Father Refuses, and Sends Her to a +Convent--De la Haye--I Lose All my Money at the Faso-table--My +Partnership with Croce Replenishes My Purse--Various Incidents + +The happiness derived from my love had prevented me from attaching +any importance to my losses, and being entirely engrossed with the +thought of my sweetheart my mind did not seem to care for whatever +did not relate to her. + +I was thinking of her the next morning when her brother called on me +with a beaming countenance, and said, + +"I am certain that you have slept with my sister, and I am very glad +of it. She does not confess as much, but her confession is not +necessary. I will bring her to you to-day." + +"You will oblige me, for I adore her, and I will get a friend of mine +to ask her in marriage from your father in such a manner that he will +not be able to refuse." + +"I wish it may be so, but I doubt it. In the mean time, I find +myself compelled to beg another service from your kindness. I can +obtain, against a note of hand payable in six months, a ring of the +value of two hundred sequins, and I am certain to sell it again this +very day for the same amount. That sum, is very necessary to me just +now, but the jeweller, who knows you, will not let me have it without +your security. Will you oblige me in this instance? I know that you +lost a great deal last night; if you want some money I will give you +one hundred sequins, which you will return when the note of hand +falls due." + +How could I refuse him? I knew very well that I would be duped, but +I loved his sister so much: + +"I am ready," said I to him, "to sign the note of hand, but you are +wrong in abusing my love for your sister in such a manner." + +We went out, and the jeweller having accepted my security the bargain +was completed. The merchant, who knew me only by name, thinking of +paying me a great compliment, told P---- C---- that with my guarantee +all his goods were at his service. I did not feel flattered by the +compliment, but I thought I could see in it the knavery of P---- +C----, who was clever enough to find out, out of a hundred, the fool +who without any reason placed confidence in me when I possessed +nothing. It was thus that my angelic C---- C----, who seemed made to +insure my happiness, was the innocent cause of my ruin. + +At noon P---- C---- brought his sister; and wishing most likely to +prove its honesty--for a cheat always tries hard to do that--he gave +me back the letter of exchange which I had endorsed for the Cyprus +wine, assuring me likewise that at our next meeting he would hand me +the one hundred sequins which he had promised me. + +I took my mistress as usual to Zuecca; I agreed for the garden to be +kept closed, and we dined under a vine-arbour. My dear C---- C---- +seemed to me more beautiful since she was mine, and, friendship being +united to love we felt a delightful sensation of happiness which +shone on our features. The hostess, who had found me generous, gave +us some excellent game and some very fine fish; her daughter served +us. She also came to undress my little wife as soon as we had gone +upstairs to give ourselves up to the sweet pleasures natural to a +young married couple. + +When we were alone my loved asked me what was the meaning of the one +hundred sequins which her brother had promised to bring me, and I +told her all that had taken place between him and me. + +"I entreat you, darling," she said to me, "to refuse all the demands +of my brother in future; he is, unfortunately, in such difficulties +that he would at the end drag you down to the abyss into which he +must fall" + +This time our enjoyment seemed to us more substantial; we relished it +with a more refined delight, and, so to speak, we reasoned over it. + +"Oh, my best beloved!" she said to me, "do all in your power to +render me pregnant; for in that case my father could no longer refuse +his consent to my marriage, under the pretext of my being too young." + +It was with great difficulty that I made her understand that the +fulfilment of that wish, however much I shared it myself, was not +entirely in our power; but that, under the circumstances, it would +most probably be fulfilled sooner or later. + +After working with all our might at the completion of that great +undertaking, we gave several hours to a profound and delightful +repose. As soon as we were awake I called for candles and coffee, +and we set to work again in the hope of obtaining the mutual harmony +of ecstatic enjoyment which was necessary to insure our future +happiness. It was in the midst of our loving sport that the too +early dawn surprised us, and we hurried back to Venice to avoid +inquisitive eyes. + +We renewed our pleasures on the Friday, but, whatever delight I may +feel now in the remembrance of those happy moments, I will spare my +readers the description of my new enjoyment, because they might not +feel interested in such repetitions. I must therefore only say that, +before parting on that day, we fixed for the following Monday, the +last day of the carnival, our last meeting in the Garden of Zuecca. +Death alone could have hindered me from keeping that appointment, for +it was to be the last opportunity of enjoying our amorous sport. + +On the Monday morning I saw P---- C----, who confirmed the +appointment for the same hour, and at the place previously agreed +upon, and I was there in good time. In spite of the impatience of a +lover, the first hour of expectation passes rapidly, but the second +is mortally long. Yet the third and the fourth passed without my +seeing my beloved mistress. I was in a state of fearful anxiety; I +imagined the most terrible disasters. It seemed to me that if C--- +C---- had been unable to go out her brother ought to have come to let +me know it. + +But some unexpected mishap might have detained him, and I could not +go and fetch her myself at her house, even if I had feared nothing +else than to miss them on the road. At last, as the church bells +were tolling the Angelus, C---- C---- came alone, and masked. + +"I was certain," she said, "that you were here, and here I am in +spite of all my mother could say. You must be starving. My brother +has not put in an appearance through the whole of this day. Let us +go quickly to our garden, for I am very hungry too, and love will +console us for all we have suffered today." + +She had spoken very rapidly, and without giving me time to utter a +single word; I had nothing more to ask her. We went off, and took a +gondola to our garden. The wind was very high, it blew almost a +hurricane, and the gondola having only one rower the danger was +great. C---- C----, who had no idea of it, was playing with me to +make up for the restraint under which she had been all day; but her +movements exposed the gondolier to danger; if he had fallen into the +water, nothing could have saved us, and we would have found death on +our way to pleasure. I told her to keep quiet, but, being anxious +not to frighten her, I dared not acquaint her with the danger we were +running. The gondolier, however, had not the same reasons for +sparing her feelings, and he called out to us in a stentorian voice +that, if we did not keep quiet, we were all lost. His threat had the +desired effect, and we reached the landing without mishap. I paid +the man generously, and he laughed for joy when he saw the money for +which he was indebted to the bad weather. + +We spent six delightful hours in our casino; this time sleep was not +allowed to visit us. The only thought which threw a cloud over our +felicity was that, the carnival being over, we did not know how to +contrive our future meetings. We agreed, however, that on the +following Wednesday morning I should pay a visit to her brother, and +that she would come to his room as usual. + +We took leave of our worthy hostess, who, entertaining no hope of +seeing us again, expressed her sorrow and overwhelmed us with +blessings. I escorted my darling, without any accident, as far as +the door of her house, and went home. + +I had just risen at noon, when to my great surprise I had a visit +from De la Haye with his pupil Calvi, a handsome young man, but the +very copy of his master in everything. He walked, spoke, laughed +exactly like him; it was the same language as that of the Jesuits +correct but rather harsh French. I thought that excess of imitation +perfectly scandalous, and I could not help telling De la Haye that he +ought to change his pupil's deportment, because such servile mimicry +would only expose him to bitter raillery. As I was giving him my +opinion on that subject, Bavois made his appearance, and when he had +spent an hour in the company of the young man he was entirely of the +same mind. Calvi died two or three years later. De la Haye, who was +bent upon forming pupils, became, two or three months after Calvi's +death, the tutor of the young Chevalier de Morosini, the nephew of +the nobleman to whom Bavois was indebted for his rapid fortune, who +was then the Commissioner of the Republic to settle its boundaries +with the Austrian Government represented by Count Christiani. + +I was in love beyond all measure, and I would not postpone an +application on which my happiness depended any longer. After dinner, +and as soon as everybody had retired, I begged M. de Bragadin and his +two friends to grant me an audience of two hours in the room in which +we were always inaccessible. There, without any preamble, I told +them that I was in love with C---- C----, and determined on carrying +her off if they could not contrive to obtain her from her father for +my wife. "The question at issue," I said to M. de Bragadin, "is how +to give me a respectable position, and to guarantee a dowry of ten +thousand ducats which the young lady would bring me." They answered +that, if Paralis gave them the necessary instructions, they were +ready to fulfil them. That was all I wanted. I spent two hours in +forming all the pyramids they wished, and the result was that M. de +Bragadin himself would demand in my name the hand of the young lady; +the oracle explaining the reason of that choice by stating that it +must be the same person who would guarantee the dowry with his own +fortune. The father of my mistress being then at his country-house, +I told my friends that they would have due notice of his return, and +that they were to be all three together when M. de Bragadin demanded +the young lady's hand. + +Well pleased with what I had done, I called on P----C---- the next +morning. An old woman, who opened the door for me, told me that he +was not at home, but that his mother would see me. She came +immediately with her daughter, and they both looked very sad, which +at once struck me as a bad sign. C---- C---- told me that her +brother was in prison for debt, and that it would be difficult to get +him out of it because his debts amounted to a very large sum. The +mother, crying bitterly, told me how deeply grieved she was at not +being able to support him in the prison, and she shewed me the letter +he had written to her, in which he requested her to deliver an +enclosure to his sister. I asked C---- C----- whether I could read +it; she handed it to me, and I saw that he begged her to speak to me +in his behalf. As I returned it to her, I told her to write to him +that I was not in a position to do anything for him, but I entreated +the mother to accept twenty-five sequins, which would enable her to +assist him by sending him one or two at a time. She made up her mind +to take them only when her daughter joined her entreaties to mine. + +After this painful scene I gave them an account of what I had done in +order to obtain the hand of my young sweetheart. Madame C--- thanked +me, expressed her appreciation of my honourable conduct, but she told +me not to entertain any hope, because her husband, who was very +stubborn in his ideas, had decided that his daughter should marry a +merchant, and not before the age of eighteen. He was expected home +that very day. As I was taking leave of them, my mistress contrived +to slip in my hand a letter in which she told me that I could safely +make use of the key which I had in my possession, to enter the house +at midnight, and that I would find her in her brother's room. This +news made me very happy, for, notwithstanding all the doubts of her +mother, I hoped for success in obtaining her hand. + +When I returned home, I told M. de Bragadin of the expected arrival +of the father of my charming C---- C----, and the kind old man wrote +to him immediately in my presence. He requested him to name at what +time he might call on him on important business. I asked M. de +Bragadin not to send his letter until the following day. + +The reader can very well guess that C---- C---- had not to wait for +me long after midnight. I gained admittance without any difficulty, +and I found my darling, who received me with open arms. + +"You have nothing to fear," she said to me; "my father has arrived in +excellent health, and everyone in the house is fast asleep." + +"Except Love," I answered, "which is now inviting us to enjoy +ourselves. Love will protect us, dearest, and to-morrow your father +will receive a letter from my worthy protector." + +At those words C---- C---- shuddered. It was a presentiment of the +future. + +She said to me, + +"My father thinks of me now as if I were nothing but a child; but his +eyes are going to be opened respecting me; he will examine my +conduct, and God knows what will happen! Now, we are happy, even +more than we were during our visits to Zuecca, for we can see each +other every night without restraint. But what will my father do when +he hears that I have a lover?" + +"What can he do? If he refuses me your hand, I will carry you off, +and the patriarch would certainly marry us. We shall be one +another's for life" + +"It is my most ardent wish, and to realize it I am ready to do +anything; but, dearest, I know my father." + +We remained two hours together, thinking less of our pleasures than +of our sorrow; I went away promising to see her again the next night. +The whole of the morning passed off very heavily for me, and at noon +M. de Bragadin informed me that he had sent his letter to the father, +who had answered that he would call himself on the following day to +ascertain M. de Bragadin's wishes. At midnight I saw my beloved +mistress again, and I gave her an account of all that had transpired. +C---- C---- told me that the message of the senator had greatly +puzzled her father, because, as he had never had any intercourse with +that nobleman, he could not imagine what he wanted with him. +Uncertainty, a sort of anxious dread, and a confused hope, rendered +our enjoyment much less lively during the two hours which we spent +together. I had no doubt that M. Ch. C---- the father of my young +friend, would 'go home immediately after his interview with M. de +Bragadin, that he would ask his daughter a great many questions, and +I feared lest C---- C----, in her trouble and confusion, should +betray herself. She felt herself that it might be so, and I could +see how painfully anxious she was. I was extremely uneasy myself, +and I suffered much because, not knowing how her father would look at +the matter, I could not give her any advice. As a matter of course, +it was necessary for her to conceal certain circumstances which would +have prejudiced his mind against us; yet it was urgent to tell him +the truth and to shew herself entirely submissive to his will. I +found myself placed in a strange position, and above all, I regretted +having made the all-important application, precisely because it was +certain to have too decisive a result. I longed to get out of the +state of indecision in which I was, and I was surprised to see my +young mistress less anxious than I was. We parted with heavy hearts, +but with the hope that the next night would again bring us together, +for the contrary did not seem to us possible. + +The next day, after dinner, M. Ch. C---- called upon M. de Bragadin, +but I did not shew myself. He remained a couple of hours with my +three friends, and as soon as he had gone I heard that his answer had +been what the mother had told me, but with the addition of a +circumstance most painful to me--namely, that his daughter would pass +the four years which were to elapse, before she could think of +marriage, in a convent. As a palliative to his refusal he had added, +that, if by that time I had a well-established position in the world, +he might consent to our wedding. + +That answer struck me as most cruel, and in the despair in which it +threw me I was not astonished when the same night I found the door by +which I used to gain admittance to C---- C---- closed and locked +inside. + +I returned home more dead than alive, and lost twenty-four hours in +that fearful perplexity in which a man is often thrown when he feels +himself bound to take a decision without knowing what to decide. I +thought of carrying her off, but a thousand difficulties combined to +prevent the execution of that scheme, and her brother was in prison. +I saw how difficult it would be to contrive a correspondence with my +wife, for I considered C---- C---- as such, much more than if our +marriage had received the sanction of the priest's blessing or of the +notary's legal contract. + +Tortured by a thousand distressing ideas, I made up my mind at last +to pay a visit to Madame C----. A servant opened the door, and +informed me that madame had gone to the country; she could not tell +me when she was expected to return to Venice. This news was a +terrible thunder-bolt to me; I remained as motionless as a statue; +for now that I had lost that last resource I had no means of +procuring the slightest information. + +I tried to look calm in the presence of my three friends, but in +reality I was in a state truly worthy of pity, and the reader will +perhaps realize it if I tell him that in my despair I made up my mind +to call on P---- C---- in his prison, in the hope that he might give +me some information. + +My visit proved useless; he knew nothing, and I did not enlighten his +ignorance. He told me a great many lies which I pretended to accept +as gospel, and giving him two sequins I went away, wishing him a +prompt release. + +I was racking my brain to contrive some way to know the position of +my mistress--for I felt certain it was a fearful one--and believing +her to be unhappy I reproached myself most bitterly as the cause of +her misery. I had reached such a state of anxiety that I could +neither eat nor sleep. + +Two days after the refusal of the father, M. de Bragadin and his two +friends went to Padua for a month. I had not had the heart to go +with them, and I was alone in the house. I needed consolation and I +went to the gaming-table, but I played without attention and lost a +great deal. I had already sold whatever I possessed of any value, +and I owed money everywhere. I could expect no assistance except +from my three kind friends, but shame prevented me from confessing my +position to them. I was in that disposition which leads easily to +self-destruction, and I was thinking of it as I was shaving myself +before a toilet-glass, when the servant brought to my room a woman +who had a letter for me. The woman came up to me, and, handing me +the letter, she said, + +"Are you the person to whom it is addressed?" + +I recognized at once a seal which I had given to C---- C----; I +thought I would drop down dead. In order to recover my composure, I +told the woman to wait, and tried to shave myself, but my hand +refused to perform its office. I put the razor down, turned my back +on the messenger, and opening the letter I read the following lines, + +"Before I can write all I have to say, I must be sure of my +messenger. I am boarding in a convent, and am very well treated, and +I enjoy excellent health in spite of the anxiety of my mind. The +superior has been instructed to forbid me all visitors and +correspondence. I am, however, already certain of being able to +write to you, notwithstanding these very strict orders. I entertain +no doubt of your good faith, my beloved husband, and I feel sure that +you will never doubt a heart which is wholly yours. Trust to me for +the execution of whatever you may wish me to do, for I am yours and +only yours. Answer only a few words until we are quite certain of +our messenger. + +"Muran, June 12th." + + +In less than three weeks my young friend had become a clever +moralist; it is true that Love had been her teacher, and Love alone +can work miracles. As I concluded the reading of her letter, I was +in the state of a criminal pardoned at the foot of the scaffold. I +required several minutes before I recovered the exercise of my will +and my presence of mind. + +I turned towards the messenger, and asked her if she could read. + +"Ah, sir! if I could not read, it would be a great misfortune for +me. There are seven women appointed for the service of the nuns of +Muran. One of us comes in turn to Venice once a week; I come every +Wednesday, and this day week I shall be able to bring you an answer +to the letter which, if you like, you can write now." + +"Then you can take charge of the letters entrusted to you by the +nuns?" + +"That is not supposed to be one of our duties but the faithful +delivery of letters being the most important of the commissions +committed to our care, we should not be trusted if we could not read +the address of the letters placed in our hands. The nuns wanted to +be sure that we shall not give to Peter the letter addressed to Paul. +The good mothers are always afraid of our being guilty of such +blunders. Therefore I shall be here again, without fail, this day +week at the same hour, but please to order your servant to wake you +in case you should be asleep, for our time is measured as if it were +gold. Above all, rely entirely upon my discretion as long as you +employ me; for if I did not know how to keep a silent tongue in my +head I should lose my bread, and then what would become of me-- +a widow with four children, a boy eight years old, and three pretty +girls, the eldest of whom is only sixteen? You can see them when you +come to Muran. I live near the church, on the garden side, and I am +always at home when I am not engaged in the service of the nuns, who +are always sending me on one commission or another. The young lady-- +I do not know her name yet, for she has only been one week with us-- +gave me this letter, but so cleverly! Oh! she must be as witty as +she is pretty, for three nuns who were there were completely +bamboozled. She gave it to me with this other letter for myself, +which I likewise leave in your hands. Poor child! she tells me to be +discreet! She need not be afraid. Write to her, I entreat you, sir, +that she can trust me, and answer boldly. I would not tell you to +act in the same manner with all the other messengers of the convent, +although I believe them to be honest--and God forbid I should speak +ill of my fellow-creature--but they are all ignorant, you see; and it +is certain that they babble, at least, with their confessors, if with +nobody else. As for me, thank God! I know very well that I need not +confess anything but my sins, and surely to carry a letter from a +Christian woman to her brother in Christ is not a sin. Besides, my +confessor is a good old monk, quite deaf, I believe, for the worthy +man never answers me; but that is his business, not mine!" + +I had not intended to ask her any questions, but if such had been my +intention she would not have given me time to carry it into +execution; and without my asking her anything, she was telling me +everything I cared to know, and she did so in her anxiety for me to +avail myself of her services exclusively. + +I immediately sat down to write to my dear recluse, intending at +first to write only a few lines, as she had requested me; but my time +was too short to write so little. My letter was a screed of four +pages, and very likely it said less than her note of one short page. +I told her her letter had saved my life, and asked her whether I +could hope to see her. I informed her that I had given a sequin to +the messenger, that she would find another for herself under the seal +of my letter, and that I would send her all the money she might want. +I entreated her not to fail writing every Wednesday, to be certain +that her letters would never be long enough to give me full +particulars, not only of all she did, of all she was allowed to do, +but also of all her thoughts respecting her release from +imprisonment, and the overcoming of all the obstacles which were in +the way of our mutual happiness; for I was as much hers as she was +mine. I hinted to her the necessity of gaining the love of all the +nuns and boarders, but without taking them into her confidence, and +of shewing no dislike of her convent life. After praising her for +the clever manner in which she had contrived to write to me, in spite +of superior orders, I made her understand how careful she was to be +to avoid being surprised while she was writing, because in such a +case her room would certainly be searched and all her papers seized. + +"Burn all my letters, darling," I added, "and recollect that you must +go to confession often, but without implicating our love. Share with +me all your sorrows, which interest me even more than your joys." + +I sealed my letter in such a manner that no one could possibly guess +that there was a sequin hidden under the sealing wax, and I rewarded +the woman, promising her that I would give her the same reward every +time that she brought me a letter from my friend. When she saw the +sequin which I had put in her hand the good woman cried for joy, and +she told me that, as the gates of the convent were never closed for +her, she would deliver my letter the moment she found the young lady +alone. + +Here is the note which C---- C---- had given to the woman, with the +letter addressed to me: + +"God Himself, my good woman, prompts me to have confidence in you +rather than in anybody else. Take this letter to Venice, and should +the person to whom it is addressed not be in the city, bring it back +to me. You must deliver it to that person himself, and if you find +him you will most likely have an answer, which you must give me, but +only when you are certain that nobody can see you." + +If Love is imprudent, it is only in the hope of enjoyment; but when +it is necessary to bring back happiness destroyed by some untoward +accident, Love foresees all that the keenest perspicacity could +possibly find out. The letter of my charming wife overwhelmed me +with joy, and in one moment I passed from a state of despair to that +of extreme felicity. I felt certain that I should succeed in +carrying her off even if the walls of the convent could boast of +artillery, and after the departure of the messenger my first thought +was to endeavour to spend the seven days, before I could receive the +second letter, pleasantly. Gambling alone could do it, but everybody +had gone to Padua. I got my trunk ready, and immediately sent it to +the burchiello then ready to start, and I left for Frusina. From +that place I posted, and in less than three hours I arrived at the +door of the Bragadin Palace, where I found my dear protector on the +point of sitting down to dinner. He embraced me affectionately, and +seeing me covered with perspiration he said to me, + +"I am certain that you are in no hurry." + +"No," I answered, "but I am starving." + +I brought joy to the brotherly trio, and I enhanced their happiness +when I told my friends that I would remain six days with them. De la +Haye dined with us on that day; as soon as dinner was over he +closeted himself with M. Dandoio, and for two hours they remained +together. I had gone to bed during that time, but M. Dandolo came up +to me and told me that I had arrived just in time to consult the +oracle respecting an important affair entirely private to himself. +He gave me the questions, and requested me to find the answers. He +wanted to know whether he would act rightly if he accepted a project +proposed to him by De la Haye. + +The oracle answered negatively. + +M. Dandolo, rather surprised, asked a second question: he wished +Paralis to give his reasons for the denial. + +I formed the cabalistic pile, and brought out this answer: + +"I asked Casanova's opinion, and as I find it opposed to the proposal +made by De la Haye, I do not wish to hear any more about it." + +Oh! wonderful power of self-delusion! This worthy man, pleased at +being able to throw the odium of a refusal on me, left me perfectly +satisfied. I had no idea of the nature of the affair to which he had +been alluding, and I felt no curiosity about it; but it annoyed me +that a Jesuit should interfere and try to make my friends do anything +otherwise than through my instrumentality, and I wanted that +intriguer to know that my influence was greater than his own. + +After that, I dressed, masked myself, and went to the opera, where I +sat down to a faro-table and lost all my money. Fortune was +determined to shew me that it does not always agree with love. My +heart was heavy, I felt miserable; I went to bed. When I woke in the +morning, I saw De la Haye come into my room with a beaming +countenance, and, assuming an air of devoted friendship, he made a +great show of his feelings towards me. I knew what to think of it +all, and I waited for the 'denouement'. + +"My dear friend," he said to me at last, "why did you dissuade +M. Dandolo from doing what I had insinuated to him?" + +"What had you insinuated to him?" + +"You know well enough." + +"If I knew it, I would not ask you" + +"M. Dandolo himself told me that you had advised him against it." + +"Advised against, that may be, but certainly not dissuaded, for if he +had been persuaded in his own mind he would not have asked my +advice." + +"As you please; but may I enquire your reasons?" + +"Tell me first what your proposal was." + +"Has he not told you?" + +"Perhaps he has; but if you wish to know my reasons, I must hear the +whole affair from your own lips, because M. Dandolo spoke to me under +a promise of secrecy." + +"Of what good is all this reserve?" + +"Everyone has his own principles and his own way of thinking: I have +a sufficiently good opinion of you to believe that you would act +exactly as I do, for I have heard you say that in all secret matters +one ought to guard against surprise." + +"I am incapable of taking such an advantage of a friend; but as a +general rule your maxim is a right one; I like prudence. I will tell +you the whole affair. You are aware that Madame Tripolo has been +left a widow, and that M. Dandolo is courting her assiduously, after +having done the same for fourteen years during the life of the +husband. The lady, who is still young, beautiful and lovely, and +also is very respectable, wishes to become his wife. It is to me +that she has confided her wishes, and as I saw nothing that was not +praiseworthy, either in a temporal or in a spiritual point of view, +in that union, for after all we are all men, I took the affair in +hand with real pleasure. I fancied even that M. Dandolo felt some +inclination for that marriage when he told me that he would give me +his decision this morning. I am not astonished at his having asked +your advice in such an important affair, for a prudent man is right +in asking the opinion of a wise friend before taking a decisive step; +but I must tell you candidly that I am astonished at your disapproval +of such a marriage. Pray excuse me if, in order to improve by the +information, I ask why your opinion is exactly the reverse of mine." + +Delighted at having discovered the whole affair, at having arrived in +time to prevent my friend who was goodness itself contracting an +absurd marriage, I answered the hypocrite that I loved M. Dandolo, +that I knew his temperament, and that I was certain that a marriage +with a woman like Madame Tripolo would shorten his life. + +"That being my opinion," I added, "you must admit that as a true +friend I was right in advising him against your proposal. Do you +recollect having told me that you never married for the very same +reason? Do you recollect your strong arguments in favour of celibacy +while we were at Parma? Consider also, I beg, that every man has a +certain small stock of selfishness, and that I may be allowed to have +mine when I think that if M. Dandolo took a wife the influence of +that wife would of course have some weight, and that the more she +gained in influence over him the more I should lose. So you see it +would not be natural for me to advise him to take a step which would +ultimately prove very detrimental to my interests. If you can prove +that my reasons are either trifling or sophistical, speak openly: I +will tell M. Dandolo that my mind has changed; Madame Tripolo will +become his wife when we return to Venice. But let me warn you that +thorough conviction can alone move me." + +"I do not believe myself clever enough to convince you. I shall +write to Madame Tripolo that she must apply to you." + +"Do not write anything of the sort to that lady, or she will think +that you are laughing at her. Do you suppose her foolish enough to +expect that I will give way to her wishes? She knows that I do not +like her." + +"How can she possibly know that?" + +"She must have remarked that I have never cared to accompany +M. Dandolo to her house. Learn from me once for all, that as long as +I live with my three friends they shall have no wife but me. You may +get married as soon as you please; I promise not to throw any +obstacle in your way; but if you wish to remain on friendly terms +with me give up all idea of leading my three friends astray." + +"You are very caustic this morning." + +"I lost all my money last night. + +"Then I have chosen a bad time. Farewell." + +From that day, De la Haye became my secret enemy, and to him I was in +a great measure indebted, two years later, for my imprisonment under +The Leads of Venice; not owing to his slanders, for I do not believe +he was capable of that, Jesuit though he was--and even amongst such +people there is sometimes some honourable feeling--but through the +mystical insinuations which he made in the presence of bigoted +persons. I must give fair notice to my readers that, if they are +fond of such people, they must not read these Memoirs, for they +belong to a tribe which I have good reason to attack unmercifully. + +The fine marriage was never again alluded to. M. Dandolo continued +to visit his beautiful widow every day, and I took care to elicit +from Paralis a strong interdiction ever to put my foot in her house. + +Don Antonio Croce, a young Milanese whom I had known in Reggio, a +confirmed gambler, and a downright clever hand in securing the +favours of Dame Fortune, called on me a few minutes after De la Haye +had retired. He told me that, having seen me lose all my money the +night before, he had come to offer me the means of retrieving my +losses, if I would take an equal interest with him in a faro bank +that he meant to hold at his house, and in which he would have as +punters seven or eight rich foreigners who were courting his wife. + +"If you will put three hundred sequins in my bank," he added, "you +shall be my partner. I have three hundred sequins myself, but that +is not enough because the punters play high. Come and dine at my +house, and you will make their acquaintance. We can play next Friday +as there will be no opera, and you may rely upon our winning plenty +of gold, for a certain Gilenspetz, a Swede, may lose twenty thousand +sequins." + +I was without any resources, or at all events I could expect no +assistance except from M. de Bragadin upon whom I felt ashamed of +encroaching. I was well aware that the proposal made by Croce was +not strictly moral, and that I might have chosen a more honourable +society; but if I had refused, the purse of Madame Croce's admirers +would not have been more mercifully treated; another would have +profited by that stroke of good fortune. I was therefore not rigid +enough to refuse my assistance as adjutant and my share of the pie; I +accepted Croce's invitation. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +I Get Rich Again--My Adventure At Dolo--Analysis of a Long Letter +From C. C.--Mischievous Trick Played Upon Me By P. C.--At Vincenza +--A Tragi-comedy At the Inn + + +Necessity, that imperious law and my only excuse, having made me +almost the partner of a cheat, there was still the difficulty of +finding the three hundred sequins required; but I postponed the task +of finding them until after I should have made the acquaintance of +the dupes of the goddess to whom they addressed their worship. Croce +took me to the Prato delta Valle, where we found madame surrounded +with foreigners. She was pretty; and as a secretary of the imperial +ambassador, Count Rosemberg, had attached himself to her, not one of +the Venetian nobles dared court her. Those who interested me among +the satellites gravitating around that star were the Swede +Gilenspetz, a Hamburger, the Englishman Mendez, who has already been +mentioned, and three or four others to whore Croce called my +attention. + +We dined all together, and after dinner there was a general call for +a faro bank; but Croce did not accept. His refusal surprised me, +because with three hundred sequins, being a very skilful player, he +had enough to try his fortune. He did not, however, allow my +suspicions to last long, for he took me to his own room and shewed me +fifty pieces of eight, which were equal to three hundred sequins. +When I saw that the professional gambler had not chosen me as his +partner with the intention of making a dupe of me, I told him that I +would certainly procure the amount, and upon that promise he invited +everybody to supper for the following day. We agreed that we would +divide the spoils before parting in the evening, and that no one +should be allowed to play on trust. + +I had to procure the amount, but to whom could I apply? I could ask +no one but M. de Bragadin. The excellent man had not that sum in his +possession, for his purse was generally empty; but he found a usurer- +-a species of animal too numerous unfortunately for young men--who, +upon a note of hand endorsed by him, gave me a thousand ducats, at +five per cent. for one month, the said interest being deducted by +anticipation from the capital. It was exactly the amount I required. +I went to the supper; Croce held the bank until daylight, and we +divided sixteen hundred sequins between us. The game continued the +next evening, and Gilenspetz alone lost two thousand sequins; the Jew +Mendez lost about one thousand. Sunday was sanctified by rest, but +on Monday the bank won four thousand sequins. On the Tuesday we all +dined together, and the play was resumed; but we had scarcely begun +when an officer of the podesta made his appearance and informed Croce +that he wanted a little private conversation with him. They left the +room together, and after a short absence Croce came back rather +crestfallen; he announced that by superior orders he was forbidden to +hold a bank at his house. Madame fainted away, the punters hurried +out, and I followed their example, as soon as I had secured one-half +of the gold which was on the table. I was glad enough it was not +worse. As I left, Croce told me that we would meet again in Venice, +for he had been ordered to quit Padua within twenty-four hours. I +expected it would be so, because he was to well known; but his +greatest crime, in the opinion of the podesta, was that he attracted +the players to his own house, whilst the authorities wanted all the +lovers of play to lose their money at the opera, where the bankers +were mostly noblemen from Venice. + +I left the city on horseback in the evening and in very bad weather, +but nothing could have kept me back, because early the next morning I +expected a letter from my dear prisoner. I had only travelled six +miles from Padua when my horse fell, and I found my left leg caught +under it. My boots were soft ones, and I feared I had hurt myself. +The postillion was ahead of me, but hearing the noise made by the +fall he came up and disengaged me; I was not hurt, but my horse was +lame. I immediately took the horse of the postillion, to which I was +entitled, but the insolent fellow getting hold of the bit refused to +let me proceed. I tried to make him understand that he was wrong; +but, far from giving way to my arguments, he persisted in stopping +me, and being in a great hurry to continue my journey I fired one of +my pistols in his face, but without touching him. Frightened out of +his wits, the man let go, and I galloped off. When I reached the +Dolo, I went straight to the stables, and I myself saddled a horse +which a postillion, to whom I gave a crown, pointed out to me as +being excellent. No one thought of being astonished at my other +postillion having remained behind, and we started at full speed. It +was then one o'clock in the morning; the storm had broken up the +road, and the night was so dark that I could not see anything within +a yard ahead of me; the day was breaking when we arrived in Fusina. + +The boatmen threatened me with a fresh storm; but setting everything +at defiance I took a four-oared boat, and reached my dwelling quite +safe but shivering with cold and wet to the skin. I had scarcely +been in my room for a quarter of an hour when the messenger from +Muran presented herself and gave me a letter, telling me that she +would call for the answer in two hours. That letter was a journal of +seven pages, the faithful translation of which might weary my +readers, but here is the substance of it: + +After the interview with M. de Bragadin, the father of C---- C---- +had gone home, had his wife and daughter to his room, and enquired +kindly from the last where she had made my acquaintance. She +answered that she had seen me five or six times in her brother's +room, that I had asked her whether she would consent to be my wife, +and that she had told me that she was dependent upon her father and +mother. The father had then said that she was too young to think of +marriage, and besides, I had not yet conquered a position in society. +After that decision he repaired to his son's room, and locked the +small door inside as well as the one communicating with the apartment +of the mother, who was instructed by him to let me believe that she +had gone to the country, in case I should call on her. + +Two days afterwards he came to C---- C----, who was beside her sick +mother, and told her that her aunt would take her to a convent, where +she was to remain until a husband had been provided for her by her +parents. She answered that, being perfectly disposed to submit to +his will, she would gladly obey him. Pleased with her ready +obedience he promised to go and see her, and to let his mother visit +her likewise, as soon as her health was better. Immediately after +that conversation the aunt had called for her, and a gondola had +taken them to the convent, where she had been ever since. Her bed +and her clothes had been brought to her; she was well pleased with +her room and with the nun to whom she had been entrusted, and under +whose supervision she was. It was by her that she had been forbidden +to receive either letters or visits, or to write to anybody, under +penalty of excommunication from the Holy Father, of everlasting +damnation, and of other similar trifles; yet the same nun had +supplied her with paper, ink and books, and it was at night that my +young friend transgressed the laws of the convent in order to write +all these particulars to me. She expressed her conviction respecting +the discretion and the faithfulness of the messenger, and she thought +that she would remain devoted, because, being poor, our sequins were +a little fortune for her. + +She related to me in the most assuring manner that the handsomest of +all the nuns in the convent loved her to distraction, gave her a +French lesson twice a-day, and had amicably forbidden her to become +acquainted with the other boarders. That nun was only twenty-two +years of age; she was beautiful, rich and generous; all the other +nuns shewed her great respect. "When we are alone," wrote my friend, +"she kisses me so tenderly that you would be jealous if she were not +a woman." As to our project of running away, she did not think it +would be very difficult to carry it into execution, but that it would +be better to wait until she knew the locality better. She told me to +remain faithful and constant, and asked me to send her my portrait +hidden in a ring by a secret spring known only to us. She added that +I might send it to her by her mother, who had recovered her usual +health, and was in the habit of attending early mass at her parish +church every day by herself. She assured me that the excellent woman +would be delighted to see me, and to do anything I might ask her. +"At all events," she concluded, "I hope to find myself in a few +months in a position which will scandalize the convent if they are +obstinately bent upon keeping me here." + +I was just finishing my answer when Laura, the messenger, returned +for it. After I had paid the sequin I had promised her, I gave her a +parcel containing sealing-wax, paper, pens, and a tinder-box, which +she promised to deliver to C---- C----. My darling had told her that +I was her cousin, and Laura feigned to believe it. + +Not knowing what to do in Venice, and believing that I ought for the +sake of my honour to shew myself in Padua, or else people might +suppose that I had received the same order as Croce, I hurried my +breakfast, and procured a 'bolletta' from the booking-office for +Rome; because I foresaw that the firing of my pistol and the lame +horse might not have improved the temper of the post-masters; but by +shewing them what is called in Italy a 'bolletta', I knew that they +could not refuse to supply me with horses whenever they had any in +their stables. As far as the pistol-shot was concerned I had no +fear, for I had purposely missed the insolent postillion; and even if +I had killed him on the spot it would not have been of much +importance. + +In Fusina I took a two-wheeled chaise, for I was so tired that I +could not have performed the journey on horseback, and I reached the +Dolo, where I was recognized and horses were refused me. + +I made a good deal of noise, and the post-master, coming out, +threatened to have me arrested if I did not pay him for his dead +horse. I answered that if the horse were dead I would account for it +to the postmaster in Padua, but what I wanted was fresh horses +without delay. + +And I shewed him the dread 'bolletta', the sight of which made him +lower his tone; but he told me that, even if he supplied me with +horses, I had treated the postillion so badly that not one of his men +would drive me. "If that is the case," I answered, "you shall +accompany me yourself." The fellow laughed in my face, turned his +back upon me, and went away. I took two witnesses, and I called with +them at the office of a public notary, who drew up a properly-worded +document, by which I gave notice to the post-master that I should +expect an indemnity of ten sequins for each hour of delay until I had +horses supplied to me. + +As soon as he had been made acquainted with the contents of this, he +gave orders to bring out two restive horses. I saw at once that his +intention was to have me upset along the road, and perhaps thrown +into the river; but I calmly told the postillion that at the very +moment my chaise was upset I would blow his brains out with a pistol- +shot; this threat frightened the man; he took his horses back to the +stables, and declared to his master that he would not drive me. At +that very moment a courier arrived, who called for six carriage +horses and two saddle ones. I warned the post-master that no one +should leave the place before me, and that if he opposed my will +there would be a sanguinary contest; in order to prove that I was in +earnest I took out my pistols. The fellow began to swear, but, +everyone saying that he was in the wrong, he disappeared. + +Five minutes afterwards whom should I see, arriving in a beautiful +berlin drawn by six horses, but Croce with his wife, a lady's maid, +and two lackeys in grand livery. He alighted, we embraced one +another, and I told him, assuming an air of sadness, that he could +not leave before me. I explained how the case stood; he said I was +right, scolded loudly, as if he had been a great lord, and made +everybody tremble. The postmaster had disappeared; his wife came and +ordered the postillions to attend to my wants. During that time +Croce said to me that I was quite right in going back to Padua, where +the public rumour had spread the report of my having left the city in +consequence of an order from the police. He informed me that the +podesta had likewise expelled M. de Gondoin, a colonel in the service +of the Duke of Modena, because he held a faro bank at his house. +I promised him to pay him a visit in Venice in the ensuing week. +Croce, who had dropped from the sky to assist me in a moment of great +distress, had won ten thousand sequins in four evenings: I had +received five thousand for my share; and lost no time in paying my +debts and in redeeming all the articles which I had been compelled to +pledge. That scamp brought me back the smiles of Fortune, and from +that moment I got rid of the ill luck which had seemed to fasten on +me. + +I reached Padua in safety, and the postillion, who very likely out of +fear had driven me in good style, was well pleased with my +liberality; it was the best way of making peace with the tribe. My +arrival caused great joy to my three friends, whom my sudden +departure had alarmed, with the exception of M. de Bragadin, in whose +hands I had placed my cash-box the day before. His two friends had +given credence to the general report, stating that the podesta had +ordered me to leave Padua. They forgot that I was a citizen of +Venice, and that the podesta could not pass such a sentence upon me +without exposing himself to legal proceedings. I was tired, but +instead of going to bed I dressed myself in my best attire in order +to go to the opera without a mask. I told my friends that it was +necessary for me to shew myself, so as to give the lie to all that +had been reported about me by slandering tongues. De la Haye said to +me, + +"I shall be delighted if all those reports are false; but you have no +one to blame but yourself, for your hurried departure gave sufficient +cause for all sorts of surmises." + +"And for slander." + +"That may be; but people want to know everything, and they invent +when they cannot guess the truth." + +"And evil-minded fools lose no time in repeating those inventions +everywhere." + +"But there can be no doubt that you wanted to kill the postillion. +Is that a calumny likewise?" + +"The greatest of all. Do you think that a good shot can miss a man +when he is firing in his very face, unless he does it purposely?" + +"It seems difficult; but at all events it is certain that the horse +is dead, and you must pay for it." + +"No, sir, not even if the horse belonged to you, for the postillion +preceded me. You know a great many things; do you happen to know the +posting regulations? Besides, I was in a great hurry because I had +promised a pretty woman to breakfast with her, and such engagements, +as you are well aware, cannot be broken." + +Master de la Haye looked angry at the rather caustic irony with which +I had sprinkled the dialogue; but he was still more vexed when, +taking some gold out of my pocket, I returned to him the sum he had +lent me in Vienna. A man never argues well except when his purse is +well filled; then his spirits are pitched in a high key, unless he +should happen to be stupefied by some passion raging in his soul. + +M. de Bragadin thought I was quite right to shew myself at the opera +without a mask. + +The moment I made my appearance in the pit everybody seemed quite +astonished, and I was overwhelmed with compliments, sincere or not. +After the first ballet I went to the card-room, and in four deals I +won five hundred sequins. Starving, and almost dead for want of +sleep, I returned to my friends to boast of my victory. My friend +Bavois was there, and he seized the opportunity to borrow from me +fifty sequins, which he never returned; true, I never asked him for +them. + +My thoughts being constantly absorbed in my dear C---- C----, I spent +the whole of the next day in having my likeness painted in miniature +by a skilful Piedmontese, who had come for the Fair of Padua, and who +in after times made a great deal of money in Venice. When he had +completed my portrait he painted for me a beautiful St. Catherine of +the same size, and a clever Venetian jeweller made the ring, the +bezel of which shewed only the sainted virgin; but a blue spot, +hardly visible on the white enamel which surrounded it, corresponded +with the secret spring which brought out my portrait, and the change +was obtained by pressing on the blue spot with the point of a pin. + +On the following Friday, as we were rising from the dinner-table, a +letter was handed to me. It was with great surprise that I +recognized the writing of P---- C----. He asked me to pay him a +visit at the "Star Hotel," where he would give me some interesting +information. Thinking that he might have something to say concerning +his sister, I went to him at once. + +I found him with Madame C----, and after congratulating him upon his +release from prison I asked him for the news he had to communicate. + +"I am certain," he said, "that my sister is in a convent, and I shall +be able to tell you the name of it when I return to Venice." + +"You will oblige me," I answered, pretending not to know anything. + +But his news had only been a pretext to make me come to him, and his +eagerness to communicate it had a very different object in view than +the gratification of my curiosity. + +"I have sold," he said to me, "my privileged contract for three years +for a sum of fifteen thousand florins, and the man with whom I have +made the bargain took me out of prison by giving security for me, and +advanced me six thousand florins in four letters of exchange." + +He shewed me the letters of exchange, endorsed by a name which I did +not know, but which he said was a very good one, and he continued, + +"I intend to buy six thousand florins worth of silk goods from the +looms of Vicenza, and to give in payment to the merchants these +letters of exchange. I am certain of selling those goods rapidly +with a profit of ten per cent. Come with us to Vicenza; I will give +you some of my goods to the amount of two hundred sequins, and thus +you will find yourself covered for the guarantee which you have been +kind enough to give to the jeweller for the ring. We shall complete +the transaction within twenty-four hours." + +I did not feel much inclination for the trip, but I allowed myself to +be blinded by the wish to cover the amount which I had guaranteed, +and which I had no doubt I would be called upon to pay some day or +other. + +"If I do not go with him," I said to myself "he will sell the goods +at a loss of twenty-five per cent., and I shall get nothing." + +I promised to accompany him. He shewed me several letters of +recommendation for the best houses in Vicenza, and our departure was +fixed for early the next morning. I was at the "Star Hotel" by +daybreak. A carriage and four was ready; the hotel-keeper came up +with his bill, and P---- C---- begged me to pay it. The bill +amounted to five sequins; four of which had been advanced in cash by +the landlord to pay the driver who had brought them from Fusina. +I saw that it was a put-up thing, yet I paid with pretty good grace, +for I guessed that the scoundrel had left Venice without a penny. We +reached Vicenza in three hours, and we put up at the "Cappello," +where P---- C---- ordered a good dinner before leaving me with the +lady to call upon the manufacturers. + +When the beauty found herself alone with me, she began by addressing +friendly reproaches to me. + +"I have loved you," she said, "for eighteen years; the first time +that I saw you we were in Padua, and we were then only nine years +old." + +I certainly had no recollection of it. She was the daughter of the +antiquarian friend of M. Grimani, who had placed me as a boarder with +the accursed Sclavonian woman. I could not help smiling, for I +recollected that her mother had loved me. + +Shop-boys soon began to make their appearance, bringing pieces of +goods, and the face of Madame C---- brightened up. In less than two +hours the room was filled with them, and P---- C---- came back with +two merchants, whom he had invited to dinner. Madame allured them by +her pretty manners; we dined, and exquisite wines were drunk in +profusion. In the afternoon fresh goods were brought in; P---- C---- +made a list of them with the prices; but he wanted more, and the +merchants promised to send them the next day, although it was Sunday. +Towards the evening several counts arrived, for in Vicenza every +nobleman is a count. P---- C---- had left his letters of +recommendation at their houses. We had a Count Velo, a Count Sesso, +a Count Trento--all very amiable companions. They invited us to +accompany them to the casino, where Madame C---- shone by her charms +and her coquettish manners. After we had spent two hours in that +place, P---- C---- invited all his new friends to supper, and it was +a scene of gaiety and profusion. The whole affair annoyed me +greatly, and therefore I was not amiable; the consequence was that no +one spoke to me. I rose from my seat and went to bed, leaving the +joyous company still round the festive board. In the morning I came +downstairs, had my breakfast, and looked about me. The room was so +full of goods that I did not see how P---- C---- could possibly pay +for all with his six thousand florins. He told me, however, that his +business would be completed on the morrow, and that we were invited +to a ball where all the nobility would be present. The merchants +with whom he had dealt came to dine with us, and the dinner was +remarkable for its extreme profusion. + +We went to the ball; but I soon got very weary of it, for every body +was speaking to Madame C---- and to P---- C----, who never uttered a +word with any meaning, but whenever I opened my lips people would +pretend not to hear me. I invited a lady to dance a minuet; she +accepted, but she looked constantly to the right or to the left, and +seemed to consider me as a mere dancing machine. A quadrille was +formed, but the thing was contrived in such a manner as to leave me +out of it, and the very lady who had refused me as a partner danced +with another gentleman. Had I been in good spirits I should +certainly have resented such conduct, but I preferred to leave the +ball-room. I went to bed, unable to understand why the nobility of +Vicenza treated me in such a way. Perhaps they neglected me because +I was not named in the letters of introduction given to P---- C----, +but I thought that they might have known the laws of common +politeness. I bore the evil patiently, however, as we were to leave +the city the next day. + +On Monday, the worthy pair being tired, they slept until noon, and +after dinner P---- C---- went out to pay for the goods. + +We were to go away early on the Tuesday, and I instinctively longed +for that moment. The counts whom P---- C---- had invited were +delighted with his mistress, and they came to supper; but I avoided +meeting them. + +On the Tuesday morning I was duly informed that breakfast was ready, +but as I did not answer the summons quickly enough the servant came +up again, and told me that my wife requested me to make haste. +Scarcely had the word "wife" escaped his lips than I visited the +cheek of the poor fellow with a tremendous smack, and in my rage +kicked him downstairs, the bottom of which he reached in four +springs, to the imminent risk of his neck. Maddened with rage I +entered the breakfast-room, and addressing myself to P---- C----, +I asked him who was the scoundrel who had announced me in the hotel +as the husband of Madame C----. He answered that he did not know; +but at the same moment the landlord came into the room with a big +knife in his hand, and asked me why I had kicked his servant down the +stairs. I quickly drew a pistol, and threatening him with it I +demanded imperatively from him the name of the person who had +represented me as the husband of that woman. + +"Captain P---- C----," answered the landlord, "gave the names, +profession, etc., of your party." + +At this I seized the impudent villain by the throat, and pinning him +against the wall with a strong hand I would have broken his head with +the butt of my pistol, if the landlord had not prevented me. Madame +had pretended to swoon, for those women can always command tears or +fainting fits, and the cowardly P---- C---- kept on saying, + +"It is not true, it is not true!" + +The landlord ran out to get the hotel register, and he angrily thrust +it under the nose of the coward, daring him to deny his having +dictated: Captain P---- C----, with M. and Madame Casanova. The +scoundrel answered that his words had certainly not been heard +rightly, and the incensed landlord slapped the book in his face with +such force that he sent him rolling, almost stunned, against the +wall. + +When I saw that the wretched poltroon was receiving such degrading +treatment without remembering that he had a sword hanging by his +side, I left the room, and asked the landlord to order me a carriage +to take me to Padua. + +Beside myself with rage, blushing for very shame, seeing but too late +the fault I had committed by accepting the society of a scoundrel, I +went up to my room, and hurriedly packed up my carpet-bag. I was +just going out when Madame C---- presented herself before me. + +"Begone, madam," I said to her, "or, in my rage, I might forget the +respect due to your sex." + +She threw herself, crying bitterly, on a chair, entreated me to +forgive her, assuring me that she was innocent, and that she was not +present when the knave had given the names. The landlady, coming in +at that moment, vouched for the truth of her assertion. My anger +began to abate, and as I passed near the window I saw the carriage I +had ordered waiting for me with a pair of good horses. I called for +the landlord in order to pay whatever my share of the expense might +come to, but he told me that as I had ordered nothing myself I had +nothing to pay. Just at that juncture Count Velo came in. + +"I daresay, count," I said, "that you believe this woman to be my +wife." + +"That is a fact known to everybody in the city." + +"Damnation! And you have believed such a thing, knowing that I +occupy this room alone, and seeing me leave the ball-room and the +supper-table yesterday alone, leaving her with you all!" + +"Some husbands are blessed with such easy dispositions!" + +"I do not think I look like one of that species, and you are not a +judge of men of honour, let us go out, and I undertake to prove it to +you." + +The count rushed down the stairs and out of the hotel. The miserable +C---- was choking, and I could not help pitying her; for a woman has +in her tears a weapon which through my life I have never known to +resist. I considered that if I left the hotel without paying +anything, people might laugh at my anger and suppose that I had a +share in the swindle; I requested the landlord to bring me the +account, intending to pay half of it. He went for it, but another +scene awaited me. Madame C----, bathed in tears, fell on her knees, +and told me that if I abandoned her she was lost, for she had no +money and nothing to leave as security for her hotel bill. + +"What, madam! Have you not letters of exchange to the amount of six +thousand florins, or the goods bought with them?" + +"The goods are no longer here; they have all been taken away, because +the letters of exchange, which you saw, and which we considered as +good as cash, only made the merchants laugh; they have sent for +everything. Oh! who could have supposed it?" + +"The scoundrel! He knew it well enough, and that is why he was so +anxious to bring me here. Well, it is right that I should pay the +penalty of my own folly." + +The bill brought by the landlord amounted to forty sequins, a very +high figure for three days; but a large portion of that sum was cash +advanced by the landlord, I immediately felt that my honour demanded +that I should pay the bill in full; and I paid without any +hesitation, taking care to get a receipt given in the presence of two +witnesses. I then made a present of two sequins to the nephew of the +landlord to console him for the thrashing he had received, and I +refused the same sum to the wretched C----, who had sent the landlady +to beg it for her. + +Thus ended that unpleasant adventure, which taught me a lesson, and a +lesson which I ought not to have required. Two or three weeks later, +I heard that Count Trento had given those two miserable beings some +money to enable them to leave the city; as far as I was concerned, I +would not have anything to do with them. A month afterwards P---- +C---- was again arrested for debt, the man who had been security for +him having become a bankrupt. He had the audacity to write a long +letter to me, entreating me to go and see him, but I did not answer +him. I was quite as inflexible towards Madame C----, whom I always +refused to see. She was reduced to great poverty. + +I returned to Padua, where I stopped only long enough to take my ring +and to dine with M. de Bragadin, who went back to Venice a few days +afterwards. + +The messenger from the convent brought me a letter very early in the +morning; I devoured its contents; it was very loving, but gave no +news. In my answer I gave my dear C---- C---- the particulars of the +infamous trick played upon me by her villainous brother, and +mentioned the ring, with the secret of which I acquainted her. + +According to the information I had received from C---- C----, +I placed myself, one morning, so as to see her mother enter the +church, into which I followed her. Kneeling close to her, I told her +that I wished to speak with her, and she followed me to the cloister. +I began by speaking a few consoling words; then I told her that I +would remain faithful to her daughter, and I asked her whether she +visited her. + +"I intend," she said, "to go and kiss my dear child next Sunday, and +I shall of course speak of you with her, for I know well enough that +she will be delighted to have news of you; but to my great regret I +am not at liberty to tell you where she is." + +"I do not wish you to tell me, my good mother, but allow me to send +her this ring by you. It is the picture of her patroness, and I wish +you to entreat her to wear it always on her finger; tell her to look +at the image during her daily prayers, for without that protection +she can never become my wife. Tell her that, on my side, I address +every day a credo to St. James." + +Delighted with the piety of my feelings and with the prospect of +recommending this new devotion to her daughter, the good woman +promised to fulfil my commission. I left her, but not before I had +placed in her hand ten sequins which I begged her to force upon her +daughter's acceptance to supply herself with the trifles she might +require. She accepted, but at the same time she assured me that her +father had taken care to provide her with all necessaries. +The letter which I received from C---- C----, on the following +Wednesday, was the expression of the most tender affection and the +most lively gratitude. She said that the moment she was alone +nothing could be more rapid than the point of the pin which made St. +Catherine cut a somersault, and presented to her eager eyes the +beloved features of the being who was the whole world to her. +"I am constantly kissing you," she added, "even when some of the nuns +are looking at me, for whenever they come near me I have only to let +the top part of the ring fall back and my dear patroness takes care +to conceal everything. All the nuns are highly pleased with my +devotion and with the confidence I have in the protection of my +blessed patroness, whom they think very much like me in the face." +It was nothing but a beautiful face created by the fancy of the +painter, but my dear little wife was so lovely that beauty was sure +to be like her. + +She said, likewise, that the nun who taught her French had offered +her fifty sequins for the ring on account of the likeness between her +and the portrait of the saint, but not out of veneration for her +patroness, whom she turned into ridicule as she read her life. She +thanked me for the ten sequins I had sent her, because, her mother +having given them to her in the presence of several of the sisters, +she was thus enabled to spend a little money without raising the +suspicions of those curious and inquisitive nuns. She liked to offer +trifling presents to the other boarders, and the money allowed her to +gratify that innocent taste. + +"My mother," added she, "praised your piety very highly; she is +delighted with your feelings of devotion. Never mention again, I +beg, the name of my unworthy brother." + +For five or six weeks her letters were full of the blessed St. +Catherine, who caused her to tremble with fear every time she found +herself compelled to trust the ring to the mystic curiosity of the +elderly nuns, who, in order to see the likeness better through their +spectacles, brought it close to their eyes, and rubbed the enamel. +"I am in constant fear," C---- C---- wrote, "of their pressing the +invisible blue spot by chance. What would become of me, if my +patroness, jumping up, discovered to their eyes a face--very divine, +it is true, but which is not at all like that of a saint? Tell me, +what could I do in such a case?" + +One month after the second arrest of P---- C----, the jeweller, who +had taken my security for the ring, called on me for payment of the +bill. I made an arrangement with him; and on condition of my giving +him twenty sequins, and leaving him every right over the debtor, he +exonerated me. From his prison the impudent P---- C---- harassed me +with his cowardly entreaties for alms and assistance. + +Croce was in Venice, and engrossed a great share of the general +attention. He kept a fine house, an excellent table, and a faro bank +with which he emptied the pockets of his dupes. Foreseeing what +would happen sooner or later, I had abstained from visiting him at +his house, but we were friendly whenever we met. His wife having +been delivered of a boy, Croce asked me to stand as god-father, a +favour which I thought I could grant; but after the ceremony and the +supper which was the consequence of it, I never entered the house of +my former partner, and I acted rightly. I wish I had always been as +prudent in my conduct. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +Croce Is Expelled From Venice--Sgombro--His Infamy and Death-- +Misfortune Which Befalls My Dear C. C.--I Receive An Anonymous Letter +From a Nun, and Answer It--An Amorous Intrigue + +My former partner was, as I have said before, a skilful and +experienced hand at securing the favours of Fortune; he was driving a +good trade in Venice, and as he was amiable, and what is called in +society a gentleman, he might have held that excellent footing for a +long time, if he had been satisfied with gambling; for the State +Inquisitors would have too much to attend to if they wished to compel +fools to spare their fortunes, dupes to be prudent, and cheats not to +dupe the fools; but, whether through the folly of youth or through a +vicious disposition, the cause of his exile was of an extraordinary +and disgusting nature. + +A Venetian nobleman, noble by birth, but very ignoble in his +propensities, called Sgombro, and belonging to the Gritti family, +fell deeply in love with him, and Croce, either for fun or from +taste, shewed himself very compliant. Unfortunately the reserve +commanded by common decency was not a guest at their amorous feats, +and the scandal became so notorious that the Government was compelled +to notify to Croce the order to quit the city, and to seek his +fortune in some other place. + +Some time afterwards the infamous Sgombro seduced his own two sons, +who were both very young, and, unfortunately for him, he put the +youngest in such a state as to render necessary an application to a +surgeon. The infamous deed became publicly known, and the poor child +confessed that he had not had the courage to refuse obedience to his +father. Such obedience was, as a matter of course, not considered as +forming a part of the duties which a son owes to his father, and the +State Inquisitors sent the disgusting wretch to the citadel of +Cataro, where he died after one year of confinement. + +It is well known that the air of Cataro is deadly, and that the +Tribunal sentences to inhale it only such criminals as are not judged +publicly for fear of exciting too deeply the general horror by the +publication of the trial. + +It was to Cataro that the Council of Ten sent, fifteen years ago, the +celebrated advocate Cantarini, a Venetian nobleman, who by his +eloquence had made himself master of the great Council, and was on +the point of changing the constitution of the State. He died there +at the end of the year. As for his accomplices, the Tribunal thought +that it was enough to punish the four or five leaders, and to pretend +not to know the others, who through fear of punishment returned +silently to their allegiance. + +That Sgombro, of whom I spoke before, had a charming wife who is +still alive, I believe. Her name was Cornelia Gitti; she was as +celebrated by her wit as by her beauty, which she kept in spite of +her years. Having recovered her liberty through the death of her +husband, she knew better than to make herself a second time the +prisoner of the Hymenean god; she loved her independence too much; +but as she loved pleasure too, she accepted the homage of the lovers +who pleased her taste. + +One Monday, towards the end of July, my servant woke me at day-break +to tell me that Laura wished to speak to me. I foresaw some +misfortune, and ordered the servant to shew her in immediately. +These are the contents of the letter which she handed to me: + +"My dearest, a misfortune has befallen me last evening, and it makes +me very miserable because I must keep it a secret from everyone in +the convent. I am suffering from a very severe loss of blood, and I +do not know what to do, having but very little linen. Laura tells me +I shall require a great deal of it if the flow of blood continues. I +can take no one into my confidence but you, and I entreat you to send +me as much linen as you can. You see that I have been compelled to +make a confidante of Laura, who is the only person allowed to enter +my room at all times. If I should die, my dear husband, everybody in +the convent would, of course, know the cause of my death; but I think +of you, and I shudder. What will you do in your grief? Ah, darling +love! what a pity!" + +I dressed myself hurriedly, plying Laura with questions all the time. +She told me plainly that it was a miscarriage, and that it was +necessary to act with great discretion in order to save the +reputation of my young friend; that after all she required nothing +but plenty of linen, and that it would be nothing. Commonplace words +of consolation, which did not allay the fearful anxiety under which I +was labouring. I went out with Laura, called on a Jew from whom I +bought a quantity of sheets and two hundred napkins, and, putting it +all in a large bag, I repaired with her to Muran. On our way there I +wrote in pencil to my sweetheart, telling her to have entire +confidence in Laura, and assuring her that I would not leave Muran +until all danger had passed. Before we landed, Laura told me that, +in order not to be remarked, I had better conceal myself in her +house. At any other time it would have been shutting up the wolf in +the sheep-fold. She left me in a miserable-looking small room on the +ground floor, and concealing about herself as much linen as she could +she hurried to her patient, whom she had not seen since the previous +evening. I was in hopes that she would find her out of danger, and I +longed to see her come back with that good news. + +She was absent about one hour, and when she returned her looks were +sad. She told me that my poor friend, having lost a great deal of +blood during the night, was in bed in a very weak state, and that all +we could do was to pray to God for her, because, if the flooding of +the blood did not stop soon, she could not possibly live twenty-four +hours. + +When I saw the linen which she had concealed under her clothes to +bring it out, I could not disguise my horror, and I thought the sight +would kill me. I fancied myself in a slaughter-house! Laura, +thinking of consoling me, told me that I could rely upon the secret +being well kept. + +"Ah! what do I care!" I exclaimed. "Provided she lives, let the +whole world know that she is my wife!" + +At any other time, the foolishness of poor Laura would have made me +laugh; but in such a sad moment I had neither the inclination nor the +courage to be merry. + +"Our dear patient," added Laura, "smiled as she was reading your +letter, and she said that, with you so near her, she was certain not +to die." + +Those words did me good, but a man needs so little to console him or +to soothe his grief. + +"When the nuns are at their dinner," said Laura, "I will go back to +the convent with as much linen as I can conceal about me, and in the +mean time I am going to wash all this." + +"Has she had any visitors?" + +"Oh, yes! all the convent; but no one has any suspicion of the +truth." + +"But in such hot weather as this she can have only a very light +blanket over her, and her visitors must remark the great bulk of the +napkins." + +"There is no fear of that, because she is sitting up in her bed." + +"What does she eat?" + +"Nothing, for she must not eat." + +Soon afterwards Laura went out, and I followed her. I called upon a +physician, where I wasted my time and my money, in order to get from +him a long prescription which was useless, for it would have put all +the convent in possession of the secret, or, to speak more truly, her +secret would have been known to the whole world, for a secret known +to a nun soon escapes out of the convent's walls. Besides, the +physician of the convent himself would most likely have betrayed it +through a spirit of revenge. + +I returned sadly to my miserable hole in Laura's house. Half an hour +afterwards she came to me, crying bitterly, and she placed in my +hands this letter, which was scarcely legible: + +"I have not strength enough to write to you, my darling; I am getting +weaker and weaker; I am losing all my blood, and I am afraid there is +no remedy. I abandon myself to the will of God, and I thank Him for +having saved me from dishonour. Do not make yourself unhappy. My +only consolation is to know that you are near me. Alas! if I could +see you but for one moment I would die happy." + +The sight of a dozen napkins brought by Laura made me shudder, and +the good woman imagined that she afforded me some consolation by +telling me that as much linen could be soaked with a bottle of blood. +My mind was not disposed to taste such consolation; I was in despair, +and I addressed to myself the fiercest reproaches, upbraiding myself +as the cause of the death of that adorable creature. I threw myself +on the bed, and remained there, almost stunned, for more than six +hours, until Laura's return from the convent with twenty napkins +entirely soaked. Night had come on, and she could not go back to her +patient until morning. I passed a fearful night without food, +without sleep, looking upon myself with horror, and refusing all the +kind attentions that Laura's daughters tried to shew me. + +It was barely daylight when Laura same to announce to me, in the +saddest tone, that my poor friend did not bleed any more. I thought +she was dead, and I screamed loudly, + +"Oh! she is no more!" + +"She is still breathing, sir; but I fear she will not outlive this +day, for she is worn out. She can hardly open her eyes, and her +pulse is scarcely to be felt." + +A weight was taken off me; I was instinctively certain that my +darling was saved. + +"Laura," I said, "this is not bad news; provided the flooding has +ceased entirely, all that is necessary is to give her some light +food." + +"A physician has been sent for. He will prescribe whatever is right, +but to tell you the truth I have not much hope." + +"Only give me the assurance that she is still alive." + +"Yes, she is, I assure you; but you understand very well that she +will not tell the truth to the doctor, and God knows what he will +order. I whispered to her not to take anything, and she understood +me." + +"You are the best of women. Yes, if she does not die from weakness +before to-morrow, she is saved; nature and love will have been her +doctors." + +"May God hear you! I shall be back by twelve." + +"Why not before?" + +"Because her room will be full of people." + +Feeling the need of hope, and almost dead for want of food, I ordered +some dinner, and prepared a long letter for my beloved mistress, to +be delivered to her when she was well enough to read it. The +instants given to repentance are very sad, and I was truly a fit +subject for pity. I longed to see Laura again, so as to hear what +the doctor had said. I had very good cause for laughing at all sorts +of oracles, yet through some unaccountable weakness I longed for that +of the doctor; I wanted, before all, to find it a propitious one. + +Laura's young daughters waited upon me at dinner; I could not manage +to swallow a mouthful, but it amused me to see the three sisters +devour my dinner at the first invitation I gave them. The eldest +sister, a very fine girl, never raised her large eyes once towards +me. The two younger ones seemed to me disposed to be amiable, but if +I looked at them it was only to feed my despair and the cruel pangs +of repentance. + +At last Laura, whom I expected anxiously, came back; she told me that +the dear patient remained in the same state of debility; the doctor +had been greatly puzzled by her extreme weakness because he did not +know to what cause to attribute it. Laura added, + +"He has ordered some restoratives and a small quantity of light +broth; if she can sleep, he answers for her life. He has likewise +desired her to have someone to watch her at night, and she +immediately pointed her finger at me, as if she wished me to +undertake that office. Now, I promise you never to leave her either +night or day, except to bring you news." + +I thanked her, assuring her that I would reward her generously. I +heard with great pleasure that her mother had paid her a visit, and +that she had no suspicion of the real state of things, for she had +lavished on her the most tender caresses. + +Feeling more at ease I gave six sequins to Laura, one to each of her +daughters, and ate something for my supper: I then laid myself down +on one of the wretched beds in the room. As soon as the two younger +sisters saw me in bed, they undressed themselves without ceremony, +and took possession of the second bed which was close by mine. Their +innocent confidence pleased me. The eldest sister, who most likely +had more practical experience, retired to the adjoining room; she had +a lover to whom she was soon to be married. This time, however, I +was not possessed with the evil spirit of concupiscence, and I +allowed innocence to sleep peacefully without attempting anything +against it. + +Early the next morning Laura was the bearer of good news. She came +in with a cheerful air to announce that the beloved patient had slept +well, and that she was going back soon to give her some soup. I felt +an almost maddening joy in listening to her, and I thought the oracle +of AEsculapius a thousand times more reliable than that of Apollo. +But it was not yet time to exult in our victory, for my poor little +friend had to recover her strength and to make up for all the blood +she had lost; that could be done only by time and careful nursing. I +remained another week at Laura's house, which I left only after my +dear C---- C---- had requested me to do so in a letter of four pages. +Laura, when I left, wept for joy in seeing herself rewarded by the +gift of all the fine linen I had bought for my C---- C----, and her +daughters were weeping likewise, most probably because, during the +ten days I had spent near them, they had not obtained a single kiss +from me. + +After my return to Venice, I resumed my usual habits; but with a +nature like mine how could I possibly remain satisfied without +positive love? My only pleasure was to receive a letter from my dear +recluse every Wednesday, who advised me to wait patiently rather than +to attempt carrying her off. Laura assured me that she had become +more lovely than ever, and I longed to see her. An opportunity of +gratifying my wishes soon offered itself, and I did not allow it to +escape. There was to be a taking of the veil--a ceremony which +always attracts a large number of persons. On those occasions the +nuns always received a great many visitors, and I thought that the +boarders were likely to be in the parlour on such an occasion. I ran +no risk of being remarked any more than any other person, for I would +mingle with the crowd. I therefore went without saying anything +about it to Laura, and without acquainting my dear little wife of my +intentions. I thought I would fall, so great was my emotion, when I +saw her within four yards from me, and looking at me as if she had +been in an ecstatic state. I thought her taller and more womanly, +and she certainly seemed to me more beautiful than before. I saw no +one but her; she never took her eyes off me, and I was the last to +leave that place which on that day struck me as being the temple of +happiness. + +Three days afterwards I received a letter from her. She painted with +such vivid colours the happiness she had felt in seeing me, that I +made up my mind to give her that pleasure as often as I could. +I answered at once that I would attend mass every Sunday at the +church of her convent. It cost me nothing: I could not see her, but +I knew that she saw me herself, and her happiness made me perfectly +happy. I had nothing to fear, for it was almost impossible that +anyone could recognize me in the church which was attended only by +the people of Muran. + +After hearing two or three masses, I used to take a gondola, the +gondolier of which could not feel any curiosity about me. Yet I kept +on my guard, for I knew that the father of C---- C---- wanted her to +forget me, and I had no doubt he would have taken her away, God knew +where if he had had the slightest suspicion of my being acquainted +with the place where he had confined her. + +Thus I was reasoning in my fear to lose all opportunity of +corresponding with my dear C---- C----, but I did not yet know the +disposition and the shrewdness of the sainted daughters of the Lord. +I did not suppose that there was anything remarkable in my person, at +least for the inmates of a convent; but I was yet a novice respecting +the curiosity of women, and particularly of unoccupied hearts; I had +soon occasion to be convinced. + +I had executed my Sunday manoeuvering only for a month or five weeks, +when my dear C---- C---- wrote me jestingly that I had become a +living enigma for all the convent, boarders and nuns, not even +excepting the old ones. They all expected me anxiously; they warned +each other of my arrival, and watched me taking the holy water. They +remarked that I never cast a glance toward the grating, behind which +were all the inmates of the convent; that I never looked at any of +the women coming in or going out of the church. The old nuns said +that I was certainly labouring under some deep sorrow, of which I had +no hope to be cured except through the protection of the Holy Virgin, +and the young ones asserted that I was either melancholy or +misanthropic. + +My dear wife, who knew better than the others, and had no occasion to +lose herself in suppositions, was much amused, and she entertained me +by sending me a faithful report of it all. I wrote to her that, if +she had any fear of my being recognized I would cease my Sunday +visits to the church. She answered that I could not impose upon her +a more cruel privation, and she entreated me to continue my visits. +I thought it would be prudent, however, to abstain from calling at +Laura's house, for fear of the chattering nuns contriving to know it, +and discovering in that manner a great deal more than I wished them +to find out. But that existence was literally consuming me by slow +degrees, and could not last long. Besides, I was made to have a +mistress, and to live happily with her. Not knowing what to do with +myself, I would gamble, and I almost invariably won; but, in spite of +that, weariness had got hold of me and I was getting thinner every +day. + +With the five thousand sequins which my partner Croce had won for me +in Padua I had followed M. Bragadin's advice. I had hired a casino +where I held a faro bank in partnership with a matador, who secured +me against the frauds of certain noblemen--tyrants, with whom a +private citizen is always sure to be in the wrong in my dear country. + +On All Saints' Day, in the year 1753, just as, after hearing mass, I +was going to step into a gondola to return to Venice, I saw a woman, +somewhat in Laura's style who, passing near me, looked at me and +dropped a letter. I picked it up, and the woman, seeing me in +possession of the epistle, quietly went on. The letter had no +address, and the seal represented a running knot. I stepped +hurriedly into the gondola, and as soon as we were in the offing I +broke the seal. I read the following words. + +"A nun, who for the last two months and a half has seen you every +Sunday in the church of her convent, wishes to become acquainted with +you. A pamphlet which you have lost, and which chance has thrown +into her hands, makes her believe that you speak French; but, if you +like it better, you can answer in Italian, because what she wants +above all is a clear and precise answer. She does not invite you to +call for her at the parlour of the convent, because, before you place +yourself under the necessity of speaking to her, she wishes you to +see her, and for that purpose she will name a lady whom you can +accompany to the parlour. That lady shall not know you and need not +therefore introduce you, in case you should not wish to be known. + +"Should you not approve of that way to become acquainted, the nun +will appoint a certain casino in Muran, in which you will find her +alone, in the evening, any night you may choose. You will then be at +liberty either to sup with her, or to retire after an interview of a +quarter of an hour, if you have any other engagements. + +"Would you rather offer her a supper in Venice? Name the night, the +hour, the place of appointment, and you will see her come out of a +gondola. Only be careful to be there alone, masked and with a +lantern. + +"I feel certain that you will answer me, and that you will guess how +impatiently I am waiting for your letter. I entreat you, therefore, +to give it to-morrow to the same woman through whom you will receive +mine! you will find her one hour before noon in the church of St. +Cancian, near the first altar on the right. + +"Recollect that, if I did not suppose you endowed with a noble soul +and a high mind, I could never have resolved on taking a step which +might give you an unfavorable opinion of my character" + +The tone of that letter, which I have copied word by word, surprised +me even more than the offer it contained. I had business to attend +to, but I gave up all engagements to lock myself in my room in order +to answer it. Such an application betokened an extravagant mind, but +there was in it a certain dignity, a singularity, which attracted me. +I had an idea that the writer might be the same nun who taught French +to C---- C----. She had represented her friend in her letters as +handsome, rich, gallant, and generous. My dear wife had, perhaps, +been guilty of some indiscretion. A thousand fancies whirled through +my brain, but I would entertain only those which were favourable to a +scheme highly pleasing to me. Besides, my young friend had informed +me that the nun who had given her French lessons was not the only one +in the convent who spoke that language. I had no reason to suppose +that, if C---- C---- had made a confidante of her friend, she would +have made a mystery of it to me. But, for all that, the nun who had +written to me might be the beautiful friend of my dear little wife, +and she might also turn out to be a different person; I felt somewhat +puzzled. Here is, however, the letter which I thought I could write +without implicating myself: + +"I answer in French, madam, in the hope that my letter will have the +clearness and the precision of which you give me the example in +yours. + +"The subject is highly interesting and of the highest importance, +considering all the circumstances. As I must answer without knowing +the person to whom I am writing, you must feel, madam, that, unless I +should possess a large dose of vanity, I must fear some +mystification, and my honour requires that I should keep on my guard. + +"If it is true that the person who has penned that letter is a +respectable woman, who renders me justice in supposing me endowed +with feeling as noble as her own, she will find, I trust, that I +could not answer in any other way than I am doing now. + +"If you have judged me worthy, madam, of the honour which you do me +by offering me your acquaintance, although your good opinion can have +been formed only from my personal appearance, I feel it my duty to +obey you, even if the result be to undeceive you by proving that I +had unwittingly led you into a mistaken appreciation of my person. + +"Of the three proposals which you so kindly made in your letter, I +dare not accept any but the first, with the restriction suggested by +your penetrating mind. I will accompany to the parlour of your +convent a lady who shall not know who I am, and, consequently, shall +have no occasion to introduce me. + +"Do not judge too severely, madam, the specious reasons which compel +me not to give you my name, and receive my word of honour that I +shall learn yours only to render you homage. If you choose to speak +to me, I will answer with the most profound respect. Permit me to +hope that you will come to the parlour alone. I may mention that I +am a Venetian, and perfectly free. + +"The only reason which prevents me from choosing one of the two other +arrangements proposed by you, either of which would have suited me +better because they greatly honour me, is, allow me to repeat it, a +fear of being the victim of a mystification; but these modes of +meeting will not be lost when you know me and when I have seen you. +I entreat you to have faith in my honour, and to measure my patience +by your own. Tomorrow, at the same place and at the same hour, I +shall be anxiously expecting your answer." + +I went to the place appointed, and having met the female Mercury I +gave her my letter with a sequin, and I told her that I would come +the next day for the answer. We were both punctual. As soon as she +saw me, she handed me back the sequin which I had given her the day +before, and a letter, requesting me to read it and to let her know +whether she was to wait for an answer. Here is the exact copy of the +letter: + +"I believe, sir, that I have not been mistaken in anything. Like +you, I detest untruth when it can lead to important consequences, but +I think it a mere trifle when it can do no injury to anyone. Of my +three proposals you have chosen the one which does the greatest +honour to your intelligence, and, respecting the reasons which induce +you to keep your incognito, I have written the enclosed to the +Countess of S----, which I request you to read. Be kind enough to +seal it before delivery of it to her. You may call upon her whenever +convenient to yourself. She will name her own hour, and you will +accompany her here in her gondola. The countess will not ask you any +questions, and you need not give her any explanation. There will be +no presentation; but as you will be made acquainted with my name, you +can afterwards call on me here, masked, whenever you please, and by +using the name of the countess. In that way we shall become +acquainted without the necessity of disturbing you, or of your losing +at night some hours which may be precious to you. I have instructed +my servant to wait for your answer in case you should be known to the +countess and object to her. If you approve of the choice I have made +of her, tell the messenger that there is no answer." + +As I was an entire stranger to the countess, I told the woman that I +had no answer to give, and she left me. + +Here are the contents of the note addressed by the nun to the +countess, and which I had to deliver to her: + +"I beg of you, my dear friend, to pay me a visit when you are at +leisure, and to let the masked gentleman-bearer of this note know the +hour, so that he can accompany you. He will be punctual. Farewell. +You will much oblige your friend." + +That letter seemed to me informed by a sublime spirit of intrigue; +there was in it an appearance of dignity which captivated me, +although I felt conscious that I was playing the character of a man +on whom a favour seemed to be bestowed. + +In her last letter, my nun, pretending not to be anxious to know who +I was, approved of my choice, and feigned indifference for nocturnal +meetings; but she seemed certain that after seeing her I would visit +her. I knew very well what to think of it all, for the intrigue was +sure to have an amorous issue. Nevertheless, her assurance, or +rather confidence, increased my curiosity, and I felt that she had +every reason to hope, if she were young and handsome. I might very +well have delayed the affair for a few days, and have learned from C- +--- C---- who that nun could be; but, besides the baseness of such a +proceeding, I was afraid of spoiling the game and repenting it +afterwards. I was told to call on the countess at my convenience, +but it was because the dignity of my nun would not allow her to shew +herself too impatient; and she certainly thought that I would myself +hasten the adventure. She seemed to me too deeply learned in +gallantry to admit the possibility of her being an inexperienced +novice, and I was afraid of wasting my time; but I made up my mind to +laugh at my own expense if I happened to meet a superannuated female. +It is very certain that if I had not been actuated by curiosity I +should not have gone one step further, but I wanted to see the +countenance of a nun who had offered to come to Venice to sup with +me. Besides, I was much surprised at the liberty enjoyed by those +sainted virgins, and at the facility with which they could escape out +of their walls. + +At three o'clock I presented myself before the countess and delivered +the note, and she expressed a wish to see me the next day at the same +hour. We dropped a beautiful reverence to one another, and parted. +She was a superior woman, already going down the hill, but still very +handsome. + +The next morning, being Sunday, I need not say that I took care to +attend mass at the convent, elegantly dressed, and already +unfaithful--at least in idea--to my dear C---- C----, for I was +thinking of being seen by the nun, young or old, rather than of +shewing myself to my charming wife. + +In the afternoon I masked myself again, and at the appointed time I +repaired to the house of the countess who was waiting for me. We +went in a two-oared gondola, and reached the convent without having +spoken of anything but the weather. When we arrived at the +gate, the countess asked for M---- M----. I was surprised by that +name, for the woman to whom it belonged was celebrated. We were +shewn into a small parlour, and a few minutes afterwards a nun came +in, went straight to the grating, touched a spring, and made four +squares of the grating revolve, which left an opening sufficiently +large to enable the two friends to embrace the ingenious window was +afterwards carefully closed. The opening was at least eighteen +inches wide, and a man of my size could easily have got through it. +The countess sat opposite the nun, and I took my seat a little on one +side so as to be able to observe quietly and at my ease one of the +most beautiful women that it was possible to see. I had no doubt +whatever of her being the person mentioned by my dear C---- C---- as +teaching her French. Admiration kept me in a sort of ecstacy, and I +never heard one word of their conversation; the beautiful nun, far +from speaking to me, did not even condescend to honour me with one +look. She was about twenty-two or twenty-three years of age, and the +shape of her face was most beautiful. Her figure was much above the +ordinary height, her complexion rather pale, her appearance noble, +full of energy, but at the same time reserved and modest; her eyes, +large and full, were of a lovely blue; her countenance was soft and +cheerful; her fine lips seemed to breathe the most heavenly +voluptuousness, and her teeth were two rows of the most brilliant +enamel. Her head-dress did not allow me to see her hair, but if she +had any I knew by the colour of her eyebrows that it was of a +beautiful light brown. Her hand and her arm, which I could see as +far as the elbow, were magnificent; the chisel of Praxiteles never +carved anything more grace fully rounded and plump, I was not sorry +to have refused the two rendezvous which had been offered to me +by the beauty, for I was sure of possessing her in a few days, and it +was a pleasure for me to lay my desires at her feet. I longed to +find myself alone with her near that grating, and I would have +considered it an insult to her if, the very next day, I had not come +to tell her how fully I rendered to her charms the justice they +deserved. She was faithful to her determination not to look at me +once, but after all I was pleased with her reserve. All at once the +two friends lowered their voices, and out of delicacy I withdrew +further. Their private conversation lasted about a quarter of an +hour, during which I pretended to be intently looking at a painting; +then they kissed one another again by the same process as at the +beginning of the interview; the nun closed the opening, turned her +back on us, and disappeared without casting one glance in my +direction. + +As we were on our way back to Venice, the countess, tired perhaps of +our silence, said to me, with a smile, + +"M---- M---- is beautiful and very witty." + +"I have seen her beauty, and I believe in her wit." + +"She did not address one word to you." + +"I had refused to be introduced to her, and she punished me by +pretending not to know that I was present." + +The countess made no answer, and we reached her house without +exchanging another word. At her door a very ceremonious curtesy, +with these words, "Adieu, sir!" warned me that I was not to go any +further. I had no wish to do so, and went away dreaming and +wondering at the singularity of the adventure, the end of which I +longed to see. + + + + +End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of MEMOIRES OF JACQUES CASANOVA +PARIS AND PRISON, Vol. 2b, VENICE by Jacques Casanova de Seingalt + |