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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.07.00*END* + + + +This etext was prepared by David Widger, <widger@cecomet.net> + + + +MEMOIRS OF JACQUES CASANOVA de SEINGALT 1725-1798 +THE ETERNAL QUEST, Volume 3c--HOLLAND AND GERMANY + + +THE RARE UNABRIDGED LONDON EDITION OF 1894 TRANSLATED BY ARTHUR +MACHEN TO WHICH HAS BEEN ADDED THE CHAPTERS DISCOVERED +BY ARTHUR SYMONS. + + + + +THE ETERNAL QUEST + + + + +HOLLAND AND GERMANY + + +CHAPTER X + +Portrait of the Pretended Countess Piccolomini--Quarrel and Duel-- +Esther and Her Father, M. D'O.--Esther Still Taken with the Cabala-- +Piccolomini Forges a Bill of Exchange: Results I Am Fleeced, and in +Danger of Being Assassinated--Debauch with the Two Paduan Girls-- +I Reveal A Great Secret To Esther--I Bate the Rascally St. Germain; +His Flight--Manon Baletti Proves Faithless to Me; Her Letter +Announcing Her Marriage: My Despair--Esther Spends a Day With Me--My +Portrait and My Letters to Manon Get Into Esther's Hands- I Pass a +Day with Her--We Talk of Marrying Each Other + + +The so-called Countess Piccolomini was a fine example of the +adventurers. She was young, tall, well-made, had eyes full of fire, +and skin of a dazzling whiteness; not, however, that natural +whiteness which delights those who know the value of a satin skin and +rose petals, but rather that artificial fairness which is commonly to +be seen at Rome on the faces of courtezans, and which disgusts those +who know how it is produced. She had also splendid teeth, glorious +hair as black as jet, and arched eyebrows like ebony. To these +advantages she added attractive manners, and there was something +intelligent about the way she spoke; but through all I saw the +adventuress peeping out, which made me detest her. + +As she did not speak anything but Italian the countess had to play +the part of a mute at table, except where an English officer named +Walpole was concerned, who, finding her to his taste, set himself to +amuse her. I felt friendly disposed towards this Englishman, though +my feelings were certainly not the result of sympathy. If I had been +blind or deaf Sir James Walpole would have been totally indifferent +to me, as what I felt for him was the result of my observation. + +Although I did not care for the countess, for all that I went up to +her room after dinner with the greater part of the guests. The count +arranged a game of whist, and Walpole played at primero with the +countess, who cheated him in a masterly manner; but though he saw it +he laughed and paid, because it suited his purpose to do so. When he +had lost fifty Louis he called quarter, and the countess asked him to +take her to the theatre. This was what the good-natured Englishman +wanted; and he and the countess went off, leaving the husband playing +whist. + +I, too, went to the play, and as chance would have it my neighbour in +the pit was Count Tot, brother to the count famous for his stay in +Constantinople. + +We had some conversation together, and he told me he had been obliged +to leave France on account of a duel which he had had with a man who +had jested with him for not being present at the battle of Minden, +saying that he had absented himself in view of the battle. The count +had proved his courage with the sword on the other's body--a rough +kind of argument which was fashionable then as now. He told me he +had no money, and I immediately put my purse at his service; but, as +the saying goes, a kindness is never thrown away, and five years +later he did the same by me at St. Petersburg. Between the acts he +happened to notice the Countess Piccolomini, and asked me if I knew +her husband. "I know him very slightly," I answered, "but we happen +to be staying at the same hotel." + +"He's a regular black sheep," said the count, "and his wife's no +better than he." + +It seemed that they had already won a reputation in the town. + +After the play I went back to the hotel by myself, and the head- +waiter told me that Piccolomini had set out hot-foot with his +servant, his only luggage being a light portmanteau. He did not know +the reason of this sudden departure, but a minute afterwards the +countess came in, and her maid having whispered something to her she +told me that the count had gone away because he had fought a duel but +that often happened. She asked me to sup with her and Walpole, and +her appetite did not seem to suffer from the absence of her spouse. + +Just as we were finishing supper, an Englishman, who had been of the +whist party, came up and told Walpole that the Italian had been +caught cheating and had given the lie to their fellow Englishman, who +had detected him, and that they had gone out together. An hour +afterwards the Englishman returned with two wounds, one on the fore- +arm and one on the shoulder. It was a trifling affair altogether. + +Next day, after I had had dinner with the Comte d'Afri, I found a +letter from Piccolomini, with an enclosure addressed to the countess, +waiting for me at the inn. He begged me to give his wife the letter, +which would inform her of his plans, and then to bring her to the +Ville de Lyon at Amsterdam, where he was staying. He wanted to know +how the Englishman whom he had wounded was getting on. + +The duty struck me as an amusing one, and I should have laughed with +all my heart if I had felt the least desire to profit by the +confidence he was pleased to place in me. Nevertheless I went up to +the countess, whom I found sitting up in bed playing with Walpole. +She read the letter, told me that she could not start till the day +following, and informed me what time she would go, as if it had been +all settled; but I smiled sardonically, and told her that my business +kept me at the Hague, and that I could not possibly escort her. When +Walpole heard me say this he offered to be my substitute, to which +she agreed. They set out the day following, intending to lie at +Leyden. + +Two days after their departure, I was sitting down to dinner with the +usual company, increased by two Frenchmen who had just come. After +the soup one of them said, coolly, + +"The famous Casanova is now in Holland." + +"Is he?" said the other, "I shall be glad to see him, and ask for an +explanation which he will not like." + +I looked at the man, and feeling certain that I had never seen him +before I began to get enraged; but I merely asked the fellow if he +knew Casanova. + +I'll ought too know him," said he, in that self-satisfied tone which +is always so unpleasant. + +"Nay, sir, you are mistaken; I am Casanova." + +Without losing his self-possession, he replied, insolently, + +"You are really very much mistaken if you think you are the only +Casanova in the world." + +It was a sharp answer, and put me in the wrong. I bit my lips and +held my tongue, but I was grievously offended, and determined to make +him find the Casanova who was in Holland, and from whom he was going +to extract an unpleasant explanation, in myself. In the meanwhile I +bore as well as I could the poor figure he must be cutting before the +officers at table, who, after hearing the insolence of this young +blockhead, might take me for a coward. He, the insolent fellow, had +no scruple in abusing the triumph his answer had given him, and +talked away in the random fashion. At last he forgot himself so far +as to ask from what country I came. + +"I am a Venetian, sir," I replied. + +"Ah! then you are a good friend to France, as your republic is under +French protection." + +At these words my ill-temper boiled aver, and, in the tone of voice +one uses to put down a puppy, I replied that the Republic of Venice +was strong enough to do without the protection of France or of any +other power, and that during the thirteen centuries of its existence +it had had many friends and allies but no protectors. "Perhaps," I +ended, "you will reply by begging my pardon for not knowing that +these was only one Venice in the world." + +I had no sooner said this than a burst of laughter from the whole +table set me right again. The young blockhead seemed taken aback and +in his turn bit his lips, but his evil genius made him, strike in +again at dessert. As usual the conversation went from one subject to +another, and we began to talk about the Duke of Albermarle. The +Englishmen spoke in his favour, and said that if he had been alive +there would have been no war between England and France; they were +probably right, but even if the duke had lived war might have broken +out, as the two nations in question have never yet succeeded in +understanding that it is for both their interests to live at peace +together. Another Englishman praised Lolotte, his mistress. I said +I had seen that charming woman at the Duchess of Fulvi's, and that no +one deserved better to become the Countess of Eronville. The Count +of Eronville, a lieutenant-general and a man of letters, had just +married her. + +I had scarcely finished what I had to say when Master Blockhead said, +with a laugh, that he knew Lolotte to be a good sort of girl, as he +had slept with her at Paris. I could restrain myself no longer; my +indignation and rage consumed me. I took up my plate, and made as if +I would throw it at his head, saying at the same time, "You infernal +liar!" He got up, and stood with his back to the fire, but I could +see by his sword-knot that he was a soldier. + +Everybody pretended not to hear anything of this, and the +conversation went on for some time on indifferent subjects; and at +last they all rose from their seats and left the room. + +My enemy said to his companion that they would see one another again +after the play, and remained by the fire, with his elbow resting on +the chimney-piece. I remained at table till the company had all left +the room, and when we were alone together I got up and looked him +straight in the face, and went out, walking towards Sheveningue, sure +that he would follow me if he were a man of any mettle. When I had +got to some distance from the hotel I looked round, and saw that he +was following me at a distance of fifty paces. + +When I got to the wood I stopped at a suitable place, and stood +awaiting my antagonist. He was ten paces off when he drew his sword, +and I had plenty of time to draw mine though he came on fast. The +fight did not last long, for as soon as he was near enough I gave him +a thrust which has never failed me, and sent him back quicker than he +came. He was wounded in the chest above the right breast, but as my +sword was flat and the opening large enough the wound bled easily. I +lowered my sword and ran up to him, but I could do nothing; he said +that we should meet again at Amsterdam, if I was going there, and +that he would have his revenge. I saw him again five or six years +afterwards at Warsaw, and then I did him a kindness. I heard +afterwards that his name was Varnier, but I do not know whether he +was identical with the president of the National Convention under the +infamous Robespierre. + +I did not return to the hotel till after the play, and I then heard +that the Frenchman, after having the surgeon with him for an hour, +had set out for Rotterdam with his friend. We had a pleasant supper +and talked cheerfully together without a word being said about the +duel, with the exception that an English lady said, I forget in what +connection, that a man of honour should never risk sitting down to +dinner at an hotel unless he felt inclined, if necessary, to fight. +The remark was very true at that time, when one had to draw the sword +for an idle word, and to expose one's self to the consequences of a +duel, or else be pointed at, even by the ladies, with the finger of +scorn. + +I had nothing more to keep me at the Hague, and I set out next +morning before day-break for Amsterdam. On the way I stopped for +dinner and recognized Sir James Walpole, who told me that he had +started from Amsterdam the evening before, an hour after giving the +countess into her husband's charge. He said that he had got very +tired of her, as he had nothing more to get from a woman who gave +more than one asked, if one's purse-strings were opened wide enough. +I got to Amsterdam about midnight and took up my abode at "The Old +Bible." The neighbourhood of Esther had awakened my love for that +charming girl, and I was so impatient to see her that I could not +sleep. + +I went out about ten o'clock and called on M. d'O , who welcomed me +in the friendliest manner and reproached me for not having alighted +at his house. When he heard that I had given up business he +congratulated me on not having removed it into Holland, as I should +have been ruined. I did not tell him that I had nearly come to that +in France, as I considered such a piece of information would not +assist my designs. He complained bitterly of the bad faith of the +French Government, which had involved him in considerable losses; and +then he asked me to come and see Esther. + +I was too impatient to embrace her to stay to be asked twice; I ran +to greet her. As soon as she saw me she gave a cry of surprise and +delight, and threw herself in my arms, where I received her with +fondness equal to her own. I found her grown and improved; she +looked lovely. We had scarcely sat down when she told me that she +had become as skilled in the cabala as myself. + +"It makes my life happy," said she, "for it gives me a power over my +father, and assures me that he will never marry me to anyone but the +man of my choice." + +"I am delighted that you extract the only good that can proceed from +this idle science, namely, the power to guide persons devoid of +strength of will. But your father must think that I taught you the +secret?" + +"Yes, he does; and he said, one day, that he would forgive me any +sacrifices I might have made to obtain this precious secret from +you." + +"He goes a little further than we did, my dearest Esther." + +"Yes, and I told him that I had gained it from you without any +sacrifice, and that now I was a true Pythoness without having to +endure the torments of the tripod; and I am sure that the replies you +gave were invented by yourself." + +"But if that were so how could I have known where the pocket-book +was, or whether the ship was safe?" + +"You saw the portfolio yourself and threw it where it was discovered, +and as for the vessel you spoke at random; but as you are an honest +man, confess that you were afraid of the results. I am never so bold +as that, and when my father asks me questions of that kind, my +replies are more obscure than a sibyl's. I don't wish him to lose +confidence in my oracle, nor do I wish him to be able to reproach me +with a loss that would injure my own interests." + +"If your mistake makes you happy I shall leave you in it. You are +really a woman of extraordinary talents--, you are quite unique." + +"I don't want your compliments," said she, in a rather vexed manner, +"I want a sincere avowal of the truth." + +"I don't think I can go as far as that." + +At these words, which I pronounced in a serious way, Esther went into +a reverie, but I was not going to lose the superiority I had over +her, and racked my brains to find some convincing prediction the +oracle might make to her, and while I was doing so dinner was +announced. + +There were four of us at table, and I concluded that the fourth of +the party must be in love with Esther, as he kept his eyes on her the +whole time. He was her father's favourite clerk, and no doubt her +father would have been glad if she had fallen in love with him, but I +soon saw that she was not likely to do so. Esther was silent all +through dinner, and we did not mention the cabala till the clerk was +gone. + +"Is it possible," said M. d'O , "for my daughter to obtain the +answers of the oracle without your having taught her?" + +"I always thought such a thing impossible till to-day," I answered, +"but Esther has convinced me that I was mistaken. I can teach the +secret to no one without losing it myself, for the oath I swore to +the sage who taught me forbids me to impart it to another under pain +of forfeiture. But as your daughter has taken no such oath, having +acquired it herself, she may be for all I know at perfect liberty to +communicate the secret to anyone." + +Esther, who was as keen as a razor, took care to say that the same +oath that I had taken had been imposed on her by the oracle, and that +she could not communicate the cabalistic secret to anyone without the +permission of her genius, under pain of losing it herself. + +I read her inmost thoughts, and was rejoiced to see that her mind was +calmed. She had reason to be grateful to me, whether I had lied or +not, for I had given her a power over her father which a father's +kindness could not have assured; but she perceived that what I had +said about her oracular abilities had been dictated merely by +politeness, and she waited till we were alone to make me confess as +much. + +Her worthy father, who believed entirely in the infallibility of our +oracles, had the curiosity to put the same question to both of us, to +see if we should agree in the answer. Esther was delighted with the +idea, as she suspected that the one answer would flatly contradict +the other, and M. d'O having written his question on two sheets of +paper gave them to us. Esther went up to her own room for the +operation, and I questioned the oracle on the table at which we had +had dinner, in the presence of the father. Esther was quick, as she +came down before I had extracted from the pyramid the letters which +were to compose my reply, but as I knew what to say as soon as I saw +her father read the answer she gave him I was not long in finishing +what I had to do. + +M. d'O---- asked if he should try to get rid of the French securities +he held in spite of the loss he would incur by selling out. + +Esther's oracle replied, + +"You must sow plentifully before you reap. Pluck not up the vine +before the season of the vintage, for your vine is planted in a +fruitful soil." + +Mine ran as follows:-- + +"If you sell out you will repent, for there will be a new +comptroller-general, who will pay all claims before another year has +elapsed." + +Esther's answer was conceived in the sibylline style, and I admired +the readiness of her wit; but mine went right to the point, and the +worthy man embraced us joyfully, and, taking his hat and stick, said +that since our replies agreed he would run the risk of losing three +million francs and make a profit of five or six hundred thousand in +the course of the year. His daughter began to recant, and would have +warned him against the danger, but he, who was as firm as a +Mussulman, kissed her again, saying, + +"The oracle is not wont to lie, and even if it does deceive me this +time it will only be a fourth part of my fortune that I shall lose." + +When Esther and I were alone I began to compliment her, much to her +delight, on the cleverness of her answer, the elegance of her style, +and her boldness, for she could not be as well acquainted with French +affairs as I was. + +"I am much obliged to you," said she, "for having confirmed my reply, +but confess that you lied to please me." + +"I confess, since that will please you, and I will even tell you that +you have nothing more to learn." + +"You are a cruel man! But how could you reply that there would be +another comptroller-general in a year's time, and run the risk of +compromising the oracle? I never dare to say things like that; I +love the oracle too well to expose it to shame and confusion." + +"That shews that I do not invent the answers; but since the oracle +has pronounced it I am willing to bet that Silhouette will be +dismissed." + +"Your obstinacy drives me to despair, for I shall not rest till I +know that I am as much a master of the cabala as you are, and yet you +will not confess that you invent the answers yourself. For charity's +sake do something to convince me of the contrary." + +"I will think it over." + +I passed the whole day with this delightful girl, whose amiable +disposition and great wealth would have made me a happy man if it +were not for my master-passion, the love of independence, and my +aversion to make up my mind to live for the rest of my days in +Holland. + +In the course of my life I have often observed that the happiest +hours are often the heralds of misfortune. The very next day my evil +genius took me to the Ville de Lyon. This was the inn where +Piccolomini and his wife were staying, and I found them there in the +midst of a horde of cheats and sharpers, like themselves. As soon as +the good people heard my name they rushed forward, some to greet me, +and others to have a closer look at me, as if I were some strange +wild beast. Amongst those present were a Chevalier de Sabi, who wore +the uniform of a Polish major, and protested he had known me at +Dresden; a Baron de Wiedan, claiming Bohemia as his fatherland, who +greeted me by saying that his friend the Comte St. Germain had +arrived at the Etoile d'Orient, and had been enquiring after me; an +attenuated-looking bravo who was introduced to me as the Chevalier de +la Perine, whom I recognized at the first glance as the fellow called +Talvis, who had robbed the Prince-Bishop of Presburg, who had lent me +a hundred Louis the same day, and with whom I had fought a duel at +Paris. Finally, there was an Italian named Neri, who looked like a +blacksmith minus his honesty, and said that he remembered seeing me +one evening at the casino. I recollected having seen him at the +place where I met the wretched Lucie. + +In the midst of this band of cut-purses I saw the so-called wife of +the pretended Chevalier de Sabi, a pretty woman from Saxony, who, +speaking Italian indifferently well, was paying her addresses to the +Countess Piccolomini. + +I bit my lips with anger to find myself in such honourable company, +but putting a good face on a bad game I greeted everybody politely, +and then drawing a roll of a hundred Louis from my pocket I presented +them to Master Perine Talvis, telling him I was glad to be able to +return them to him with my best thanks. + +My politeness did not meet with much of a reception, for the impudent +scoundrel answered me, as he pocketed the money, that he remembered +having lent it me at Presburg, but he also remembered a more +important matter. + +"And pray what is that?" said I, in a dry and half-disdainful tone. + +"You owe me a revenge at the sword's point, as you know right well. +Here is the mark of the gash you gave me seven years ago." + +So saying, the wretched little man opened his shirt and shewed the +small round scar. This scene, which belonged more to farce than +comedy, seemed to have struck all tongues with paralysis. + +"Anywhere else than in Holland, where important and delicate business +debars me from fighting, I shall be glad to meet you and mark you +again, if you still desire to cross swords with me; but while I am +here I must beg you not to disturb me. All the same, you may as well +know that I never go out without a couple of friends in my pockets, +and that if you attack me I shall blow your brains out in self- +defence" + +"My revenge must be with crossed swords," said he. "However, I will +let you finish your business." + +"You will do wisely." + +Piccolomini, who had been casting a hungry eye upon my hundred louis, +proposed immediately afterwards a bank at faro, and began to deal. +Prudence would have restrained me from playing in such company, but +the dictates of prudence were overcome by my desire to get back the +hundred louis which I had given Talvis, so I cut in. I had a run of +bad luck and lost a hundred ducats, but, as usual, my loss only +excited me. I wished to regain what I had lost, so I stayed to +supper, and afterwards, with better luck, won back my money. I was +content to stop at this, and to let the money I had paid to Talvis +go, so I asked Piccolomini to pay me, which he did with a bill of +exchange on an Amsterdam bank drawn by a firm in Middlesburg. At +first I made some difficulty in taking it, on the pretext that it +would be difficult to negotiate, but he promised to let me have the +money next day, and I had to give in. + +I made haste to leave this cut-throat place, after refusing to lend +Talvis a hundred Louis, which he wanted to borrow of me on the +strength of the revenge I owed him. He was in a bad humour, both on +this account and because he had lost the hundred Louis I had paid +him, and he allowed himself to use abusive language, which I treated +with contempt. I went to bed, promising myself never to set foot in +such a place again. + +The next morning, however, I went out with the intention of calling +on Piccolomini to get the bill of exchange cashed, but on my way I +happened to go into a coffee-house and to meet Rigerboos, Therese's +friend, whose acquaintance the reader has already made. After +greeting each other, and talking about Therese, who was now in London +and doing well, I skewed him my bill, telling him the circumstances +under which I had it. He looked at it closely, and said, + +"It's a forgery, and the original from which it was copied was +honoured yesterday." + +He saw that I could scarcely believe it, and told me to come with him +to be convinced of the truth of what he said. + +He took me to a merchant of his acquaintance, who skewed me the +genuine bill, which he had cashed the day before for an individual +who was unknown to him. In my indignation I begged Rigerboos to come +with me to Piccolomini, telling him that he might cash it without +remark, and that otherwise he would witness what happened. + +We arrived at the count's and were politely received, the count +asking me to give him the bill and he would send it to the bank to be +cashed, but Rigerboos broke in by saying that it would be +dishonoured, as it was a mere copy of a bill which had been cashed +the evening before. + +Piccolomini pretended to be greatly astonished, and said that, +"though he could not believe it, he would look into the matter." + +"You may look into it when you please," said I, "but in the mean time +I should be obliged by your giving me five hundred florins." + +"You know me, sir," said he, raising his voice, "I guarantee to pay +you, and that ought to be enough." + +"No doubt it would be enough, if I chose; but I want my money." + +At this his wife came in and began to take her part in the dispute, +and on the arrival of the count's man, a very cut-threat, Rigerboos +took hold of me by the arm and drew me forcibly away. "Follow me," +said he, when we were outside, "and let me see to this business +myself." He took me to a fine-looking man, who turned out to be the +lieutenant of police, and after he had heard the case he told me to +give him the bill of exchange and to say where I was going to dine. +I told him I should be at M. d'O 's, and saying that would do he went +off. I thanked Rigerboos, and went to Esther, who reproached me +tenderly for not having been to see her the evening before. That +flattered me, and I thought her a really charming girl. + +"I must take care," said I, "not to see you every day, for your eyes +have a sway over me that I shall not be able to resist much longer." + +"I shall believe as much of that as I choose, but, by-the-by, have +you thought of any way of convincing me?" + +"What do you want to be convinced about?" + +"If it be true that there is in your cabala an intelligence distinct +from your own you ought to be able to find some way of proving it to +me." + +"That is a happy thought; I will think it over." + +At that moment her father came in from the Exchange, and we sat dawn +to dinner. + +We were at dessert when a police official brought me five hundred +florins, for which I gave him a receipt. + +When he had gone I told my entertainers what had happened the evening +before and in the morning, and the fair Esther reproached me for +preferring such bad company to her. "By way of punishment," said +she, "I hope you will come with me to the theatre this evening, +though they are going to give a Dutch play, of which you will not +understand a word." + +"I shall be near you, and that is enough for me:" + +In fact, I did not comprehend a word of the actors' gibberish, and +was terribly bored, as Esther preserved a solemn and serious silence +the whole time. + +As we were coming from the theatre she told me all about the piece +with charming grace and wonderful memory; she seemed to wish to give +me some pleasure in return for the tedium to which she had condemned +me. When we got home we had supper, and that evening, Heaven be +thanked! I heard nothing more about the cabala. Before we parted, +Esther and her father made me promise to dine with them every day, +and to let them know if anything prevented my coming. + +Next morning, about eight o'clock, while I was still dressing, I +suddenly saw Piccolomini standing before me, and as he had not sent +in his name I began to feel suspicious. I rang the bell for my +faithful Spaniard, who came in directly. + +"I want to speak to you privately," said he, "tell that fellow to go +out." + +"He can stay," I answered, "he does not know a word of Italian." Le +Duc, of course, knew Italian perfectly well. + +"Yesterday, about noon," he began, "two men came into my room. They +were accompanied by the innkeeper, who served as interpreter. One of +the men asked me if I felt inclined to cash there and then a forged +bill of exchange, which I had given the night before, and which he +held in his hands. As I gave no reply, he told me that there was no +time for consideration or argument; I must say yes or no there and +then, for such were their instructions from the chief of police. I +had no choice in the matter, so I paid the five hundred florins, but +I did not get back the bill, and the man told me I could not have it +unless I told the police the name of the person from whom I got it, +as, in the interests of commerce, the forger must be prosecuted. My +reply was that I could not possibly tell them what they wanted, as I +had got it of a stranger who had come into my room while I was +holding a small bank of faro, to pass the time. + +"I told him that after this person (who I had thought introduced by +someone in the company) had gone, I found to my surprise that nobody +knew him; and I added that if I had been aware of this I would not +only have refused the bill but would not have allowed him to play. +Thereupon the second policeman said that I had better find out who +this person was, or else I should be considered as the forger and +prosecuted accordingly; after this threat they went out. + +"In the afternoon my wife called on the chief of police and was +politely received, but after hearing what she had to say he informed +her that she must find out the forger, since M. Casanova's honour +might be endangered by the banker taking proceedings against him, in +which case he would have to prosecute me. + +"You see in what a difficult position we are placed, and I think you +ought to try to help us. You have got your money and you are not +without friends. Get their influence exerted in the matter, and we +shall hear no more about it. Your interests as well as mine are +concerned." + +"Except as a witness of the fact," I answered, "I can have nothing to +do with this affair. You agree that I received the bill from you, +since you cashed it; that is enough for me. I should be glad to be +of service to you, but I really don't see what I can do. The best +advice I can give you is to make a sacrifice of the rascally sharper +who gave you the forged bill, and if you can't do that I would +counsel you to disappear, and the sooner the better, or else you may +come to the galleys, or worse." + +He got into a rage at this, and turning his back on me went out, +saying I should be sorry for what I had said. + +My Spaniard followed him down the stair and came back to tell me that +the signor had gone off threatening vengeance, and that, in his +opinion, I would do well to be on my guard. + +"All right," said I, "say no more about it." + +All the same I was really very grateful for his advice, and I gave +the matter a good deal of thought. + +I dressed myself and went to see Esther, whom I had to convince of +the divinity of my oracle, a different task with one whose own wits +had told her so much concerning my methods. This was the problem she +gave me to solve, + +"Your oracle must tell me something which I, and only I, know." + +Feeling that it would be impossible to fulfil these conditions, I +told her that the oracle might reveal some secret she might not care +to have disclosed. + +"That is impossible," she answered, "as the secret will be known only +to myself." + +"But, if the oracle replies I shall know the answer as well as you, +and it may be something you would not like me to know." + +"There is no such thing, and, even if there were, if the oracle is +not your own brain you can always find out anything you want to +know." + +"But there is some limit to the powers of the oracle." + +"You are making idle excuses; either prove that I am mistaken in my +ideas or acknowledge that my oracle is as good as yours." + +This was pushing me hard, and I was on the point of declaring myself +conquered when a bright idea struck me. + +In the midst of the dimple which added such a charm to her chin +Esther had a little dark mole, garnished with three or four extremely +fine hairs. These moles, which we call in Italian 'neo, nei', and +which are usually an improvement to the prettiest face, when they +occur on the face, the neck, the arms, or the hands, are duplicated +on the corresponding parts of the body. I concluded, therefore, that +Esther had a mole like that on her chin in a certain place which a +virtuous girl does not shew ; and innocent as she was I suspected +that she herself did not know of this second mole's existence. "I +shall astonish her," I said to myself, "and establish my superiority +in a manner which will put the idea of having equal skill to mine out +of her head for good." Then with the solemn and far-away look of a +seer I made my pyramid and extracted these words from it, + +"Fair and discreet Esther, no one knows that at the entrance of the +temple of love you have a mole precisely like that which appears on +your chin." + +While I was working at my calculations, Esther was leaning over me +and following every movement. As she really knew as much about the +cabala as I did she did not want it to be explained to her, but +translated the numbers into letters as I wrote them down. As soon as +I had extracted all the combinations of numbers from the pyramid she +said, quietly, that as I did not want to know the answer, she would +be much obliged if I would let her translate the cypher. + +"With pleasure," I replied. "And I shall do so all the more +willingly as I shall thereby save your delicacy from sharing with me +a secret which may or may not be agreeable. I promise you not to try +to find it out. It is enough for me to see you convinced." + +"I shall be convinced when I have verified the truth of the reply." + +"Are you persuaded, dearest Esther, that I have had nothing to do +with framing this answer?" + +"I shall he quite sure of it if it has spoken the truth, and if so +the oracle will have conquered, for the matter is so secret a one +that even I do not know of it. You need not know yourself, as it is +only a trifle which would not interest you; but it will be enough to +convince me that the answers of your oracle are dictated by an +intelligence which has nothing in common with yours." + +There was so much candour and frankness in what she said that a +feeling of shame replaced the desire of deceiving her, and I shed +some tears, which Esther could only interpret favourably to me. +Nevertheless, they were tears of remorse, and now, as I write after +such a lapse of years, I still regret having deceived one so worthy +of my esteem and love. Even then I reproached myself, but a pitiable +feeling of shame would not let me tell the truth; but I hated myself +for thus leading astray one whose esteem I desired to gain. + +In the mean time I was not absolutely sure that I had hit the mark, +for in nature, like everything else, every law has its exceptions, +and I might possibly have dug a pitfall for myself. On the other +hand, if I were right, Esther would no doubt be convinced for the +moment, but her belief would speedily disappear if she chanced to +discover that the correspondence of moles on the human body was a +necessary law of nature. In that case I could only anticipate her +scorn. But however I might tremble I had carried the deception too +far, and could not draw back. + +I left Esther to call on Rigerboos, whom I thanked for his offices on +my behalf with the chief of the police. He told me that I had +nothing to fear from Piccolomini in Holland, but all the same he +advised me not to go about without pistols. "I am on the eve of +embarking for Batavia," said he, "in a vessel which I have laden with +the ruins of my fortune. In the state my affairs are in I thought +this the best plan. I have not insured the cargo, so as not diminish +my profits, which will be considerable if I succeed. If the ship is +taken or wrecked I shall take care not to survive its loss; and after +all I shall not lose much." + +Poor Riberboos said all this as if he were jesting, but despair had +no doubt a good deal to do with his resolve, since it is only in +great misery that we despise both life and fortune. The charming +Therese Trenti, whom Rigerboos always spoke of as Our Lady, had +contributed to his ruin in no small degree. She was then in London, +where, by her own account, she was doing well. She had exchanged the +name of Trenti for that of Cornelis, or Cornely, which, as I found +out afterwards, was Rigerboo's real name. We spent an hour in +writing to this curious woman, as we desired to take advantage of the +circumstance that a man whom Rigerboos desired to commend to her was +shortly going to England. When we had finished we went sleighing on +the Amstel, which had been frozen over for several days. This +diversion, of which the Dutch are very fond, is, to my thinking, the +dullest imaginable, for an objectless journey is no pleasure to me. +After we were well frozen we went to eat oysters, with Sillery, to +warm ourselves again, and after that we went from one casino to +another, not intending to commit any debauchery, but for want of +something better to do; but it seemed decreed that whenever I +preferred any amusement of this kind to the charms of Esther's +society I should come to grief. + +I do not know how it happened, but as we were going into one of these +casinos Rigerboos called me loudly by my name, and at that instant a +woman, such as one usually finds in these places, came forward and +began to gaze at me. Although the room was ill enough lighted I saw +it was the wretched Lucie, whom I had met a year before without her +recognizing me. I turned away, pretending not to know her, for the +sight of her was disagreeable to me, but in a sad voice she called me +by my name, congratulating me on my prosperity and bewailing her own +wretchedness. I saw that I could neither avoid her nor repulse her +without inhumanity, so I called to Rigerboos to come upstairs and the +girl would divert us by recounting the history of her life. + +Strictly speaking, Lucie had not become ugly; one could still see +that she had been a beautiful woman; but for all that her appearance +inspired me with terror and disgust. Since the days when I had known +her at Pasean, nineteen years of misery, profligacy, and shame had +made her the most debased, the vilest creature that can be imagined. +She told us her story at great length; the pith of it might be +expressed in six lines. + +The footman who had seduced her had taken her to Trieste to lie in, +and the scoundrel lived on the sale of her charms for five or six +months, and then a sea captain, who had taken a fancy to her, took +her to Zante with the footman, who passed for her husband. + +At Zante the footman turned soldier, and deserted the army four years +after. She was left alone and continued living on the wages of +prostitution for six years; but the goods she had to offer lowering +in value, and her customers being of the inferior kind, she set out +for England with a young Greek girl, whom an English officer of +marines treated as his wife, and whom he abandoned in the streets of +London when he got tired of her. After living for two or three years +in the vilest haunts in London, Lucie came to Holland, where, not +being able to sell her own person any longer, she became a procuress +--a natural ending to her career. Lucie was only thirty-three, but +she was the wreck of a woman, and women are always as old as they +look. + +While she told her history she emptied two bottles of Burgundy I had +ordered, and which neither I nor my friend touched. Finally, she +told us she was now supported by two pretty girls whom she kept, and +who had to give her the half of what they got. + +Rigerboos asked her, jokingly, if the girls were at the casino. + +"No," said she, "they are not here, and shall never come here, for +they are ladies of high birth, and their uncle, who looks after their +interests, is a Venetian gentleman." + +At this I could not keep back my laughter, but Lucie, without losing +countenance, told me that she could only repeat the account they had +given of themselves, that if we wanted to be convinced we had only to +go and see them at a house she rented fifty paces off, and that we +need not be afraid of being disturbed if we went, as their uncle +lived in a different part of the town. + +"Oh, indeed!" said I, "he does not live with his highborn nieces, +then?" + +"No, he only comes to dinner to hear how business has been going, and +to take all the money from them." + +"Come along," said Rigerboos, "we will go and see them." + +As I was desirous of seeing and addressing the noble Venetian ladies +of so honourable a profession, I told Lucie to take us to the house. +I knew very well that the girls were impostors, and their gentleman- +uncle a blackguard; but the die was cast. + +We found them to be young and pretty. Lucie introduced me as a +Venetian, and they were beside themselves with joy to have someone to +whom they could talk. I found out directly that they came from +Padua, not Venice, as they spoke the Paduan dialect, which I knew +very well. I told them so, and they confessed it was the truth. I +asked the name of their uncle, but they said they could not tell me. + +"We can get on without knowing," said Rigerboos, catching hold of the +one he liked best. Lucie brought in some ham, oysters, a pie, and a +good many bottles of wine, and then left us. + +I was not in the humour for wantonness, but Rigerboos was disposed to +be merry; his sweetheart was at first inclined to be prudish on his +taking liberties with her, but as I began to follow his example the +ladies relaxed their severity; we went first to one and then the +other, and before long they were both in the state of Eve before she +used the fig-leaf. + +After passing an hour in these lascivious combats we gave each of the +girls four ducats, paid for the provisions we had consumed, and sent +six Louis to Lucie. We then left them, I going to bed cross with +myself for having engaged in such brutal pleasures. + +Next morning I awoke late and in a bad humour, partly from the +debauch of the night before (for profligacy depresses as well as +degrades the mind) and partly from the thought that I had neglected +Esther, who had unquestionably been grieved by my absence. I felt +that I must hasten to reassure her, feeling certain that I should +find some excuses to make, and that they would be well received. I +rang for Le Duc, put on my dressing-gown, and sent him for my coffee. +He had scarcely left the room when the door opened and I saw Perine +and the fellow named Wiedan, whom I had seen at Piccolomini's, and +who styled himself a friend of St. Germain. I was sitting on my bed, +putting on my stockings. My apartments consisted of three fine +rooms, but they were at the back of the house, and all the noise I +could have made would not have been heard. The bell was on the other +side of the room; Le Duc would be gone fully ten minutes, and I was +in imminent danger of being assassinated without the possibility of +self-defence. + +The above thoughts flashed through my head with lightning speed, and +all that I could do was to keep calm and say, + +"Well, gentlemen, what can I do for you?" Wiedan took upon himself to +answer me. + +"Count Piccolomini has found himself forced to declare that he +received the forged bill from us, in order that he may escape from +the difficult position in which your denunciation placed him. He has +warned us that he is going to do so, and we must escape forthwith if +we want to avoid prosecution. We have not a penny; we are desperate +men." + +"Well, gentlemen, what have I to do with that?" + +"Give us four hundred florins immediately; we do not want more, but +we must have that much, and now. If you refuse we will take to +flight with everything of yours that we can lay our hands on; and our +arguments are these." + +With this, each man drew a pistol from his pocket and aimed it at my +head. + +"You need not have recourse to violence," said I, "it can only be +fatal to you. Stay, here are a hundred ducats more than you asked. +Begone, and I wish you a pleasant journey, but I would not be here +when my servant comes back if I were you." + +Wiedan took the roll of money with a trembling hand and put it in his +pocket without examining it; but Perine came up, and praising my +noble generosity, would have put his arms around my neck and kissed +me. I repulsed him, but without rudeness, and they went their ways, +leaving me very glad to have rid myself of them at so cheap a rate. + +As soon as I was out of this snare I rang my bell, not to have them +followed but that I might get dressed as quickly as possible. I did +not say a word to Le Duc about what had happened, I was silent even +to my landlord; and, after I had sent my Spaniard to M. d'O to excuse +my dining there that day, I went to the chief of police, but had to +wait two hours before I could see him. As soon as the worthy man had +heard my account of my misfortune he said he would do his best to +catch the two rascals, but he did not conceal from me his fears that +it was already too late. + +I took the opportunity of telling him of Piccolomini's visit to me, +his claims and threats. He thanked me for doing so, and promised to +see to it; but he advised me for the future to be on my guard and +ready to defend myself in case I was attacked before he could place +my enemies in a place where they could do me no harm. + +I hastened home again, as I felt ill. An acid taste in my mouth +skewed me how all these shocks had upset me; but I knew what to do. +I took a strong glass of lemonade, which made me bring up a good deal +of bile, and I then felt much better. + +Towards evening I went to see Esther, and found her looking serious +and rather vexed; but as soon as she saw how pale I was her face +lighted up, and she asked me, in a voice of tenderest interest, if I +had been ill. I told her I had been out of sorts, that I had taken +some medicine, and that I now felt better. + +"You will see my appetite at supper," added I, to calm her fears, "I +have had nothing to eat since dinner yesterday." + +This was really the truth, as I had only eaten a few oysters with the +Paduan girls. + +She could scarcely contain her joy at my recovery, and bade me kiss +her, with which request I complied gladly, all unworthy though I felt +of so great a favour. + +"I am going to tell you an important piece of news," said she, "and +that is that I am sure that you do not invent the answers to your +oracle, or at least that you only do so when you choose. The reply +you procured me was wonderful-nay, divine, for it told me of a secret +unknown to all, even to myself. You may imagine my surprise when I +convinced myself, with no little trouble of the truth of the answer. + +"You possess a treasure, your oracle is infallible; but surely it can +never lie, and my oracle tells me that you love me. It makes me glad +to know that, for you are the man of my heart. But I want you to +give me an exemplary proof of your love, and if you do love me you +will not hesitate to do so. Stay, read the reply you got me; I am +sure you do not know what it says; then I will tell you how you can +make me quite happy." + +I pretended to read, and kissed the words which declared I loved her. +"I am delighted," said I, "that the oracle has convinced you so +easily, but I must be excused if I say that I believe you knew as +much long ago." She replied, blushing, that if it were possible to +chew me the object in question I should not wonder at her ignorance. +Then, coming to the proof of my love, she told me that she wanted me +to communicate the secret to her. "You love me," said she, "and you +ought to make no difficulty in assuring the bliss of a girl who will +be your wife, and in your power. My father will agree to our +marriage, and when I become your wife I will do whatever you please. +We will even go and live in another country if that would add to your +happiness. But you must teach me how to obtain the answer to any +question without inventing it myself." + +I took Esther's hands in mine; she inspired me with the tenderest +feelings, and I kissed her hands with respectful fervour, saying, +"You know, Esther, dear, that my word is passed at Paris. Certainly, +Manon is not to be compared to you; but for all that I gave my +promise to her poor mother, and I must keep it." + +A sigh escaped from Esther, and her head fell upon her breast: but +what could I do? I could not teach her any other way of consulting +the oracle than the method she understood as well as I: my +superiority over her only consisting in my greater craft and more +extensive experience. + +Early one morning, two or three days later, a man was announced as +wanting to see me. He called himself an officer, but his name was +perfectly unknown to me. I sent down to say that I could not see +him, and as soon as my Spaniard went out I locked my door. What had +happened already had made me suspicious, and I did not care to see +any more gentlemen alone. The two scoundrels who had robbed me had +eluded all the snares of the police, and Piccolomini was not to be +found; but I knew a good many of the gang were still in Amsterdam, +and I thought it well to be on my guard. + +Some time after, Le Duc came in with a letter written in bad Italian, +saying that it had been given him by an officer who was waiting for +an answer. I opened it, and recognized the name I had heard a short +while ago. The writer said we knew each other, but that he could +only give his true name with his own lips, and that he had important +information to give me. + +I told Le Duc to shew him in, and to stay by the door. I saw enter a +well-made man of about forty, dressed in the uniform of an officer of +I do not know what army, and bearing on his countenance all the marks +of an escaped gallows'-bird. + +"What can I do for you, sir?" said I, as soon as he entered. + +"Sir, we knew each other at Cerigo, sixteen or seventeen years ago, +and I am delighted to have an opportunity of renewing the +acquaintance." + +I knew that I had spent but a few minutes at Cerigo, on my way to +Constantinople, and concluded that my visitor must be one of the +unfortunate wretches to whom I gave alms. + +"Are you the man," I said, "who told me that you were the son of a +Count Peccini, of Padua, although there is no such count in Padua at +all?" + +"I congratulate you on your excellent memory," said he, coolly, "I am +that very individual." + +"Well, what do you want with me now?" + +"I can't divulge my business in the presence of your servant." + +"My servant does not understand Italian, so you can speak out; +however, if you like, I will send him away." + +I ordered Le Duc to stay in the ante-chamber, and when he had left +the room my Paduan count told me that I had been with his nieces, and +had treated them as if they were courtezans, and that he was come to +demand satisfaction. + +I was tired of being cheated, and I took hold of my pistols and +pointed them at him, bidding him be gone instantly. Le Duc came in +and the third robber took himself off, muttering that "a time would +come." + +I was placed in a disagreeable position; if I wanted to prosecute, I +should have to tell the whole story to the police. I thought of my +honour and determined to be silent, and the only person to whom I +mentioned the matter was Rigerboos, who not being in the same +position as myself took his measures, the result of which was that +Lucie had to send her high-born dames about their business. But the +wretched woman came to me to say that this misfortune had plunged her +into the deepest distress, so I made her a present of a few ducats, +and she went away somewhat consoled. I begged her not to call on me +again. + +Everything I did when I was away from Esther seemed to turn out ill, +and I felt that if I wanted to be happy I should do well to keep near +her; but my destiny, or rather my inconstancy, drew me away. + +Three days afterwards, the villainous Major Sabi called on me to warn +me to be on my guard, as, according to his account, a Venetian +officer I had insulted and refused to give satisfaction to had vowed +vengeance against me. + +"Then," said I, "I shall have him arrested as an escaped galley +slave, in which character I have given him alms, and for wearing +without the right to do so the uniform of an officer, thereby +disgracing the whole army. And pray what outrage can I have +committed against girls who live in a brothel, and whom I have paid +according to their deserts?" + +"If what you say is true you are quite right, but this poor devil is +in a desperate situation; he wants to leave the country, and does not +possess a single florin. I advise you to give him an alms once more, +and you will have done with him. Two score florins will not make you +any the poorer, and will rid you of a villainous enemy." + +"A most villainous one, I think." At last I agreed to give him the +forty florins, and I handed them to him in a coffee-house where the +major told me I should find him. The reader will see how I met this +blackguard four months later. + +Now, when all these troubles have been long over and I can think over +them calmly, reflecting on the annoyances I experienced at Amsterdam, +where I might have been so happy, I am forced to admit that we +ourselves are the authors of almost all our woes and griefs, of which +we so unreasonably complain. If I could live my life over again, +should I be wiser? Perhaps; but then I should not be myself. + +M. d'O---- asked me to sup with him at the Burgomasters' Lodge, and +this was a great distinction, for, contrary to the rules of +Freemasonry, no one but the twenty-four members who compose the lodge +is admitted, and these twenty-four masons were the richest men on the +Exchange. + +"I have told them that you are coming," said M. d'O----, "and to +welcome you more honourably the lodge will be opened in French." In +short, these gentlemen gave me the most distinguished reception, and +I had the fortune to make myself so agreeable to them that I was +unanimously chosen an honorary member during the time I should stay +at Amsterdam. As we were going away, M. d'O---- told me that I had +supped with a company which represented a capital of three hundred +millions. + +Next day the worthy Dutchman begged me to oblige him by answering a +question to which his daughter's oracle had replied in a very obscure +manner. Esther encouraged me, and I asked what the question was. It +ran as follows: + +"I wish to know whether the individual who desires me and my company +to transact a matter of the greatest importance is really a friend of +the King of France?" + +It was not difficult for me to divine that the Comte de St. Germain +was meant. M. d'O was not aware that I knew him, and I had not +forgotten what M. d'Afri had told me. + +"Here's a fine opportunity," thought I, "for covering my oracle with +glory, and giving my fair Esther something to think about." + +I set to work, and after erecting my pyramid and placing above the +four keys the letters O, S, A, D, the better to impose on Esther, I +extracted the reply, beginning with the fourth key, D. The oracle +ran as follows: + +"The friend disavows. The order is signed. They grant. They +refuse. All vanishes. Delay." + +I pretended to think the reply a very obscure one, but Esther gave a +cry of astonishment and declared that it gave a lot of information in +an extraordinary style. M. d'O----, in an ecstasy of delight, +exclaimed, + +"The reply is clear enough for me. The oracle is divine; the word +'delay' is addressed to me. You and my daughter are clever enough in +making the oracle speak, but I am more skilled than you in the +interpretation thereof. I shall prevent the thing going any further. +The project is no less a one than to lend a hundred millions, taking +in pledge the diamonds of the French crown. The king wishes the loan +to be concluded without the interference of his ministers and without +their even knowing anything about it. I entreat you not to mention +the matter to anyone." + +He then went out. + +"Now," said Esther, when we were by ourselves, "I am quite sure that +that reply came from another intelligence than yours. In the name of +all you hold sacred, tell me the meaning of those four letters, and +why you usually omit them." + +"I omit them, dearest Esther, because experience has taught me that +in ordinary cases they are unnecessary; but while I was making the +pyramid the command came to me to set them down, and I thought it +well to obey." + +"What do they mean?" + +"They are the initial letters of the holy names of the cardinal +intelligences of the four quarters of the world." + +"I may not tell you, but whoever deals with the oracle should know +them." + +"Ah! do not deceive me; I trust in you, and it would be worse than +murder to abuse so simple a faith as mine." + +"I am not deceiving you, dearest Esther." + +"But if you were to teach me the cabala, you would impart to me these +holy names?" + +"Certainly, but I cannot reveal them except to my successor. If I +violate this command I should lose my knowledge; and this condition +is well calculated to insure secrecy, is it not?" + +"It is, indeed. Unhappy that I am, your successor will be, of +course, Manon." + +"No, Manon is not fitted intellectually for such knowledge as this." + +"But you should fix on someone, for you are mortal after all. If you +like, my father would give you the half of his immense fortune +without your marrying me." + +"Esther! what is it that you have said? Do you think that to +possess you would be a disagreeable condition in my eyes?" + +After a happy day--I think I may call it the happiest of my life--I +left the too charming Esther, and went home towards the evening. + +Three or four days after, M. d'O---- came into Esther's room, where +he found us both calculating pyramids. I was teaching her to double, +to triple, and to quadruple the cabalistic combinations. M. d'O---- +strode into the room in a great hurry, striking his breast in a sort +of ecstasy. We were surprised and almost frightened to see him so +strangely excited, and rose to meet him, but he running up to us +almost forced us to embrace him, which we did willingly. + +"But what is the matter, papa dear?" said Esther, "you surprise me +more than I can say." + +"Sit down beside me, my dear children, and listen to your father and +your best friend. I have just received a letter from one of the +secretaries of their high mightinesses informing me that the French +ambassador has demanded, in the name of the king his master, that the +Comte St. Germain should be delivered over, and that the Dutch +authorities have answered that His Most Christian Majesty's requests +shall be carried out as soon as the person of the count can be +secured. In consequence of this the police, knowing that the Comte +St. Germain was staying at the Etoile d'Orient, sent to arrest him at +midnight, but the bird had flown. The landlord declared that the +count had posted off at nightfall, taking the way to Nimeguen. He +has been followed, but there are small hopes of catching him up. + +"It is not known how he can have discovered that a warrant existed +against him, or how he continued to evade arrest." + +"It is not known;" went an M. d'O----, laughing, "but everyone +guesses that M. Calcoen, the same that wrote to me, let this friend +of the French king's know that he would be wanted at midnight, and +that if he did not get the key of the fields he would be arrested. +He is not so foolish as to despise a piece of advice like that. The +Dutch Government has expressed its sorrow to M. d'Afri that his +excellence did not demand the arrest of St. Germain sooner, and the +ambassador will not be astonished at this reply, as it is like many +others given on similar occasions. + +"The wisdom of the oracle has been verified, and I congratulate +myself on having seized its meaning, for we were on the point of +giving him a hundred thousand florins on account, which he said he +must have immediately. He gave us in pledge the finest of the crown +diamonds, and this we still retain. But we will return it to him an +demand, unless it is claimed by the ambassador. I have never seen a +finer stone. + +"And now, my children, you see what I owe to the oracle. On the +Exchange the whole company can do nothing but express their gratitude +to me. I am regarded as the most prudent and most farseeing man in +Holland. To you, my dear children, I owe this honour, but I wear my +peacock's feathers without scruple. + +"My dear Casanova, you will dine with us, I hope. After dinner I +shall beg you to enquire of your inscrutable intelligence whether we +ought to declare ourselves in possession of the splendid diamond, or +to observe secrecy till it is reclaimed." + +After this discourse papa embraced us once more and left us. + +"Sweetheart," said Esther, throwing her arms round my neck, "you have +an opportunity for giving me a strong proof of your friendship. It +will cost you nothing, but it will cover me with honour and +happiness." + +"Command me, and it shall be done. You cannot think that I would +refuse you a favour which is to cost me nothing, when I should deem +myself happy to shed my blood for your sake." + +"My father wishes you to tell him after dinner whether it will be +better to declare that they have the diamond or to keep silence till +it is claimed. When he asks you a second time, tell him to seek the +answer of me, and offer to consult the oracle also, in case my answer +may be too obscure. Then perform the operation, and I will make my +father love me all the better, when he sees that my knowledge is +equal to yours." + +"Dearest one, would I not do for thee a task a thousand times more +difficult than this to prove my love and my devotion? Let us set to +work. Do you write the question, set up the pyramids, and inscribe +with your own hand the all-powerful initials. Good. Now begin to +extract the answer by means of the divine key. Never was a cleverer +pupil!" + +When all this had been done, I suggested the additions and +subtractions I wanted made, and she was quite astonished to read the +following reply: "Silence necessary. Without silence, general +derision. Diamond valueless; mere paste." + +I thought she would have gone wild with delight. She laughed and +laughed again. + +"What an amazing reply!" said she. "The diamond is false, and it is +I who am about to reveal their folly to them. I shall inform my +father of this important secret. It is too much, it overwhelms me; I +can scarcely contain myself for joy! How much I owe you, you +wonderful and delightful man! They will verify the truth of the +oracle immediately, and when it is found that the famous diamond is +but glittering paste the company will adore my father, for it will +feel that but for him it would have been covered with shame, by +avowing itself the dupe of a sharper. Will you leave the pyramid +with me?" + +"Certainly; but it will not teach you anything you do not know." The +father came in again and we had dinner, and after the dessert, when +the worthy d 'O---- learnt from his daughter's oracle that the stone +was false, the scene became a truly comical one. He burst into +exclamations of astonishment, declared the thing impossible, +incredible, and at last begged me to ask the same question, as he was +quite sure that his daughter was mistaken, or rather that the oracle +was deluding her. + +I set to work, and was not long in obtaining my answer. When he saw +that it was to the same effect as Esther's, though differently +expressed, he had no longer any doubts as to his daughter's skill, +and hastened to go and test the pretended diamond, and to advise his +associates to say nothing about the matter after they had received +proofs of the worthlessness of the stone. This advice was, as it +happened, useless; for though the persons concerned said nothing, +everybody knew about it, and people said, with their usual malice, +that the dupes had been duped most thoroughly, and that St. Germain +had pocketed the hundred thousand florins; but this was not the case. + +Esther was very proud of her success, but instead of being satisfied +with what she had done, she desired more fervently every day to +possess the science in its entirety, as she supposed I possessed it. + +It soon became known that St. Germain had gone by Emden and had +embarked for England, where he had arrived in safety. In due time we +shall hear some further details concerning this celebrated impostor; +and in the meanwhile I must relate a catastrophe of another kind, +which was near to have made me die the death of a fool. + +It was Christmas Day. I had got up early in the morning in better +spirits than usual. The old women tell you that always presages +misfortune, but I was as far then as I am now from making my +happiness into an omen of grief. But this time chance made the +foolish belief of good effect. I received a letter and a large +packet from Paris; they came from Manon. I opened the letter and I +thought I should have died of grief when I read,-- + +"Be wise, and receive the news I give you calmly. The packet +contains your portrait and all the letters you have written to me. +Return me my portrait, and if you have kept my letters be kind enough +to burn them. I rely on your honour. Think of me no more. Duty +bids me do all I can to forget you, for at this hour to-morrow I +shall become the wife of M. Blondel of the Royal Academy, architect +to the king. Please do not seem as if you knew me if we chance to +meet on your return to Paris." + +This letter struck me dumb with astonishment, and for more than two +hours after I read it I was, as it were, bereft of my senses. I sent +word to M. d'O---- that, not feeling well, I was going to keep my +room all day. When I felt a little better I opened the packet. The +first thing to fall out was my portrait. I looked at it, and such +was the perturbation of my mind, that, though the miniature really +represented me as of a cheerful and animated expression, I thought I +beheld a dreadful and a threatening visage. I went to my desk and +wrote and tore up a score of letters in which I overwhelmed the +faithless one with threats and reproaches. + +I could bear no more; the forces of nature were exhausted, and I was +obliged to lie down and take a little broth, and court that sleep +which refused to come. A thousand designs came to my disordered +imagination. I rejected them one by one, only to devise new ones. I +would slay this Blondel, who had carried off a woman who was mine and +mine only; who was all but my wife. Her treachery should be punished +by her losing the object for whom she had deserted me. I accused her +father, I cursed her brother for having left me in ignorance of the +insult which had so traitorously been put upon me. + +I spent the day and night in these delirious thoughts, and in the +morning, feeling worse than ever, I sent to M. d'O---- to say that I +could not possibly leave my room. Then I began to read and re-read +the letters I had written to Manon, calling upon her name in a sort +of frenzy; and again set myself to write to her without finishing a +single letter. The emptiness of my stomach and the shock I had +undergone began to stupefy me, and for a few moments I forgot my +anguish only to re-awaken to acuter pains soon after. + +About three o'clock, the worthy M. d'O---- came to invite me to go +with him to the Hague, where the chief masons of Holland met on the +day following to keep the Feast of St. John, but when he saw my +condition he did not press me to come. + +"What is the matter with you, my dear Casanova?" said he. + +"I have had a great grief, but let us say no more about it." + +He begged me to come and see Esther, and left me looking almost as +downcast as I was. However, the next morning Esther anticipated my +visit, for at nine o'clock she and her governess came into the room. +The sight of her did me good. She was astonished to see me so undone +and cast down, and asked me what was the grief of which I had spoken +to her father, and which had proved too strong for my philosophy. + +"Sit down beside me, Esther dear, and allow me to make a mystery of +what has affected me so grievously. Time, the mighty healer, and +still more your company, will effect a cure which I should in vain +seek by appealing to my reason. Whilst we talk of other things I +shall not feel the misfortune which gnaws at my heart." + +"Well, get up, dress yourself, and come and spend the day with me, +and I will do my best to make you forget your sorrow." + +"I feel very weak; for the last three days I have only taken a little +broth and chocolate." + +At these words her face fell, and she began to weep. + +After a moment's silence she went to my desk, took a pen, and wrote a +few lines, which she brought to me. They were,-- + +"Dear, if a large sum of money, beyond what my father owes you, can +remove or even soothe your grief I can be your doctor, and you ought +to know that your accepting my treatment would make me happy." + +I took her hands and kissed them affectionately, saying,-- + +"No, dear Esther, generous Esther, it is not money I want, for if I +did I would ask you and your father as a friend: what I want, and +what no one can give me, is a resolute mind, and determination to act +for the best." + +"Ask advice of your oracle." + +I could not help laughing. + +"Why do you laugh?" said she, "if I am not mistaken, the oracle must +know a remedy for your woes." + +"I laughed, dearest, because I felt inclined to tell you to consult +the oracle this time. As for me I will have nothing to do with it, +lest the cure be worse than the disease." + +"But you need not follow your advice unless you like it." + +"No, one is free to act as one thinks fit; but not to follow the +advice of the oracle would be a contempt of the intelligence which +directs it." + +Esther could say no more, and stood silent for several minutes, and +then said that if I like she would stay with me for the rest of the +day. The joy which illumined my countenance was manifest, and I said +that if she would stay to dinner I would get up, and no doubt her +presence would give me an appetite. "Ah!" said she, "I will make you +the dish you are so fond of." She ordered the sedan-chairs to be +sent back, and went to my landlady to order an appetising repast, and +to procure the chafing-dish and the spirits of wine she required for +her own cooking. + +Esther was an angel, a treasure, who consented to become mine if I +would communicate to her a science which did not exist. I felt that +I was looking forward to spending a happy day; this shewed me that I +could forget Manon, and I was delighted with the idea. I got out of +bed, and when Esther came back and found me on my feet she gave a +skip of pleasure. "Now," said she, "you must oblige me by dressing, +and doing your hair as if you were going to a ball." + +"That," I answered, "is a funny idea, but as it pleases you it +pleases me." + +I rang for Le Duc, and told him I wanted to have my hair done, and to +be dressed as if I were going to a ball. "Choose the dress that +suits me best." + +"No," said Esther, "I will choose it myself." + +Le Duc opened my trunk, and leaving her to rummage in it he came to +shave me, and to do my hair. Esther, delighted with her task, called +in the assistance of her governess. She put on my bed a lace shirt, +and the suit she found most to her taste. Then coming close, as if +to see whether Le Duc was dressing my hair properly, she said, + +"A little broth would do you good; send for a dish, it will give you +an appetite for dinner." + +I thought her advice dictated by the tenderest care, and I determined +to benefit by it. So great was the influence of this charming girl +over me, that, little by little, instead of loving Manon, I hated +her. That gave me courage, and completed my cure. At the present +time I can see that Manon was very wise in accepting Blondel's offer, +and that my love for self and not my love for her was wounded. + +I was in my servant's hands, my face turned away towards the fire, so +that I could not see Esther, but only divert myself with the idea +that she was inspecting my belongings, when all at once she presented +herself with a melancholy air, holding Mamon's fatal letter in her +hand. + +"Am I to blame," said she, timidly, "for having discovered the cause +of your sorrow?" + +I felt rather taken aback, but looking kindly at her, I said, + +"No, no, my dear Esther; pity your friend, and say no more about it." + +"Then I may read all the letters?" + +"Yes, dearest, if it will amuse you." + +All the letters of the faithless Manon Baletti to me, with mine to +her, were together on my table. I pointed them out to Esther, who +begun to read them quite eagerly. + +When I was dressed, as if for some Court holiday, Le Duc went out and +left us by ourselves, for the worthy governess, who was working at +her lace by the window, looked at her lace, and nothing else. Esther +said that nothing had ever amused her so much as those letters. + +"Those cursed epistles, which please you so well, will be the death +of me." + +"Death? Oh, no! I will cure you, I hope." + +"I hope so, too; but after dinner you must help me to burn them all +from first to last." + +"Burn them! No; make me a present of them. I promise to keep them +carefully all my days." + +"They are yours, Esther. I will send them to you to-morrow." + +These letters were more than two hundred in number, and the shortest +were four pages in length. She was enchanted to find herself the +possessor of the letters, and she said she would make them into a +parcel and take them away herself. + +"Shall you send back the portrait to your faithless mistress?" said +she. + +"I don't know what to do with it." + +"Send it back to her; she is not worthy of your honouring her by +keeping it. I am sure that your oracle would give you the same +advice. Where is the portrait? Will you shew it me?" + +I had the portrait in the interior of a gold snuff-box, but I had +never shewn it to Esther for fear she should think Manon handsomer +than herself, and conclude that I only shewd it her out of vanity; +but as she now asked to see it I opened the box where it was and gave +it her. + +Any other woman besides Esther would have pronounced Manon downright +ugly, or have endeavored at the least to find some fault with her, +but Esther pronounced her to be very beautiful, and only said it was +a great pity so fair a body contained so vile a soul. + +The sight of Manon's portrait made Esther ask to see all the other +portraits which Madame Manzoni had sent me from Venice. There were +naked figures amongst them, but Esther was too pure a spirit to put +on the hateful affectations of the prude, to whom everything natural +is an abomination. O-Murphy pleased her very much, and her history, +which I related, struck her as very curious. The portrait of the +fair nun, M----M----, first in the habit of her order and afterwards +naked, made her laugh, but I would not tell Esther her story, in +spite of the lively desire she displayed to hear it. + +At dinner-time a delicate repast was brought to us, and we spent two +delightful hours in the pleasures of a conversation and the table. +I seemed to have passed from death to life, and Esther was delighted +to have been my physician. Before we rose from table I had declared +my intention of sending Manon's portrait to her husband on the day +following, but her good nature found a way of dissuading me from +doing so without much difficulty. + +Some time after, while we were talking in front of the fire, she took +a piece of paper, set up the pyramids, and inscribed the four keys O, +S, A, D. She asked if I should send the portrait to the husband, or +whether it would not be more generous to return it to the faithless +Manon. Whilst she was calculating she said over and over again, with +a smile, "I have not made up the answer." I pretend to believe her, +and we laughed like two augurs meeting each other alone. At last the +reply came that I ought to return the portrait, but to the giver, +since to send it to the husband would be an act unworthy of a man of +honour. + +I praised the wisdom of the oracle, and kissed the Pythoness a score +of times, promising that the cabala should be obeyed implicitly, +adding that she had no need of being taught the science since she +knew it as well as the inventor. + +I spoke the truth, but Esther laughed, and, fearing lest I should +really think so, took pains to assure me of the contrary. + +It is thus that love takes his pleasure, thus his growth increases, +and thus that he so soon becomes a giant in strength. + +"Shall I be impertinent," said Esther, "if I ask you where your +portrait is? Manon says in her letter that she is sending it back; +but I don't see it anywhere." + +"In my first paroxysm of rage, I threw it down; I don't know in what +direction. What was thus despised by her cannot be of much value to +me." + +"Let us look for it; I should like to see it." + +We soon found it on my table, in the midst of a of books; Esther said +it was a speaking likeness. + +"I would give it you if such a present were worthy of you." + +"Ah! you could not give me anything I would value more." + +"Will you deign to accept it, Esther, though it has been possessed by +another?" + +"It will be all the dearer to me." + +At last she had to leave me, after a day which might be called +delightful if happiness consists of calm and mutual joys without the +tumultuous raptures of passion. She went away at ten, after I had +promised to spend the whole of the next day with her. + +After an unbroken sleep of nine hours' duration I got up refreshed +and feeling once more in perfect health, and I went to see Esther +immediately. I found she was still abed and asleep, but her +governess went and roused her in spite of my request that her repose +should be respected. + +She received me with a sweet smile as she sat up in bed, and shewd me +my voluminous correspondence with Manon on her night-table, saying +that she had been reading it till two o'clock in the morning. + +Her appearance was ravishing. A pretty cambric night-cap, tied with +a light-blue ribbon and ornamented with lace, set off the beauties of +her face; and a light shawl of Indian muslin, which she had hastily +thrown on, veiled rather than concealed her snowy breast, which would +have shamed the works of Praxiteles. She allowed me to take a +hundred kisses on her rosy lips--ardent kisses which the sight of +such charms made yet more ardent; but her hands forbade my approach +to those two spheres I so longed to touch. + +I sat down by her and told her that her charms of body and mind would +make a man forget all the Manons that ever were. + +"Is your Marion fair to see all over?" said she. + +"I really can't say, for, not being her husband, I never had an +opportunity of investigating the matter." + +"Your discretion is worthy of all praise," she said, with a smile, +"such conduct becomes a man of delicate feeling." + +"I was told by her nurse that she was perfect in all respects, and +that no mote or blemish relieved the pure whiteness of her skin." + +"You must have a different notion of me?" + +"Yes, Esther, as the oracle revealed to me the great secret you +desired to know. Nevertheless, I should find you perfect in all your +parts." + +Hereupon I was guilty of a stupidity which turned to my confusion. I +said, + +"If I became your husband, I could easily refrain from touching you +there." + +"I suppose you think," said she, blushing, and evidently a little +vexed, "that if you touched it your desires might be lessened?" + +This question probed me to the core and covered me with shame. I +burst into tears, and begged her pardon in so truly repentant a voice +that sympathy made her mingle her tears with mine. The incident only +increased our intimacy, for, as I kissed her tears away, the same +desires consumed us, and if the voice of prudence had not intervened, +doubtless all would have been over. As it was, we had but a +foretaste and an earnest of that bliss which it was in our power to +procure. Three hours seemed to us as many minutes. She begged me to +go into her sitting-room while she dressed, and we then went down and +dined with the wretched secretary, who adored her, whom she did not +love, and who must have borne small love to me, seeing how high I +stood in her graces. + +We passed the rest of the day together in that confidential talk +which is usual when the foundations of the most intimate friendship +have been laid between two persons of opposite sex, who believe +themselves created for each other. Our flames burnt as brightly, but +with more restraint, in the dining-room as in the bedroom. In the +very air of the bedroom of a woman one loves there is something so +balmy and voluptuous that the lover, asked to choose between this +garden of delights and Paradise, would not for one moment hesitate in +his choice. + +We parted with hearts full of happiness, saying to each other, "Till +to-morrow." + +I was truly in love with Esther, for my sentiment for her was +composed of sweeter, calmer, and more lively feelings than mere +sensual love, which is ever stormy and violent. I felt sure I could +persuade her to marry me without my first teaching her what could not +be taught. I was sorry I had not let her think herself as clever as +myself in the cabala, and I feared it would be impossible to +undeceive her without exciting her to anger, which would cast out +love. Nevertheless, Esther was the only woman who would make me +forget Manon, whom I began to think unworthy of all I had proposed +doing for her. + +M. d'O---- came back and I went to dine with him. He was pleased to +hear that his daughter had effected a complete cure by spending a day +with me. When we were alone he told me that he had heard at the +Hague that the Comte St. Germain had the art of making diamonds which +only differed from the real ones in weight, and which, according to +him, would make his fortune. M. d'O---- would have been amused if I +had told him all I knew about this charlatan. + +Next day I took Esther to the concert, and while we were there she +told me that on the day following she would not leave her room, so +that we could talk about getting married without fear of +interruption. This was the last day of the year 1759. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +I Undeceive Esther--I set out for Germany--Adventure Near Cologne-- +The Burgomaster's Wife; My Conquest of Her--Ball at Bonn--Welcome +>From the Elector of Cologne--Breakfast at Bruhl--First Intimacy-- +I sup Without Being Asked at General Kettler's I am Happy--I Leave +Cologne--The Toscani The Jewel My Arrival at Stuttgart + + +The appointment which Esther had made with me would probably have +serious results; and I felt it due to my honour not to deceive her +any longer, even were it to cost me my happiness; however, I had some +hope that all would turn out well. + +I found her in bed, and she told me that she intended to stop there +throughout the day. I approved, for in bed I thought her ravishing. + +"We will set to work," said she; and her governess set a little table +by her bed, and she gave me a piece of paper covered with questions +tending to convince me that before I married her I should communicate +to her my supposed science. All these questions were artfully +conceived, all were so worded as to force the oracle to order me to +satisfy her, or to definitely forbid my doing so. I saw the snare, +and all my thoughts were how to avoid it, though I pretended to be +merely considering the questions. I could not make the oracle speak +to please Esther, and I could still less make it pronounce a positive +prohibition, as I feared that she would resent such an answer +bitterly and revenge herself on me. Nevertheless, I had to assume an +indifferent air, and I got myself out of the difficulty by equivocal +answers, till the good-humoured papa came to summon me to dinner. + +He allowed his daughter to stay in bed on the condition that she was +to do no more work, as he was afraid that by applying herself so +intently she would increase her headache. She promised, much to my +delight, that he should be obeyed, but on my return from dinner I +found her asleep, and sitting at her bedside I let her sleep on. + +When she awoke she said she would like to read a little; and as if by +inspiration, I chanced to take up Coiardeau's 'Heroides', and we +inflamed each other by reading the letters of Heloise and Abelard. +The ardours thus aroused passed into our talk and we began to discuss +the secret which the oracle had revealed. + +"But, Esther dear," said I, "did not the oracle reveal a circumstance +of which you knew perfectly well before?" + +"No, sweetheart, the secret was perfectly unknown to me and would +have continued unknown." + +"Then you have never been curious enough to inspect your own person?" + +"However curious I may have been, nature placed that mole in such a +position as to escape any but the most minute search." + +"You have never felt it, then?" + +"It is too small to be felt." + +"I don't believe it." + +She allowed my hand to wander indiscreetly, and my happy fingers felt +all the precincts of the temple of love. This was enough to fire the +chastest disposition. I could not find the object of my research, +and, not wishing to stop short at so vain an enjoyment, I was allowed +to convince myself with my eyes that it actually existed. There, +however, her concessions stopped short, and I had to content myself +by kissing again and again all those parts which modesty no longer +denied to my gaze. + +Satiated with bliss, though I had not attained to the utmost of +enjoyment, which she wisely denied me, after two hours had been +devoted to those pastimes which lead to nothing, I resolved to tell +her the whole truth and to shew her how I had abused her trust in me, +though I feared that her anger would be roused. + +Esther, who had a large share of intelligence (indeed if she had had +less I could not have deceived her so well), listened to me without +interrupting me and without any signs of anger or astonishment. At +last, when I had brought my long and sincere confession to an end, +she said, + +"I know your love for me is as great as mine for you; and if I am +certain that what you have just said cannot possibly be true, I am +forced to conclude that if you do not communicate to me all the +secrets of your science it is because to do so is not in your power. +Let us love one another till death, and say no more about this +matter." + +After a moment's silence, she went on,-- + +"If love has taken away from you the courage of sincerity I forgive +you, but I am sorry for you. You have given me too positive proof of +the reality of your science to be able to shake my belief. You could +never have found out a thing of which I myself was ignorant, and of +which no mortal man could know." + +"And if I shew you, Esther dear, that I knew you had this mole, that +I had good reasons for supposing you to be ignorant of it, will your +belief be shaken then?" "You knew it? How could you have seen it? +It's incredible!" + +"I will tell you all." + +I then explained to her the theory of the correspondence of moles on +the various parts of the human body, and to convince her I ended by +saying that her governess who had a large mark on her right cheek +ought to have one very like it on her left thigh. At this she burst +into laughter, and said, "I will find out, but after all you have +told me I can only admire you the more for knowing what no one else +does." + +"Do you really think, Esther, that I am the sole possessor of this +science? Undeceive yourself. All who have studied anatomy, +physiology, and astrology, know of it." + +"Then I beg you to get me, by to-morrow--yes, tomorrow--all the books +which will teach me secrets of that nature. I long to be able to +astonish the ignorant with my cabala, which I see requires a mixture +of knowledge and imposition. I wish to devote myself entirely to +this study. We can love each other to the death, but we can do that +without getting married." + +I re-entered my lodging in a peaceful and happy frame of mind; an +enormous weight seemed taken off my spirits. Next morning I +purchased such volumes as I judged would instruct and amuse her at +the same time, and went to present them to her. She was most pleased +with my Conis, as she found in it the character of truth. As she +wished to shine by her answers through the oracle it was necessary +for her to have an extensive knowledge of science, and I put her on +the way. + +About that time I conceived the idea of making a short tour in +Germany before returning to Paris, and Esther encouraged me to do so, +after I had promised that she should see me again before the end of +the year. This promise was sincerely, given; and though from that +day to this I have not beheld the face of that charming and +remarkable woman, I cannot reproach myself with having deceived her +wilfully, for subsequent events prevented me from keeping my word. + +I wrote to M. d'Afri requesting him to procure me a passport through +the empire, where the French and other belligerent powers were then +campaigning. He answered very politely that I had no need of a +passport, but that if I wished to have one he would send it me +forthwith. I was content with this letter and put it among my +papers, and at Cologne it got me a better reception than all the +passports in the world. + +I made M. d'O---- the depositary of the various moneys I had in +different banking houses, and the worthy man, who was a true friend +to me, gave me a bill of exchange on a dozen of the chief houses in +Germany. + +When my affairs were all in order I started in my post-chaise, with +the sum of nearly a hundred thousand Dutch florins to my credit, some +valuable jewels, and a well-stocked wardrobe. I sent my Swiss +servant back to Paris, keeping only my faithful Spaniard, who on this +occasion travelled with me, seated behind my chaise. + +Thus ends the history of my second visit to Holland, where I did +nothing to augment my fortune. I had some unpleasant experiences +there for which I had my own imprudence to thank, but after the lapse +of so many years I feel that these mishaps were more than compensated +by the charms of Esther's society. + +I only stopped one day at Utrecht, and two days after I reached +Cologne at noon, without accident, but not without danger, for at a +distance of half a league from the town five deserters, three on the +right hand and two on the left, levelled their pistols at me, with +the words, "Your money or your life." However, I covered the +postillion with my own pistol, threatening to fire if he did not +drive on, and the robbers discharged their weapons at the carriage, +not having enough spirit to shoot the postillion. + +If I had been like the English, who carry a light purse for the +benefit of the highwaymen, I would have thrown it to these poor +wretches; but, as it was, I risked my life rather than be robbed. My +Spaniard was quite astonished not to have been struck by any of the +balls which whistled past his ears. + +The French were in winter quarters at Cologne, and I put up at the +"Soleil d'Or." As I was going in, the first person I met was the +Comte de Lastic, Madame d'Urfe's nephew, who greeted me with the +utmost politeness, and offered to take me to M. de Torci, who was in +command. I accepted, and this gentleman was quite satisfied with the +letter M. d'Afri had written me. I told him what had happened to me +as I was coming into Cologne, and he congratulated me on the happy +issue of the affair, but with a soldier's freedom blamed the use I +had made of my courage." + +"You played high," said he, "to save your money, but you might have +lost a limb, and nothing would have made up for that." + +I answered that to make light of a danger often diminished it. We +laughed at this, and he said that if I was going to make any stay in +Cologne I should probably have the pleasure of seeing the highwaymen +hanged. + +"I intend to go to-morrow," said I, "and if anything could keep me at +Cologne it would certainly not be the prospect of being present at an +execution, as such sights are not at all to my taste." + +I had to accept M. de Lastic's invitation to dinner, and he persuaded +me to go with himself and his friend, M. de Flavacour, an officer of +high rank, and an agreeable man, to the theatre. As I felt sure that +I should be introduced to ladies, and wished to make something of a +figure, I spent an hour in dressing. + +I found myself in a box opposite to a pretty woman, who looked at me +again and again through her opera-glass. That was enough to rouse my +curiosity, and I begged M. de Lastic to introduce me; which he did +with the best grace imaginable. He first presented me to Count +Kettler, lieutenant-general in the Austrian army, and on the general +staff of the French army--just as the French General Montacet was on +the staff of the Austrian army. I was then presented to the lady +whose beauty had attracted my attention the moment I entered my box. +She greeted me graciously, and asked me questions about Paris and +Brussels, where she had been educated, without appearing to pay any +attention to my replies, but gazing at my lace and jewellery. + +While we were talking of indifferent matters, like new acquaintances, +she suddenly but politely asked me if I intended to make a long stay +in Cologne. + +"I think of crossing the Rhine to-morrow," I answered, "and shall +probably dine at Bonn." + +This reply, which was given as indifferently as her question, +appeared to vex her; and I thought her vexation a good omen. General +Kettler then rose, saying,-- + +"I am sure, sir, that this lady will persuade you to delay your +departure--at least, I hope so, that I may bane the pleasure of +seeing more of your company." + +I bowed and he went out with Lastic, leaving me alone with this +ravishing beauty. She was the burgomaster's wife, and the general +was nearly always with her. + +"Is the count right," said she, pleasantly, "in attributing such +power to me?" + +"I think so, indeed," I answered, "but he may possibly be wrong in +thinking you care to exercise it." + +"Very good! We must catch him, then, if only as the punishment of +his indiscretion. Stay." + +I was so astonished at this speech that I looked quite foolish and +had to collect my senses. I thought the word indiscretion sublime, +punishment exquisite, and catching admirable; and still more the idea +of catching him by means of me. I thought it would be a mistake to +enquire any further, and putting on an expression of resignation and +gratitude I lowered my lips and kissed her hand with a mixture of +respect and sentiment, which, without exactly imparting my feelings +for her, let her know that they might be softened without much +difficulty. + +"Then you will stay, sir! It is really very kind of you, for if you +went off to-morrow people might say that you only came here to shew +your disdain for us. Tomorrow the general gives a ball, and I hope +you will be one of the party." + +"Can I hope to dance with you all the evening?" + +"I promise to dance with nobody but you, till you get tired of me." + +"Then we shall dance together through all the ball." + +"Where did you get that pomade which perfumes the air? I smelt it +as soon as you came into the box." + +"It came from Florence, and if you do not like it you shall not be +troubled with it any more." + +"Oh! but I do like it. I should like some of it myself." + +"And I shall be only too happy if you will permit me to send you a +little to-morrow." + +Just then the door of the box opened and the entrance of the general +prevented her from replying. I was just going, when the count said: + +"I am sure madame has prevailed on you to stay, and to come to my +ball and supper to-morrow?" + +"She has led me to anticipate that you would do me that honour, and +she promises to dance the quadrilles with me. How can one resist +entreaty from such lips?" + +"Quite so, and I am obliged to her for having kept you with us. I +hope to see you to-morrow." + +I went out of the box in love, and almost happy in anticipation. The +pomade was a present from Esther, and it was the first time I had +used it. The box contained twenty-four pots of beautiful china. The +next day I put twelve into an elegant casket, which I wrapped up in +oil-cloth and sent to her without a note. + +I spent the morning by going over Cologne with a guide; I visited all +the marvels of the place, and laughed with all my heart to see the +horse Bayard, of whom Ariosto has sung, ridden by the four sons of +Aimon, or Amone, father of Bradamante the Invincible, and +Ricciardetto the Fortunate. + +I dined with M. de Castries, and everybody was surprised that the +general had asked me himself to the ball, as his jealousy was known, +while the lady was supposed only to suffer his attentions through a +feeling of vanity. The dear general was well advanced in years, far +from good-looking, and as his mental qualities by no means +compensated for his lack of physical ones he was by no means an +object to inspire love. In spite of his jealousy, he had to appear +pleased that I sat next the fair at supper, and that I spent the +night in dancing with her or talking to her. It was a happy night +for me, and I re-entered my lodging no longer thinking of leaving +Cologne. In a moment of ecstasy, emboldened by the turn the +conversation had taken, I had dared to tell her that if she would +meet me alone I would stay in Cologne till the end of the carnival. +"And what would you say," she asked, "if I give my promise, and do +not keep it?" + +"I should bemoan my lot, without accusing you; I should say to myself +that you had found it impossible to keep your word." + +"You are very good; you must stay with us." + +The day after the ball I went to pay her my first visit. She made me +welcome, and introduced me to her worthy husband, who, though neither +young nor handsome, was extremely good-hearted. After I had been +there an hour, we heard the general's carriage coming, and she said +to me: + +"If he asks you whether you are going to the Elector's ball at Bonn, +say yes!" + +The general came in, and after the usual compliments had been passed +I withdrew. + +I did not know by whom the ball was to be given, or when it was to +take place, but scenting pleasure from afar off I hastened to make +enquiries about it, and heard that all the good families in Cologne +were going. It was a masked ball, and consequently open to all. I +decided then that I would go; indeed I concluded that I had had +orders to that effect, and at all events my lady would be there, and +I might hope for a happy meeting with her. But as I wished to keep +up my incognito as much as possible, I resolved to reply to all who +asked me that important business would prevent my being present. + +It fell out that the general asked me this very question in the +presence of the lady, and without regard to the orders I had received +from her I replied that my health would forbid my having that +pleasure. + +"You are very wise, sir," said the general, "all the pleasures on +earth should be sacrificed when it is a question of one's health." + +I think so, too, now, but I thought differently then. + +On the day of the ball, towards the evening, I set out in a post- +chaise, disguised so that not a soul in Cologne could have recognized +me, and provided with a box containing two dominoes; and on my +arrival at Bonn I took a room and put on one of the dominoes, locking +up the other in the box; and I then had myself carried to the ball in +a sedan-chair. + +I got in easily and unperceived, and recognized all the ladies of +Cologne without their masks, and my mistress sitting at a faro-table +risking a ducat. I was glad to see in the banker, Count Verita of +Verona, whom I had known in Bavaria. He was in the Elector's +service. His small bank did not contain more than five or six +ducats, and the punters, men and women, were not more than twelve. I +took up a position by my mistress, and the banker asked me to cut. I +excused myself with a gesture, and my neighbour cut without being +asked. I put ten ducats on a single card, and lost four times +running; I played at the second deal, and experienced the same fate. +At the third deal nobody would cut, and the general, who was standing +by but not playing, agreed to do so. I fancied his cutting would be +lucky, and I put fifty ducats on one card. I won. I went 'paroli', +and at the second deal I broke the bank. Everybody was curious about +me; I was stared at and followed, but seizing a favourable +opportunity I made my escape. + +I went to my room, took out my money, changed my costume, and +returned to the ball. I saw the table occupied by new gamsters, and +another banker who seemed to have a good deal of gold, but not caring +to play any more I had not brought much money with me. I mingled in +all the groups in the ballroom, and on all sides I heard expressions +of curiosity about the mask who broke the first bank. + +I did not care to satisfy the general curiosity, but made my way from +one side of the room to the other till I found the object of my +search talking to Count Verita, and as I drew near I found out that +they were talking of me. The count was saying that the Elector had +been asking who had broken the bank, and that General Kettler had +expressed his opinion that it was a Venetian who had been in Cologne +for the last week. My mistress answered that she did not think I was +there, as she had heard me say that the state of my health would keep +me at home. + +"I know Casanova," said the count, "and if he be at Bonn the Elector +shall hear of it, and he shan't go off without my seeing him." +I saw that I might easily be discovered after the ball, but I defied +the keenest eyes to penetrate beneath my present disguise. I should +have, no doubt, remained unknown, but when the quadrilles were being +arranged I took my place in one, without reflecting that I should +have to take off my mask. + +As soon as my mistress saw me she told me she had been deceived, as +she would have wagered that I was the masker who broke Count Verita's +bank. I told her I had only just come. + +At the end of the dance the count spied me out and said, "My dear +fellow-countryman, I am sure you are the man who broke my bank; I +congratulate you." "I should congratulate myself if I were the +fortunate individual." + +"I am sure that it was you." + +I left him laughing, and after having taken some refreshments I +continued dancing. Two hours afterwards the count saw me again and +said,-- + +"You changed your domino in such a room, in such a house. The +Elector knows all about it, and as a punishment for this deceit he +has ordered me to tell you that you are not to leave Bonn to-morrow." + +"Is he going to arrest me, then?" + +"Why not, if you refuse his invitation to dinner tomorrow?" + +"Tell his highness that his commands shall be obeyed. Will you +present me to him now?" + +"He has left the ball, but wait on me to-morrow at noon." So saying, +he gave me his hand and went away. + +I took care to keep the appointment on the day following, but when I +was presented I was in some confusion, as the Elector was surrounded +by five or six courtiers, and never having seen him I looked in vain +for an ecclesiastic. He saw my embarrassment and hastened to put an +end to it, saying, in bad Venetian, "I am wearing the costume of +Grand Master of the Teutonic Order to-day." In spite of his costume +I made the usual genuflexion, and when I would have kissed his hand +he would not allow it, but shook mine in an affectionate manner. +"I was at Venice," said he, "when you were under the Leads, and my +nephew, the Elector of Bavaria, told me that after your fortunate +escape you stayed some time at Munich; if you had come to Cologne I +should have kept you. I hope that after dinner you will be kind +enough to tell us the story of your escape, that you will stay to +supper, and will join in a little masquerade with which we propose to +amuse ourselves." + +I promised to tell my tale if he thought it would not weary him, +warning him that it would take two hours. "One could never have too +much of a good thing," he was kind enough to say; and I made him +laugh by my account of the conversation between the Duc de Choiseul +and myself. + +At dinner the prince spoke to me in Venetian, and was pleased to be +most gracious towards me. He was a man of a jovial and easy-going +disposition, and with his look of health one would not have +prophesied so soon an end as came to him. He died the year +following. + +As soon as we rose from table he begged me to begin my story, and for +two hours I had the pleasure of keeping this most brilliant company +amused. + +My readers know the history; its interest lies in the dramatic nature +of the details, but it is impossible to communicate the fire of a +well-told story to an account in writing. + +The Elector's little bail was very pleasant. We were all dressed as +peasants, and the costumes were taken from a special wardrobe of the +prince's. It would have been ridiculous to choose any other dresses, +as the Elector wore one of the same kind himself. General Kettler +was the best disguised of us all; he looked the rustic to the life. +My mistress was ravishing. We only danced quadrilles and German +dances. There were only four or five ladies of the highest rank; all +the others, who were more or less pretty, were favourites of the +prince, all his days a great lover of the fair sex. Two of these +ladies danced the Forlana, and the Elector was much amused in making +me dance it also. I have already said that the Forlana is a Venetian +dance, and one of the most energetic kind imaginable. It is danced +by a lady and gentleman opposite to one another, and as the two +ladies relieved one another they were almost the death of me. One +has to be strong to dance twelve turns, and after the thirteenth I +felt I could do no more, and begged for mercy. + +Soon after we danced another dance, where each gentleman kisses a +lady. I was not too shy, and each time I continued to kiss my +mistress with considerable ardour, which made the peasant-elector +burst with laughter and the peasant-general burst with rage. + +In a lull between the dances, this charming and original woman found +means to tell me in private that all the Cologne ladies would leave +at noon on the next day, and that I would increase my popularity by +inviting them all to breakfast at Bruhl. + +"Send each one a note with the name of her cavalier, and trust in +Count Verita to do everything for the best; you need only tell him +that you wish to give an entertainment similar to that given two +years ago by the Prince de Deux-Ponts. Lose no time. You will have +a score of guests; mind you let them know the hour of the repast. +Take care, too, that your invitations are sent round by nine o'clock +in the morning." + +All these instructions were uttered with lightning speed, and I, +enchanted with the power my mistress thought she possessed over me, +thought only of obeying, without reflecting whether I owed her +obedience. Bruhl, breakfast, a score of people like the Prince Deux- +Ponts, invitations to the ladies, Count Verita ; I knew as much as +she could have told me if she had taken an hour. + +I left the room in my peasant's dress, and begged a page to take me +to Count Verita, who began to laugh on seeing my attire. I told my +business with the importance of an ambassador, and this made him in a +still better humour. + +"It can all easily be arranged," said he, "I have only to write to +the steward, and I will do so immediately. But how much do you want +to spend?" + +"As much as possible." + +"As little as possible, I suppose you mean." + +"Not at all; I want to treat my guests with magnificance." + +"All the same you must fix on a sum, as I know whom I've got to deal +with." + +"Well, well! two-three hundred ducats; will that do?" + +"Two hundred; the Prince de Deux-Ponts did not spend more." + +He began to write, and gave me his word that everything should be in +readiness. I left him and addressing myself to a sharp Italian page +said that I would give two ducats to the valet who would furnish me +with the names of the Cologne ladies who were in Bonn, and of the +gentlemen who had accompanied them. I got what I wanted in less than +half an hour, and before leaving the ball I told my mistress that all +should be done according to her desires. + +I wrote eighteen notes before I went to bed, and in the morning a +confidential servant had delivered them before nine o'clock. + +At nine o'clock I went to take leave of Count Verita, who gave me, on +behalf of the Elector, a superb gold snuff-box with his portrait set +in diamonds. I was very sensible of this mark of kindness, and I +wished to go and thank his serene highness before my departure, but +my friendly fellow-countryman told me that I might put off doing so +till I passed through Bonn on my way to Frankfort. + +Breakfast was ordered for one o'clock. At noon I had arrived at +Bruhl, a country house of the Elector's, with nothing remarkable +about it save its furniture. In this it is a poor copy of the +Trianon. In a fine hall I found a table laid for twenty-four +persons, arranged with silver gilt plates, damask linen, and +exquisite china, while the sideboard was adorned with an immense +quantity of silver and silvergilt plate. At one end of the room were +two other tables laden with sweets and the choicest wines procurable. +I announced myself as the host, and the cook told me I should be +perfectly satisfied. + +"The collation," said he, "will be composed of only twenty-four +dishes, but in addition there will be twenty-four dishes of English +oysters and a splendid dessert." + +I saw a great number of servants, and told him that they would not be +necessary, but he said they were, as the guests' servants could not +be admitted. + +I received all my guests at the door, confining my compliments to +begging their pardons for having been so bold as to procure myself +this great honour. + +The breakfast was served at one exactly, and I had the pleasure of +enjoying the astonishment in my mistress's eyes when she saw that I +had treated them as well as a prince of the empire. She was aware +that everybody knew her to be the chief object of this lavish outlay, +but she was delighted to see that I did not pay her any attentions +which were at all invidious. The table was seated for twenty-four, +and though I had only asked eighteen people every place was occupied. +Three couples, therefore, had come without being asked; but that +pleased me all the more. Like a courtly cavalier I would not sit +down, but waited on the ladies, going from one to the other, eating +the dainty bits they gave me, and seeing that all had what they +wanted. + +By the time the oysters were done twenty bottles of champagne had +been emptied, so that when the actual breakfast commenced everybody +began to talk at once. The meal might easily have passed for a +splendid dinner, and I was glad to see that not a drop of water was +drunk, for the Champagne, Tokay, Rhine wine, Madeira, Malaga, Cyprus, +Alicante, and Cape wine would not allow it. + +Before dessert was brought on an enormous dish of truffles was placed +on the table. I advised my guests to take Maraschino with it, and +those ladies who appreciated the liqueur drank it as if it had been +water. The dessert was really sumptuous. In it were displayed the +portraits of all the monarchs of Europe. Everyone complimented the +cook on his achievement, and he, his vanity being tickled and wishing +to appear good-natured, said that none of it would spoil in the +pocket, and accordingly everybody took as much as they chose. + +General Kettler, who, in spite of his jealousy and the part he saw me +play, had no suspicion of the real origin of the banquet, said, + +"I will wager that this is the Elector's doing. His highness has +desired to preserve his incognito, and M. Casanova has played his +part to admiration." + +This remark set all the company in a roar. + +"General," said I, "if the Elector had given me such an order, I +should, of course, have obeyed him, but I should have felt it a +humiliating part to play. His highness, however, has deigned to do +me a far greater honour; look here." So saying, I shewed him the +gold snuff-box, which made the tour of the table two or three times +over. + +When we had finished, we rose from table, astonished to find we had +been engaged for three hours in a pleasurable occupation, which all +would willingly have prolonged; but at last we had to part, and after +many compliments they all went upon their way, in order to be in time +for the theatre. As well pleased as my guests, I left twenty ducats +with the steward, for the servants, and promised him to let Count +Verita know of my satisfaction in writing. + +I arrived at Cologne in time for the French play, and as I had no +carriage I went to the theatre in a sedan chair. As soon as I got +into the house, I saw the Comte de Lastic alone with my fair one. +I thought this a good omen, and I went to them directly. As soon as +she saw me, she said with a melancholy air that the general had got +so ill that he had been obliged to go to bed. Soon after, M. de +Lastic left us, and dropping her assumed melancholy she made me, with +the utmost grace, a thousand compliments, which compensated me for +the expenses of my breakfast a hundred times over. + +"The general," said she, "had too much to drink; he is an envious +devil, and has discovered that it is not seemly of you to treat us as +if you were a prince. I told him that, on the contrary, you had +treated us as if we were princes, waiting on us with your napkin on +your arm. He thereupon found fault with me for degrading you." + +"Why do you not send him about his business? So rude a fellow is not +worthy of serving so famous a beauty." + +"It's too late. A woman whom you don't know would get possession of +him. I should be obliged to conceal my feelings, and that would vex +me." + +"I understand--I understand. Would that I were a great prince! In +the mean time, let me tell you that my sickness is greater than +Kettler's." + +"You are joking, I hope." + +"Nay, not at all; I am speaking seriously, for the kisses I was so +happy to snatch from you at the ball have inflamed my blood, and if +you have not enough kindness to cure me in the only possible way I +shall leave Cologne with a life-long grief." + +"Put off your departure: why should you desire to go to Stuttgart so +earnestly? I think of you, believe me, and I do not wish to deceive +you; but it is hard to find an opportunity." + +"If you had not the general's carriage waiting for you to-night, and +I had mine, I could take you home with perfect propriety." + +"Hush! As you have not your carriage, it is my part to take you +home. It is a splendid idea, that we must so contrive it that it may +not seem to be a concerted plan. You must give me your arm to my +carriage, and I shall then ask you where your carriage is; you will +answer that you have not got one. I shall ask you to come into mine, +and I will drop you at your hotel. It will only give us a couple of +minutes, but that is something till we are more fortunate." + +I replied to her only by a look which expressed the intoxication of +my spirits at the prospect of so great bliss. + +Although the play was quite a short one, it seemed to me to last for +ever. At last the curtain fell, and we went downstairs. When we got +to the portico she asked me the questions we had agreed upon, and +when I told her I had not got a carriage, she said, "I am going to +the general's to ask after his health; if it will not take you too +much out of your way, I can leave you at your lodging as we come +back." + +It was a grand idea. We should pass the entire length of the ill- +paved town twice, and thus we secured a little more time. +Unfortunately, the carriage was a chariot, and as we were going the +moon shone directly on us. On that occasion the planet was certainly +not entitled to the appellation of the lovers' friend. We did all we +could, but that was almost nothing, and I found the attempt a +desperate one, though my lovely partner endeavoured to help me as +much as possible. To add to our discomforts, the inquisitive and +impudent coachman kept turning his head round, which forced us to +moderate the energy of our movements. The sentry at the general's +door told our coachman that his excellency could see no one, and we +joyfully turned towards my hotel, and now that the moon was behind us +and the man's curiosity less inconvenient, we got on a little better, +or rather not so badly as before, but the horses seemed to me to fly +rather than gallop; however, feeling that it would be well to have +the coachman on my side in case of another opportunity, I gave him a +ducat as I got down. + +I entered the hotel feeling vexed and unhappy, though more in love +than ever, for my fair one had convinced me that she was no passive +mistress, but could experience pleasure as well as give it. That +being the case I resolved not to leave Cologne before we had drained +the cup of pleasure together, and that, it seemed to me, could not +take place till the general was out of the way. + +Next day, at noon, I went to the general's house to write down my +name, but I found he was receiving visitors and I went in. I made +the general an appropriate compliment, to which the rude Austrian +only replied by a cold inclination of the head. He was surrounded by +a good many officers, and after four minutes I made a general bow and +went out. The boor kept his room for three days, and as my mistress +did not come to the theatre I had not the pleasure of seeing her. + +On the last day of the carnival Kettler asked a good many people to a +ball and supper. On my going to pay my court to my mistress in her +box at the theatre, and being left for a moment alone with her, she +asked me if I were invited to the general's supper. I answered in +the negative. + +"What!" said she, in an imperious and indignant voice, "he has not +asked you? You must go, for all that." + +"Consider what you say," said I, gently, "I will do anything to +please you but that." + +"I know all you can urge; nevertheless, you must go. I should feel +insulted if you were not at that supper. If you love me you will +give me this proof of your affection and (I think I may say) esteem." + +"You ask me thus? Then I will go. But are you aware that you are +exposing me to the danger of losing my life or taking his? for I am +not the man to pass over an affront." + +"I know all you can say," said she. "I have your honour at heart as +much as mine, or perhaps more so, but nothing will happen to you; I +will answer for everything. You must go, and you must give me your +promise now, for I am resolved if you do not go, neither will I, but +we must never see each other more." + +"Then you may reckon upon me." + +At that moment M. de Castries came in, and I left the box and went +to the pit, where I passed two anxious hours in reflecting on the +possible consequences of the strange step this woman would have me +take. Nevertheless, such was the sway of her beauty aver my soul, I +determined to abide by my promise and to carry the matter through, +and to put myself in the wrong as little as possible. I went to the +general's at the end of the play, and only found five or six people +there. I went up to a canoness who was very fond of Italian poetry, +and had no trouble in engaging her in an interesting discussion. In +half an hour the room was full, my mistress coming in last on the +general's arm. I was taken up with the canoness and did not stir, +and consequently Kettler did not notice me, while the lady in great +delight at seeing me left him no time to examine his guests, and he +was soon talking to some people at the other end of the room. In a +quarter of an hour afterwards supper was announced. The canoness +rose, took my arm, and we seated ourselves at table together, still +talking about Italian literature. Then came the catastrophe. When +all the places had been taken one gentleman was left standing, there +being no place for him. "How can that have happened?" said the +general, raising his voice, and while the servants were bringing +another chair and arranging another place he passed his guests in +review. All the while I pretended not to notice what was going on, +but when he came to me he said loudly, + +"Sir, I did not ask you to come." + +"That is quite true, general," I said, respectfully, "but I thought, +no doubt correctly, that the omission was due to forgetfulness, and I +thought myself obliged all the same to come and pay my court to your +excellency." + +Without a pause I renewed my conversation with the canoness, not so +much as looking around. A dreadful silence reigned for four or five +minutes, but the canoness began to utter witticisms which I took up +and communicated to my neighbours, so that in a short time the whole +table was in good spirits except the general, who preserved a sulky +silence. This did not much matter to me, but my vanity was concerned +in smoothing him down, and I watched for my opportunity. + +M. de Castries was praising the dauphin, and his brothers, the Comte +de Lusace and the Duc de Courlande, were mentioned; this led the +conversation up to Prince Biron, formerly a duke, who was in Siberia, +and his personal qualities were discussed, one of the guests having +said that his chiefest merit was to have pleased the Empress Anne. +I begged his pardon, saying,-- + +"His greatest merit was to have served faithfully the last Duke +Kettler; who if it had not been for the courage of him who is now so +unfortunate, would have lost all his belongings in the war. It was +Duke Kettler who so heroically sent him to the Court of St. +Petersburg, but Biron never asked for the duchy. An earldom would +have satisfied him, as he recognized the rights of the younger branch +of the Kettler family, which would be reigning now if it were not for +the empress's whim: nothing would satisfy her but to confer a dukedom +on the favourite." + +The general, whose face had cleared while I was speaking, said, in +the most polite manner of which he was capable, that I was a person +of remarkable information, adding regretfully,-- + +"Yes, if it were not for that whim I should be reigning now." + +After this modest remark he burst into a fit of laughter and sent me +down a bottle of the best Rhine wine, and addressed his conversation +to me till the supper was over. I quietly enjoyed the turn things +had taken, but still more the pleasure I saw expressed in the +beautiful eyes of my mistress. + +Dancing went on all night, and I did not leave my canoness, who was a +delightful woman and danced admirably. With my lady I only danced +one minuet. Towards the end of the ball the general, to finish up +with a piece of awkwardness, asked me if I was going soon. I replied +that I did not think of leaving Cologne till after the grand review. + +I went to bed full of joy at having given the burgomaster's wife such +a signal proof of my love, and full of gratitude to fortune who had +helped me so in dealing with my doltish general, for God knows what I +should have done if he had forgotten himself so far as to tell me to +leave the table! The next time I saw the fair she told me she had +felt a mortal pang of fear shoot through her when the general said he +had not asked me. + +"I am quite sure," said she, "that he would have gone further, if +your grand answer had not stopped his mouth; but if he had said +another word, my mind was made up." + +"To do what?" + +"I should have risen from the table and taken your arm, and we should +have gone out together. M. de Castries has told me that he would +have done the same, and I believe all the ladies whom you asked to +breakfast would have followed our example." + +"But the affair would not have stopped then, for I should certainly +have demanded immediate satisfaction, and if he had refused it I +should have struck him with the flat of my sword." + +"I know that, but pray forget that it was I who exposed you to this +danger. For my part, I shall never forget what I owe to you, and I +will try to convince you of my gratitude." + +Two days later, on hearing that she was indisposed, I went to call on +her at eleven o'clock, at which time I was sure the general would not +be there. She received me in her husband's room, and he, in the +friendliest manner possible, asked me if I had come to dine with +them. I hastened to thank him for his invitation, which I accepted +with pleasure, and I enjoyed this dinner better than Kettler's +supper. The burgomaster was a fine-looking man, pleasant-mannered +and intelligent, and a lover of peace and quietness. His wife, whom +he adored, ought to have loved him, since he was by no means one of +those husbands whose motto is, "Displease whom you like, so long as +you please me." + +On her husband's going out for a short time, she shewed me over the +house. + +"Here is our bedroom," said she; "and this is the closet in which I +sleep for five or six nights in every month. Here is a church which +we may look upon as our private chapel, as we hear mass from those +two grated windows. On Sundays we go down this stair and enter the +church by a door, the key to which is always in my keeping." +It was the second Saturday in Lent; we had an excellent fasting +dinner, but I did not for once pay much attention to eating. To see +this young and beautiful woman surrounded by her children, adored by +her family, seemed to me a beautiful sight. I left them at an early +hour to write to Esther, whom I did not neglect, all occupied as I +was with this new flame. + +Next day I went to hear mass at the little church next to the +burgomaster's house. I was well cloaked so as not to attract +attention. I saw my fair one going out wearing a capuchin, and +followed by her family. I noted the little door which was so +recessed in the wall that it would have escaped the notice of anyone +who was unaware of its existence; it opened, I saw, towards the +staircase. + +The devil, who, as everybody knows, has more power in a church than +anywhere else, put into my head the idea of enjoying my mistress by +means of the door and stair. I told her my plan the next day at the +theatre. + +"I have thought of it as well as you," said she, laughing, "and I +will give you the necessary instructions in writing; you will find +them in the first gazette I send you." + +We could not continue this pleasant interview, as my mistress had +with her a lady from Aix-la-Chapelle, who was staying with her for a +few days. And indeed the box was full of company. + +I had not long to wait, for next day she gave me back the gazette +openly, telling me that she had not found anything to interest her in +it. I knew that it would be exceedingly interesting to me. Her note +was as follows: + +"The design which love inspired is subject not to difficulty but +uncertainty. The wife only sleeps in the closet when her husband +asks her--an event which only occurs at certain periods, and the +separation does not last for more than a few days. This period is +not far off, but long custom has made it impossible for the wife to +impose on her husband. It will, therefore, be necessary to wait. +Love will warn you when the hour of bliss has come. The plan will be +to hide in the church; and there must be no thought of seducing the +door-keeper, for though poor he is too stupid to be bribed, and would +betray the secret. The only way will be to hide so as to elude his +watchfulness. He shuts the church at noon on working days; on feast +days he shuts it at evening, and he always opens it again at dawn. +When the time comes, all that need be done is to give the door a +gentle push-it will not be locked. As the closet which is to be the +scene of the blissful combat is only separated from the room by a +partition, there must be no spitting, coughing, nor nose-blowing: it +would be fatal. The escape will be a matter of no difficulty; one +can go down to the church, and go out as soon as it is opened. Since +the beadle has seen nobody in the evening, it is not likely that he +will see more in the morning." + +I kissed again and again this charming letter, which I thought shewed +great power of mental combination, and I went next day to see how the +coast lay: this was the first thing to be done. There was a chair in +the church in which I should never have been seen, but the stair was +on the sacristy side, and that was always locked up. I decided on +occupying the confessional, which was close to the door. I could +creep into the space beneath the confessor's seat, but it was so +small that I doubted my ability to stay there after the door was +shut. I waited till noon to make the attempt, and as soon as the +church was empty I took up my position. I had to roll myself up into +a ball, and even then I was so badly concealed by the folding door +that anyone happening to pass by at two paces distance might easily +have seen me. However I did not care for that, for in adventures of +that nature one must leave a great deal to fortune. Determined to +run all risks I went home highly pleased with my observations. I put +everything I had determined down in writing, and sent it to her box +at the theatre, enclosed in an old gazette. + +A week after she asked the general in my presence if her husband +could do anything for him at Aix-la-Chapelle, where he was going on +the morrow, with the intention of returning in three days. That was +enough for me, but a glance from her added meaning to her words. I +was all the more glad as I had a slight cold, and the next day being +a feast day I could take up my position at night fall, and thus avoid +a painful vigil of several hours' duration. + +I curled myself up in the confessional at four o'clock, hiding myself +as best I could, and commending myself to the care of all the saints. +At five o'clock the beadle made his usual tour of inspection, went +out and locked the door. As soon as I heard the noise of the key I +came out of my narrow cell and sat down on a bench facing the +windows. Soon after my mistress's shadow appeared on the grated +panes, and I knew she had seen me. + +I sat on the bench for a quarter of an hour and then pushed open the +little door and entered. I shut it and sat down on the lowest step +of the stair, and spent there five hours which would probably have +not been unpleasant ones if I had not been dreadfully tormented by +the rats running to and fro close to me. Nature has given me a great +dislike to this animal, which is comparatively harmless; but the +smell of rats always sickens me. + +At last I heard the clock strike ten, the hour of bliss, and I saw +the form of my beloved holding a candle, and I was then freed from my +painful position. If my readers have been in such a situation they +can imagine the pleasures of that happy night, but they cannot divine +the minute circumstances; for if I was an expert my partner had an +inexhaustible store of contrivances for augmenting the bliss of that +sweet employment. She had taken care to get me a little collation, +which looked delicious, but which I could not touch, my appetite +lying in another quarter. + +For seven hours, which I thought all too short, we enjoyed one +another, not resting, except for talk, which served to heighten our +pleasure. + +The burgomaster was not the man for an ardent passion, but his +strength of constitution enabled him to do his duty to his wife every +night without failing, but, whether from regard to his health or from +a religious scruple, he suspended his rights every month while the +moon exercised hers, and to put himself out of temptation he made his +wife sleep apart. But for once in a way, the lady was not in the +position of a divorcee. + +Exhausted, but not satiated with pleasure, I left her at day-break, +assuring her that when we met again she would find me the same; and +with that I went to hide in the confessional, fearing lest the +growing light might betray me to the beadle. However, I got away +without any difficulty, and passed nearly the whole day in bed, +having my dinner served to me in my room. In the evening I went to +the theatre, to have the pleasure of seeing the beloved object of +whom my love and constancy had made me the possessor. + +At the end of a fortnight she sent me a note in which she told me +that she would sleep by herself on the night following. It was a +ferial day, and I therefore went to the church at eleven in the +morning after making an enormous breakfast. I hid myself as before, +and the beadle locked me in without making any discovery. + +I had a wait of ten hours, and the reflection that I should have to +spend the time partly in the church and partly on the dark and rat- +haunted staircase, without being able to take a pinch of snuff for +fear of being obliged to blow my nose, did not tend to enliven the +prospect; however, the hope of the great reward made it easy to be +borne. But at one o'clock I heard a slight noise, and looking up saw +a hand appear through the grated window, and a paper drop on the +floor of the church. I ran to pick it up, while my heart beat fast, +for my first idea was that some obstacle had occurred which would +compel me to pass the night on a bench in the church. I opened it, +and what was my joy to read as follows: + +"The door is open, and you will be more comfortable on the staircase, +where you will find a light, a little dinner, and some books, than in +the church. The seat is not very easy, but I have done my best to +remedy the discomfort with a, cushion. Trust me, the time will seem +as long to me as to you, but be patient. I have told the general +that I do not feel very well, and shall not go out to-day. May God +keep you from coughing, especially during the night, for on the least +noise we should be undone." + +What stratagems are inspired by love! I opened the door directly, and +found a nicely-laid meal, dainty viands, delicious wine, coffee, a +chafing dish, lemons, spirits of wine, sugar, and rum to make some +punch if I liked. With these comforts and some books, I could wait +well enough; but I was astonished at the dexterity of my charming +mistress in doing all this without the knowledge of anybody in the +house. + +I spent three hours in reading, and three more in eating, and making +coffee and punch, and then I went to sleep. At ten o'clock my +darling came and awoke me. This second night was delicious, but not +so much so as the former, as we could not see each other, and the +violence of our ecstatic combats was restrained by the vicinity of +the good husband. We slept part of the time, and early in the +morning I had to make good my retreat. Thus ended my amour with this +lady. The general went to Westphalia, and she was soon to go into +the country. I thus made my preparations for leaving Cologne, +promising to come and see her the year following, which promise +however I was precluded, as the reader will see, from keeping. I +took leave of my acquaintance and set out, regretted by all. + +The stay of two months and a half which I made in Cologne did not +diminish my monetary resources, although I lost whenever I was +persuaded to play. However, my winnings at Bonn made up all +deficiencies, and my banker, M. Franck, complained that I had not +made any use of him. However, I was obliged to be prudent so that +those persons who spied into my actions might find nothing +reprehensible. + +I left Cologne about the middle of March, and I stopped at Bonn, to +present my respects to the Elector, but he was away. I dined with +Count Verita and the Abbe Scampar, a favourite of the Elector's. +After dinner the count gave me a letter of introduction to a canoness +at Coblentz, of whom he spoke in very high terms. That obliged me to +stop at Coblentz ; but when I got down at the inn, I found that the +canoness was at Manheim, while in her stead I encountered an actress +named Toscani, who was going to Stuttgart with her young and pretty +daughter. She was on her way from Paris, where her daughter had been +learning character-dancing with the famous Vestris. I had known her +at Paris, but had not seen much of her, though I had given her a +little spaniel dog, which was the joy of her daughter. This daughter +was a perfect jewel, who had very little difficulty in persuading me +to come with them to Stuttgart, where I expected, for other reasons, +to have a very pleasant stay. The mother was impatient to know what +the duke would think of her daughter, for she had destined her from +her childhood to serve the pleasures of this voluptuous prince, who, +though he had a titular mistress, was fond of experimenting with all +the ballet-girls who took his fancy. + +We made up a little supper-party, and it may be guessed that two of +us belonging to the boards the conversation was not exactly a course +in moral theology. The Toscani told me that her daughter was a +neophyte, and that she had made up her mind not to let the duke touch +her till he had dismissed his reigning mistress, whose place she was +designed to take. The mistress in question was a dancer named +Gardella, daughter of a Venetian boatman, whose name has been +mentioned in my first volume--in fine, she was the wife of Michel +d'Agata, whom I found at Munich fleeing from the terrible Leads, +where I myself languished for so long. + +As I seemed to doubt the mother's assertion, and threw out some +rather broad hints to the effect that I believed that the first bloom +had been plucked at Paris, and that the Duke of Wurtemburg would only +have the second, their vanity was touched; and on my proposing to +verify the matter with my own eyes it was solemnly agreed that this +ceremony should take place the next day. They kept their promise, +and I was pleasantly engaged for two hours the next morning, and was +at last obliged to extinguish in the mother the flames her daughter +had kindled in my breast. + +Although the Toscani was young enough, she would have found me ice if +her daughter had been able to satisfy my desires, but she did not +trust me well enough to leave us alone together. As it was she was +well satisfied. + +I resolved, then, on going to Stuttgart in company with the two +nymphs, and I expected to see there the Binetti, who was always an +enthusiastic admirer of mine. This actress was the daughter of a +Roman boatman. I had helped her to get on the boards the same year +that Madame de Valmarana had married her to a French dancer named +Binet, whose name she had Italianized by the addition of one +syllable, like those who ennoble themselves by adding another +syllable to their names. I also expected to see the Gardella, young +Baletti, of whom I was very fond, his young wife the Vulcani, and +several other of my old friends, who I thought would combine to make +my stay at Stuttgart a very pleasant one. But it will be seen that +it is a risky thing to reckon without one's host. At the last +posting station I bid adieu to my two friends, and went to the +"Bear." + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +Gardella Portrait of The Duke of Wurtemburg--My Dinner with Gardella, +And its Consequences--Unfortunate Meeting I Play and Lose Four +Thousand Louis--Lawsuit--Lucky Flight--My Arrival at Zurich--Church +Consecrated By Jesus Christ Himself + + +At that period the Court of the Duke of Wurtemburg was the most +brilliant in Europe. The heavy subsidies paid by France for +quartering ten thousand men upon him furnished him with the means for +indulging in luxury and debauchery. The army in question was a fine +body of men, but during the war it was distinguished only by its +blunders. + +The duke was sumptuous in his tastes, which were for splendid +palaces, hunting establishments on a large scale, enormous stables-- +in short, every whim imaginable; but his chief expense was the large +salaries he paid his theatre, and, above all, his mistresses. He had +a French play, an Italian opera, grand and comic, and twenty Italian +dancers, all of whom had been principal dancers in Italian theatres. +His director of ballets was Novers, and sometimes five hundred +dancers appeared at once. A clever machinist and the best scene +painters did their best to make the audience believe in magic. All +the ballet-girls were pretty, and all of them boasted of having been +enjoyed at least once by my lord. The chief of them was a Venetian, +daughter of a gondolier named Gardella. She was brought up by the +senator Malipiero, whom my readers know for his good offices towards +myself, who had her taught for the theatre, and gave her a dancing- +master. I found her at Munich, after my flight from The Leads, +married to Michel Agata. The duke took a fancy to her, and asked her +husband, who was only too happy to agree, to yield her; but he was +satisfied with her charms in a year, and put her on the retired list +with the title of madame. + +This honour had made all the other ballet-girls jealous, and they all +thought themselves as fit as she to be taken to the duke's titular +mistress, especially as she only enjoyed the honour without the +pleasure. They all intrigued to procure her dismissal, but the +Venetian lady succeeded in holding her ground against all cabals. + +Far from reproaching the duke for this incorrigible infidelity, she +encouraged him in it, and was very glad to be left to herself, as she +cared nothing for him. Her chief pleasure was to have the ballet- +girls who aspired to the honours of the handkerchief come to her to +solicit her good offices. She always received them politely, gave +them her advice, and bade them do their best to please the prince. +In his turn the duke thought himself bound to shew his gratitude for +her good nature, and gave her in public all the honours which could +be given to a princess. + +I was not long in finding out that the duke's chief desire was to be +talked about. He would have liked people to say that there was not a +prince in Europe to compare with him for wit, taste, genius, in the +invention of pleasures, and statesman-like capacities; he would fain +be regarded as a Hercules in the pleasures of Bacchus and Venus, and +none the less an Aristides in governing his people. He dismissed +without pity an attendant who failed to wake him after he had been +forced to yield to sleep for three or four hours, but he did not care +how roughly he was awakened. + +It has happened that after having given his highness a large cup of +coffee, the servant has been obliged to throw him into a bath of cold +water, where the duke had to choose between awaking or drowning. + +As soon as he was dressed the duke would assemble his council and +dispatch whatever business was on hand, and then he would give +audience to whoever cared to come into his presence. Nothing could +be more comic than the audiences he gave to his poorer subjects. +Often there came to him dull peasants and workmen of the lowest +class; the poor duke would sweat and rage to make them hear reason, +in which he was sometimes unsuccessful, and his petitioners would go +away terrified, desperate, and furious. As to the pretty country +maidens, he examined into their complaints in private, and though he +seldom did anything for them they went away consoled. + +The subsidies which the French Crown was foolish enough to pay him +for a perfectly useless service did not suffice for his extravagant +expenses. He loaded his subjects with taxes till the patient people +could bear it no longer, and some years after had recourse to the +Diet of Wetzlar, which obliged him to change his system. He was +foolish enough to wish to imitate the King of Prussia, while that +monarch made fun of the duke, and called him his ape. His wife was +the daughter of the Margrave of Bayreuth, the prettiest and most +accomplished princess in all Germany. When I had come to Stuttgart +she was no longer there; she had taken refuge with her father, on +account of a disgraceful affront which had been offered her by her +unworthy husband. It is incorrect to say that this princess fled +from her husband because of his infidelities. + +After I had dined by myself, I dressed and went to the opera provided +gratis by the duke in the fine theatre he had built. The prince was +in the front of the orchestra, surrounded by his brilliant Court. I +sat in a box on the first tier, delighted to be able to hear so well +the music of the famous Jumella, who was in the duke's service. In +my ignorance of the etiquette of small German Courts I happened to +applaud a solo, which had been exquisitely sung by a castrato whose +name I have forgotten, and directly afterwards an individual came +into my box and addressed me in a rude manner. However, I knew no +German, and could only answer by 'nich verstand'--"I don't +understand." + +He went out, and soon after an official came in, who told me, in good +French, that when the sovereign was present all applause was +forbidden. + +"Very good, sir. Then I will go away and come again when the +sovereign is not here, as when an air pleases me I always applaud." + +After this reply I called for my carriage, but just as I was getting +into it the same official came and told me that the duke wanted to +speak to me. I accordingly followed him to the presence. + +"You are M. Casanova, are you?" said the duke. + +"Yes, my lord." + +"Where do you come from?" + +"From Cologne." + +"Is this the first time you have been to Stuttgart?" + +"Yes, my lord." + +"Do you think of staying long?" + +"For five or six days, if your highness will allow me." + +"Certainly, you may stay as long as you like, and you may clap when +you please." + +"I shall profit by your permission, my lord." + +"Good." + +I sat down again, and the whole audience settled down to the play. +Soon after, an actor sung an air which the duke applauded, and of +course all the courtiers, but not caring much for the song I sat +still--everyone to his taste. After the ballet the duke went to the +favourite's box, kissed her hand, and left the theatre. An official, +who was sitting by me and did not know that I was acquainted with the +Gardella, told me that as I had had the honour of speaking to the +prince I might obtain the honour of kissing his favourite's hand. + +I felt a strong inclination to laugh, but I restrained myself; and a +sudden and very irrational impulse made me say that she was a +relation of mine. The words had no sooner escaped me than I bit my +lip, for this stupid lie could only do me harm, but it was decreed +that I should do nothing at Stuttgart but commit blunders. The +officer, who seemed astonished at my reply, bowed and went to the +favourite's box to inform her of my presence. The Gardelia looked in +my direction and beckoned to me with her fan, and I hastened to +comply with the invitation, laughing inwardly at the part I was going +to play. As soon as I came in she graciously gave me her hand, which +I kissed, calling her my cousin. + +"Did you tell the duke you were my cousin?" said she. + +"No," I replied. + +"Very good, then I will do so myself; come and dine with me +to-morrow." + +She then left the house, and I went to visit the ballet-girls, who +were undressing: The Binetti, who was one of the oldest of my +acquaintances, was in an ecstasy of joy at seeing me, and asked me to +dine with her every day. Cartz, the violin, who had been with me in +the orchestra at St. Samuel's, introduced me to his pretty daughter, +saying, + +"She is not made for the duke's eyes to gaze on, and he shall never +have her." + +The good man was no prophet, as the duke got possession of her a +short time after. She presented him with two babies, but these +pledges of affection could not fix the inconstant prince. +Nevertheless, she was a girl of the most captivating kind, for to the +most perfect beauty she added grace, wit, goodness, and kindness, +which won everyone's heart. But the duke was satiated, and his only +pleasure lay in novelty. + +After her I saw the Vulcani, whom I had known at Dresden, and who +suddenly presented her husband to me. He threw his arms round my +neck. He was Baletti, brother of my faithless one, a young man of +great talent of whom I was very fond. + +I was surrounded by all these friends, when the officer whom I had so +foolishly told that I was related to the Gardella came in and began +to tell the story. The Binetti, after hearing it, said to him, + +"It's a lie." + +"But my dear," said I to her, "you can't be better informed on the +subject than I am." She replied by laughing, but Cartz said, very +wittily, + +"As Gardella is only a boatman's daughter, like Binetti, the latter +thinks, and very rightly, that you ought to have given her the +refusal of your cousinship." + +Next day I had a pleasant dinner with the favourite, though she told +me that, not having seen the duke, she could not tell me how he would +take my pleasantry, which her mother resented very much. This mother +of hers, a woman of the lowest birth, had become very proud since her +daughter was a prince's mistress, and thought my relationship a blot +on their escutcheon. She had the impudence to tell me that her +relations had never been players, without reflecting that it must be +worse to descend to this estate than to rise from it, if it were +dishonourable. I ought to have pitied her, but not being of a +forbearing nature I retorted by asking if her sister was still alive, +a question which made her frown and to which she gave no answer. The +sister I spoke of was a fat blind woman, who begged on a bridge in +Venice. + +After having spent a pleasant day with the favourite, who was the +oldest of my theatrical friends, I left her, promising to come to +breakfast the next day; but as I was going out the porter bade me not +to put my feet there again, but would not say on whose authority he +gave me this polite order. It would have been wiser to hold my +tongue, as this stroke must have come from the mother; or, perhaps, +from the daughter, whose vanity I had wounded: she was a good-enough +actress to conceal her anger. + +I was angry with myself, and went away in an ill humour; I was +humiliated to see myself treated in such a manner by a wretched +wanton of an actress; though if I had been more discreet I could have +got a welcome in the best society. If I had not promised to dine +with Binetti the next day I should have posted off forthwith, and I +should thus have escaped all the misadventures which befell me in +that wretched town. + +The Binetti lived in the house of her lover, the Austrian ambassador, +and the part of the house she occupied adjoined the town wall. As +will be seen; this detail is an important one. I dined alone with my +good fellow-countrywoman, and if I had felt myself capable of love at +that period all my old affection would have resumed its sway over me, +as her beauty was undiminished, and she had more tact and knowledge +of the world than when I knew her formerly. + +The Austrian ambassador was a good-natured, easygoing, and generous +man; as for her husband he was not worthy of her, and she never saw +him. I spent a pleasant day with her, talking of our old friends, +and as I had nothing to keep me in Wurtemburg I decided to leave in +two days, as I had promised the Toscani and her daughter to go with +them on the next day to Louisbourg. We were to start at five in the +morning, but the following adventure befell me:-- + +As I was leaving Binetti's house I was greeted very courteously by +three officers whom I had become acquainted with at the coffee house, +and I walked along the promenade with them. + +"We are going," said one of them, "to visit certain ladies of easy +virtue; we shall be glad to have you of our company." + +"I only speak a few words of German," I answered, "and if I join you +I shall be bored." + +"Ah! but the ladies are Italians," they exclaimed, "nothing could +suit you better." + +I did not at all like following them, but my evil genius led me in +that wretched town from one blunder to another, and so I went in +spite of myself. + +We turned back into the town, and I let myself be led up to the third +floor of an ill-looking house, and in the meanest of rooms I saw the +pretended nieces of Peccini. A moment after Peccini appeared, and +had the impudence to throw his arms around my neck, calling me his +best friend. His nieces overwhelmed me with caresses, and seemed to +confirm the idea that we were old friends. I did nothing and held my +tongue. + +The officers prepared for a debauch; I did not imitate their example, +but this made no difference to them. I saw into what an evil place I +had been decoyed, but a false shame prevented me from leaving the +house without ceremony. I was wrong, but I determined to be more +prudent for the future. + +Before long a pot-house supper was served, of which I did not +partake; but not wishing to seem bad company I drank two or three +small glasses of Hungarian wine. After supper, which did not last +very long, cards were produced, and one of the officers held a bank +at faro. I punted and lost the fifty or sixty Louis I had about me. +I felt that I was drunk, my head was reeling, and I would have gladly +given over playing and gone away, but I have never been so possessed +as on that day, either from false shame or from the effects of the +drugged wine they gave me. My noble officers seemed vexed that I had +lost, and would give me my revenge. They made me hold a bank of a +hundred Louis in fish, which they counted out to me. I did so, and +lost. I made a bank again, and again I lost. My inflamed +understanding, my increasing drunkenness, and my anger, deprived me +of all sense, and I kept increasing my bank, losing all the time, +till at midnight my good rascals declared they would play no more. +They made a calculation, and declared that I had lost nearly a +hundred thousand francs. So great was my intoxication, although I +had had no more wine, that they were obliged to send for a sedan +chair to take me to my inn. While my servant was undressing me he +discovered that I had neither my watches nor my gold snuff-boy. + +"Don't forget to wake me at four in the morning," said I. Therewith +I went to bed and enjoyed a calm and refreshing sleep. + +While I was dressing next morning I found a hundred Louis in my +pocket, at which I was much astonished, for my dizziness of brain +being over now, I remembered that I had not this money about me the +evening before; but my mind was taken up with the pleasure party, and +I put off thinking of this incident and of my enormous losses till +afterwards. I went to the Toscani and we set out for Louisbourg, +where we had a capital dinner, and my spirits ran so high that my +companions could never have guessed the misfortune that had just +befallen me. We went back to Stuttgart in the evening. + +When I got home my Spaniard told me that they knew nothing about my +watches and snuff-box at the house where I had been the evening +before, and that the three officers had come to call on me, but not +finding me at home they had told him to warn me that they would +breakfast with me on the following morning. They kept the +appointment. + +"Gentlemen," said I, as soon as they came in, "I have lost a sum +which I cannot pay, and which I certainly should not have lost +without the drugged wine you gave me. You have taken me to a den of +infamy, where I was shamefully robbed of jewellery to the value of +more than three hundred Louis. I complain of no one, since I have +only my own folly to complain of. If I had been wiser all this would +not have happened to me." + +They exclaimed loudly at this speech, and tried to play the part of +men of honour. They spoke in vain, as I had made up my mind to pay +nothing. + +Whilst we were in the thick of the fight, and were beginning to get +angry over it, Baletti, Toscani, and Binetti came in, and heard the +discussion. I then had breakfast brought in, and after we had +finished my friends left me. + +When we were once more alone, one of the rascals addressed me as +follows: + +"We are too honest, sir, to take advantage of your position. You +have been unfortunate, but all men are sometimes unfortunate, and we +ask nothing better than a mutual accommodation. We will take over +all your properties; jewels, diamonds, arms, and carriage, and have +them valued; and if the sum realized does not cover your debt we will +take your acceptance, payable at date, and remain good friends." + +"Sir, I do not wish for the friendship of robbers, and I will not +play a single farthing." + +At this they tried threats, but I kept cool and said,-- + +"Gentlemen, your menaces will not intimidate me, and, as far as I can +see, you have only two ways of getting paid; either by way of the +law, in which case I do not think I shall find it difficult to get a +barrister to take up my case, or, secondly, you can pay yourselves on +my body, honourably, with sword in hand." + +As I had expected, they replied that if I wished they would do me the +honour of killing me after I had paid them. They went off cursing, +telling me that I would be sorry for what I had said. + +Soon after I went out and spent the day with the Toscani in gaiety +which, situated as I was, was not far off madness. At the time I +placed it to the daughter's charms, and to the need my spirits were +in of recovering their elasticity. + +However, the mother having witnessed the rage of the three robbers +was the first to urge me to fortify myself against their villainy by +an appeal to the law. + +"If you give them the start," said she, "they may possibly gain a +great advantage over you in spite of the right being on your side." + +And whilst I toyed with her charming daughter, she sent for a +barrister. After hearing my case the counsel told me that my best +way would be to tell the whole story to the sovereign as soon as +possible. + +"They took you to the house of ill-fame; they poured out the drugged +wine which deprived you of your reason; they made you play in spite +of their prince's prohibition (for gaming is strictly forbidden); in +this company you were robbed of your jewels after they had made you +lose an enormous sum. It's a hanging matter, and the duke's interest +will be to do you justice, for an act of scoundrelism like this +committed by his officers would dishonour him all over Europe." + +I felt some repugnance to this course, for though the duke was a +shameless libertine I did not like telling him such a disgraceful +story. However, the case was a serious one, and after giving it due +reflection I determined to wait on the dike on the following morning. + +"As the duke gives audience to the first comer," I said to myself, +"why should I not have as good a reception as a labouring man? "In +this way I concluded that it would be no use to write to him, and I +was on my way to the Court, when, at about twenty paces from the gate +of the castle, I met my three gentlemen who accosted me rudely and +said I had better make up my mind to pay, or else they would play the +devil with me. + +I was going on without paying any attention to them, when I felt +myself rudely seized by the right arm. A natural impulse of self- +defence made me put my hand to my sword, and I drew it in a manner +that shewed I was in earnest. The officer of the guard came running +up, and I complained that the three were assaulting me and +endeavouring to hinder my approach to the prince. On enquiry being +made, the sentry and the numerous persons who were present declared +that I had only drawn in self-defence, so the officer decided that I +had perfect liberty to enter the castle. + +I was allowed to penetrate to the last antechamber without any +obstacle being raised. Here I addressed myself to the chamberlain, +demanding an audience with the sovereign, and he assured me that I +should be introduced into the presence. But directly afterwards the +impudent scoundrel who had taken hold of my arm came up and began to +speak to the chamberlain in German. He said his say without my being +able to contradict him, and his representations were doubtless not in +my favour. Very possibly, too, the chamberlain was one of the gang, +and I went from Herod to Pilate. An hour went by without my being +able to see the prince, and then the chamberlain, who had assured me +that I should have an audience, came and told me that I might go +home, as the duke had heard all the circumstances of the case, and +would no doubt see that justice was done me. + +I saw at once that I should get no justice at all, and as I was +walking away I thought how best I could get out of the difficulty. +On my way I met Binetti, who knew how I was placed, and he asked me +to come and dine with him, assuring me that the Austrian ambassador +would take me under his protection, and that he would save me from +the violent measures which the rascals no doubt intended to take, in +spite of the chamberlain's assurances. I accepted the invitation, +and Binetti's charming wife, taking the affair to heart, did not lose +a moment in informing her lover, the ambassador, of all the +circumstances. + +This diplomatist came into the room with her, and after hearing all +the details from my lips he said that in all probability the duke +knew nothing about it. + +"Write a brief account of the business," said he, "and I will lay it +before the sovereign, who will no doubt see justice done." + +I went to Binetti's desk, and as soon as I had written down my true +relation I gave it, unsealed, to the ambassador, who assured me that +it should be in the duke's hands in the course of an hour. + +At dinner my country-woman assured me again that her lover should +protect me, and we spent the day pleasantly enough; but towards +evening my Spaniard came and assured me that if I returned to the inn +I should be arrested, "for" said he, "an officer came to see you, and +finding you were out he took up his position at the street door and +has two soldiers standing at the foot of the staircase." + +The Binetti said, "You must not go to the inn; stay here, where you +have nothing to fear. Send for what you want, and we will wait and +see what happens." I then gave orders to my Spaniard to go and fetch +the belongings which were absolutely necessary to me. + +At midnight the ambassador came in; we were still up, and he seemed +pleased that his mistress had sheltered me. He assured me that my +plea had been laid before the sovereign, but during the three days I +was in the house I heard no more about it. + +On the fourth day, whilst I was pondering as to how I should act, the +ambassador received a letter from a minister requesting him, on +behalf of the sovereign, to dismiss me from his house, as I had a +suit pending with certain officers of his highness, and whilst I was +with the ambassador justice could not take its course. The +ambassador gave me the letter, and I saw that the minister promised +that strict justice should be done me. There was no help for it; I +had to make up my mind to return to my inn, but the Binetti was so +enraged that she began to scold her lover, at which he laughed, +saying, with perfect truth, that he could not keep me there in +defiance of the prince. + +I re-entered the inn without meeting anyone, but when I had had my +dinner and was just going to see my counsel an officer served me with +a summons, which was interpreted to me by my landlord, which ordered +me to appear forthwith before the notary appointed to take my +deposition. I went to him with the officer of the court, and spent +two hours with the notary, who wrote down my deposition in German +while I gave it in Latin. When it was done he told me to sign my +name; to which I answered that I must decline to sign a document I +did not understand. He insisted on my doing it, but I was immovable. +He then got in a rage and said I ought to be ashamed of myself for +suspecting a notary's honour. I replied calmly that I had no doubts +as to his honour, but that I acted from principle, and that as I did +not understand what he had written I refused to sign it. I left him, +and was accompanied by the officer to my own counsel, who said I had +done quite right, and promised to call on me the next day to receive +my power of attorney. + +"And when I have done that," he said, "your business will be mine." + +I was comforted by this man, who inspired me with confidence, and +went back to the hotel, where I made a good supper and went +tranquilly to sleep. Next morning, however, when I awoke, my +Spaniard announced an officer who had followed him, and told me in +good French that I must not be astonished to find myself a prisoner +in my room, for being a stranger and engaged in a suit at law it was +only right that the opposite party should be assured that I would not +escape before judgment was given. He asked very politely for my +sword, and to my great regret I was compelled to give it him. The +hilt was of steel, exquisitely chased; it was a present from Madame +d'Urfe, and was worth at least fifty louis. + +I wrote a note to my counsel to tell him what had happened; he came +to see me and assured me that I should only be under arrest for a few +days. + +As I was obliged to keep my room, I let my friends know of my +confinement, and I received visits from dancers and ballet-girls, who +were the only decent people I was acquainted with in that wretched +Stuttgart, where I had better never have set foot. My situation was +not pleasant to contemplate: I had been drugged, cheated, robbed, +abused, imprisoned, threatened with a mulct of a hundred thousand +francs, which would have stripped me to my shirt, as nobody knew the +contents of my pocket-book. I could think of nothing else. I had +written to Madame the Gardella, but to no purpose, as I got no +answer. All the consolation I got was from Binetti, Toscani, and +Baletti, who dined or supped with me every day. The three rascals +came to see me one by one, and each tried to get me to give him money +unknown to the other two, and each promised that if I would do that, +he would get me out of the difficulty. Each would have been content +with three or four hundred louis, but even if I had given that sum to +one of them I had no guarantee that the others would desist from +their persecution. Indeed, if I had done so I should have given some +ground to their pretensions, and bad would have been made worse. My +answer was that they wearied me, and that I should be glad if they +would desist from visiting me. + +On the fifth day of my arrest the duke left for Frankfort; and the +same day Binetti came and told me from her lover that the duke had +promised the officers not to interfere, and that I was therefore in +danger of an iniquitous sentence. His advice was to neglect no means +of getting out of the difficulty, to sacrifice all my property, +diamonds, and jewellery, and thus to obtain a release from my +enemies. The Binetti, like a wise woman, disliked this counsel, and +I relished it still less, but she had to perform her commission. + +I had jewellery and lace to the value of more than a hundred thousand +francs, but I could not resolve to make the sacrifice. I did not +know which way to turn or where to go, and while I was in this state +of mind my barrister came in. He spoke as follows: + +"Sir, all my endeavors on your behalf have been unsuccessful. There +is a party against you which seems to have support in some high +quarter, and which silences the voice of justice. It is my duty to +warn you that unless you find some way of arranging matters with +these rascals you are a ruined man. The judgment given by the police +magistrate, a rascal like the rest of them, is of a summary +character, for as a stranger you will not be allowed to have recourse +to the delays of the law. You would require bail to do that. They +have managed to procure witnesses who swear that you are a +professional gamester, that it was you who seduced the three officers +into the house of your countryman Peccini, that it is not true that +your wine was drugged that you did not lose your watches nor your +snuff-box, for, they say, these articles will be found in your mails +when your goods are sold. For that you will only have to wait till +to-morrow or the day after, and do not think that I am deceiving you +in any particular, or you will be sorry for it. They will come here +and empty your mails, boxes, and pockets, a list will be made, and +they will be sold by auction the same day. If the sum realized is +greater than the debt the surplus will go in costs, and you may +depend upon it that a very small sum will be returned to you; but if, +on the other hand, the sum is not sufficient to pay everything, +including the debt, costs, expenses of the auction, etc., you will be +enrolled as a common soldier in the forces of His Most Serene +Highness. I heard it said to the officer, who is your greatest +creditor, that the four Louis enlistment money would be taken into +account, and that the duke would be glad to get hold of such a fine +man." + +The barrister left me without my noticing him. I was so petrified by +what he had said. I was in such a state of collapse that in less +than an hour all the liquids in my body must have escaped. I, a +common soldier in the army of a petty sovereign like the duke, who +only existed by the horrible traffic in human flesh which he carried +on after the manner of the Elector of Hesse. I, despoiled by those +knaves, the victim of an iniquitous sentence. Never! I would +endeavour to hit upon some plan to gain time. + +I began by writing to my chief creditor that I had decided to come to +an agreement with them, but I wished them all to wait upon my notary, +with witnesses, to put a formal close to the action and render me a +free man again. + +I calculated that one of them was sure to be on duty on the morrow, +and thus I should gain a day at any rate. In the mean time I hoped +to discover some way of escape. + +I next wrote to the head of the police, whom I styled "your +excellency" and "my lord," begging him to vouchsafe his all-powerful +protection. I told him that I had resolved on selling all my +property to put an end to the suit which threatened to overwhelm me, +and I begged him to suspend the proceedings, the cost of which could +only add to my difficulties. I also asked him to send me a +trustworthy man to value my effects as soon as I had come to an +agreement with my creditors, with whom I begged for his good offices. +When I had done I sent my Spaniard to deliver the letters. + +The officer to whom I had written, who pretended that I was his +debtor to the amount of two thousand Louis, came to see me after +dinner. I was in bed; and I told him I thought I had fever. He +began to offer his sympathy, and, genuine or not, I was pleased with +it. He told me he had just had some conversation with the chief of +the police, who had shewn him my letter. + +"You are very wise," said he, "in consenting to a composition, but we +need not all three be present. I have full powers from the other +two, and that will be sufficient for the notary:" + +"I am in bad enough case," I replied, "for you to grant me the favour +of seeing you all together; I cannot think you will refuse me." + +"Well, well, you shall be satisfied, but if you are in a hurry to +leave Stuttgart I must warn you that we cannot come before Monday, +for we are on duty for the next four days." + +"I am sorry to hear it, but I will wait. Give me your word of honour +that all proceedings shall be suspended in the mean time." + +"Certainly; here is my hand, and you may reckon on me. In my turn I +have a favour to ask. I like your post-chaise; will you let me have +it for what it cost you?" + +"With pleasure." + +"Be kind enough to call the landlord, and tell him in my presence +that the carriage belongs to me." + +I had the landlord upstairs and did as the rascal had asked me, but +mine host told him that he could dispose of it after he had paid for +it, and with that he turned his back on him and left the room. + +"I am certain of having the chaise," said the officer, laughing. He +then embraced me, and went away. + +I had derived so much pleasure from my talk with him that I felt +quite another man. I had four days before me; it was a rare piece of +good luck. + +Some hours after, an honest-looking fellow who spoke Italian well +came to tell me, from the chief of police, that my creditors would +meet on the ensuing Monday, and that he himself was appointed to +value my goods. He advised me to make it a condition of the +agreement that my goods should not be sold by auction, and that my +creditors should consider his valuation as final and binding. He +told me that I should congratulate myself if I followed his advice. + +I told him that I would not forget his services, and begged him to +examine my mails and my jewel-box. He examined everything and told +me that my lace alone was worth twenty thousand francs. "In all," he +added, "your goods are worth more than a hundred thousand francs, but +I promise to tell your adversaries another story, Thus, if you can +persuade them to take half their debt, you will get off with half +your effects." + +"In that ease," I said, "you shall have fifty louis, and here are six +as an earnest." + +"I am grateful to you, and you can count upon my devotion. The whole +town and the duke as well know your creditors to be knaves, but they +have their reasons for refusing to see their conduct in its true +light." + +I breathed again, and now all my thoughts were concentrated on making +my escape with all I possessed, my poor chaise excepted. I had a +difficult task before me, but not so difficult a one as my flight +from The Leads, and the recollection of my great escape gave me fresh +courage. + +My first step was to ask Toscani, Baletti, and the dancer Binetti to +supper, as I had measures to concert with these friends of mine, whom +I could rely on, and who had nothing to fear from the resentment of +three rascals. + +After we had had a good supper I told them how the affair stood, and +that I was determined to escape, and to carry my goods with me. "And +now," I said, "I want your advice." + +After a brief silence Binetti said if I could get to his house I +could lower myself down from a window, and once on the ground I +should be outside the town walls and at a distance of a hundred paces +from the high road, by which I could travel post and be out of the +duke's dominions by daybreak. Thereupon Baletti opened the window +and found that it would be impossible to escape that way, on account +of a wooden roof above a shop. I looked out also, and seeing that he +was right I said that I should no doubt hit on some way of making my +escape from the inn, but what troubled me chiefly was my luggage. +The Toscani then said:-- + +"You will have to abandon your mails, which you could not take off +without attracting attention, and you must send all your effects to +my house. I engage to deliver safely whatever you may put in my +care. I will take away your effects under my clothes in several +journeys, and I can begin to-night." + +Baletti thought this idea a good one, and said that to do it the +quicker his wife would come and help. We fixed on this plan, and I +promised Binetti to be with him at midnight on Sunday, even if I had +to stab the sentry, who was at my door all day, but who went away at +night after locking me in. Baletti said he would provide me with a +faithful servant, and a post-chaise with swift horses, which would +take my effects in other mails. To make the best use of the time, +the Toscani began to load herself, putting two of my suits of clothes +under her dress. For the next few days my friends served me so well +that, at midnight on Saturday, my mails and my dressing case were +empty; I kept back all the jewellery intending to carry it in my +pocket. + +On Sunday, the Toscani brought me the keys of the two mails, in which +she had put my goods; and Baletti came also to tell me that all the +necessary measures had been taken, and that I should find a post- +chaise, under the charge of his servant, waiting for me on the high +road. So far good, and the reader shall now hear how I contrived to +escape from my inn. + +The sentry confined himself to a small ante-chamber, where he walked +up and down, without ever coming into my room, except at my +invitation. As soon as he heard that I had gone to bed he locked the +door, and went off till the next day. He used to sup on a little +table in a corner of the ante-room; his food being sent out by me. +Profiting by my knowledge of his habits, I gave my Spaniard the +following instructions: + +"After supper, instead of going to bed, I shall hold myself in +readiness for leaving my room, and I shall leave it when I see the +light extinguished in the ante-room, while I shall take care that my +candle be so placed as not to shew any light outside, or to reflect +my shadow. Once out of my room, I shall have no difficulty in +reaching the stairs, and my escape will be accomplished. I shall go +to Binetti's, leave the town by his house, and wait for you at +Furstenburg. No one can hinder you from joining me in the course of +a day or two. So when you see me ready in my room, and this will be +whilst the sentry is having his supper, put out the candle on the +table: you can easily manage to do so whilst snuffing it. You will +then take it to re-light it, and I shall seize that moment to get off +in the darkness. When you conclude that I have got out of the ante- +room, you can come back to the soldier with the lighted candle, and +you can help him to finish his bottle. By that time I shall be safe, +and when you tell him I have gone to bed he will come to the door, +wish me good night, and after locking the door and putting the key in +his pocket he will go away with you. It is not likely that he will +come in and speak to me when he hears I have gone to bed." + +Nevertheless, as he might possibly take it into his head to come into +the room, I carefully arranged a wig-block in a night-cap on the +pillow, and huddled up the coverlet so as to deceive a casual glance. + +All my plans were successful, as I heard afterwards from my Spaniard. +Whilst he was drinking with the sentry I was getting on my great +coat, girding on my hanger (I had no longer a sword), and putting my +loaded pistols in my pocket. As soon as the darkness told me that Le +Duc had put out the candle I went out softly, and reached the +staircase without making the least noise. Once there the rest was +easy, for the stair led into the passage, and the passage to the main +door, which was always open till nearly midnight. + +I stepped out along the street, and at a quarter to twelve I got to +Binetti's, and found his wife looking out for me at the window. When +I was in the room, whence I intended to escape, we lost no time. I +threw my overcoat to Baletti, who was standing in the ditch below, up +to the knees in mud, and binding a strong cord round my waist I +embraced the Binetti and Baletti's wife, who lowered me down as +gently as possible. Baletti received me in his arms, I cut the cord, +and after taking my great coat I followed his footsteps. We strode +through the mud, and going along a hedge we reached the high road in +a state of exhaustion, although it was not more than a hundred paces +as the crow flies from where we stood to the house. At a little +distance off, beside a small wayside inn, we found the postchaise in +which sat Baletti's servant. He got out, telling us that the +postillion had just gone into the inn to have a glass of beer and +light his pipe. I took the good servant's place, and gave him a +reward, and begged them both to be gone, saying I would manage all +the rest myself. + +It was April and, 1760--my birthday--and a remarkable period in my +career, although my whole life has been filled with adventures, good +or bad. + +I had been in the carriage for two or three minutes when the +postillion came and asked me if we had much longer to wait. He +thought he was speaking to the same person that he had left in the +chaise, and I did not undeceive him. "Drive on," I answered, "and +make one stage of it from here to Tubingen, without changing horses +at Waldenbach." He followed my instructions, and we went along at a +good pace, but I had a strong inclination to laugh at the face he +made when he saw me at Tubingen. Baletti's servant was a youth, and +slightly built; I was tall, and quite a man. He opened his eyes to +their utmost width, and told me I was not the same gentleman that was +in the carriage when he started. "You're drunk," said I, putting in +his hand four times what he was accustomed to get, and the poor devil +did not say a word. Who has not experienced the persuasive influence +of money? I went on my journey, and did not stop till I reached +Furstenburg, where I was quite safe. + +I had eaten nothing on the way, and by the time I got to the inn I +was dying of hunger. I had a good supper brought to me, and then I +went to bed and slept well. As soon as I awoke I wrote to my three +rascals. I promised to wait ten days for them at the place from +which I dated the letter, and I challenged them to a duel a +l'outrance, swearing that I would publish their cowardice all over +Europe if they refused to measure swords with me. I next wrote to +the Toscani, to Baletti, and to the good-natured mistress of the +Austrian ambassador, commending Le Duc to their care, and thanking +them for their friendly help. + +The three rascals did not come, but the landlord's two daughters, +both of them pretty, made me pass the three days very agreeably. + +On the fourth day, towards noon, I had the pleasure of seeing my +faithful Spaniard riding into the town carrying his portmanteau on +his saddle. + +"Sir," said he, "all Stuttgart knows you to be here, and I fear, lest +the three officers who were too cowardly to accept your challenge may +have you assassinated. If you are wise you will set out for +Switzerland forthwith." + +"That's cowardly, my lad," said I. "Don't be afraid about me, but +tell me all that happened after my escape." + +"As soon as you were gone, sir, I carried out your instructions, and +helped the poor devil of a sentry to empty his bottle, though he +would have willingly dispensed with my assistance in the matter; I +then told him you had gone to bed, and he locked the door as usual, +and went away after shaking me by the hand. After he had gone I went +to bed. Next morning the worthy man was at his post by nine o'clock, +and at ten the three officers came, and on my telling them that you +were still asleep they went away, bidding me come to a coffee-house, +and summon them when you got up. As they waited and waited to no +purpose, they came again at noon, and told the soldier to open the +door. What followed amused me, though I was in some danger in the +midst of the rascals. + +"They went in, and taking the wig-block for your head they came up to +the bed and politely wished you good morning. You took no notice, so +one of them proceeded to give you a gentle shake, and the bauble fell +and rolled along the floor. I roared with laughter at the sight of +their amazement. + +"'You laugh, do you, rascal? Tell us where your master is.' And to +give emphasis to their words they accompanied them with some strokes +of the cane. + +"I was not going to stand this sort of thing, so I told them, with an +oath, that if they did not stop I should defend myself, adding that I +was not my master's keeper, and advising them to ask the sentry. + +"The sentry on his part swore by all the saints that you must have +escaped by the window, but in spite of this a corporal was summoned, +and the poor man was sent to prison. + +"The clamour that was going on brought up the landlord, who opened +your mails, and on finding them empty said that he would be well +enough paid by your postchaise, replying only with a grin to the +officer who pretended you had given it him. + +"In the midst of the tumult a superior officer came up, who decided +that you must have escaped through the window, and ordered the sentry +to be set at liberty on the spot. Then came my turn, for, as I kept +on laughing and answered all questions by 'I don't know,' these +gentleman had me taken to prison, telling me I should stay there till +I informed them where you, or at least your effects, could be found. + +"The next day one of them came to the prison, and told me that unless +I confessed I should undoubtedly be sent to the galleys. + +"'On the faith of a Spaniard,' I answered, I know nothing, but if I +did it would be all the same to you, for no one can make an honest +servant betray his master. + +"At this the rascal told the turnkey to give me a taste of the lash, +and after this had been done I was set at liberty. + +"My back was somewhat scarified, but I had the proud consciousness of +having done my duty, and I went back and slept at the inn, where they +were glad to see me. Next morning everyone knew you were here and +had sent a challenge to the three sharpers, but the universal opinion +was that they were too knowing to risk their lives by meeting you. +Nevertheless, Madame Baletti told me to beg you to leave Furstenburg, +as they might very likely have you assassinated. The landlord sold +your chaise and your mails to the Austrian ambassador, who, they say, +let you escape from a window in the apartment occupied by his +mistress. No one offered to prevent me coming here: + +Three hours after Le Duc's arrival I took post and went to +Schaffhaus, and from there to Zurich, with hired horses, as there are +no posts in Switzerland. At Zurich I put up at the "Sward," an +excellent inn. + +After supper, powdering over my arrival in Zurich where I had dropped +from the clouds as it were, I began, to reflect seriously upon my +present situation and the events of my past life. I recalled my +misfortunes and scrutinized my conduct; and was not long in +concluding that all I had suffered was through my own fault, and that +when fortune would have crowned me with happiness I had persistently +trifled that happiness away. I had just succeeded in escaping from a +trap where I might have perished, or at least have been overwhelmed +with shame, and I shuddered at the thought. I resolved to be no more +fortune's plaything, but to escape entirely from her hands. I +calculated my assets and found I was possessed of a hundred thousand +crowns. "With that," said I, "I can live secure amidst the changes +and chances of this life, and I shall at last experience true +happiness." + +I went to bed pondering over these fancies, and my sleep was full of +happy dreams. I saw myself dwelling in a retired spot amidst peace +and plenty. I thought I was surrounded on all sides by a fair +expanse of country which belonged to me, where I enjoyed that freedom +the world cannot give. My dreams had all the force of reality, till +a sudden awakening at day-break came to give them the lie. But the +imaginary bliss I had enjoyed had so taken my fancy that I could not +rest till I realized it. I arose, dressed myself hastily, and went +out, fasting, without knowing where I was going. + +I walked on and on, absorbed in contemplation, and did not really +awake till I found myself in a ravine between two lofty mountains. +Stepping forward I reached a valley surrounded by mountains on all +sides, and in the distance a fine church, attached to a pile of +buildings, magnificently situated. I guessed it to be a monastery, +and I made my way towards it. + +The church door was open, and I went in and was amazed at the rich +marbles and the beauty of the altars; and, after hearing the last +mass, I went to the sacristy and found myself in a crowd of +Benedictines. + +The abbot, whom I recognized by his cross, came towards me and asked +if I wished to see the church and monastery. I replied that I should +be delighted, and he, with two other brethren, offered to shew me +all. I saw their rich ornaments, chasubles embroidered with gold and +pearls, the sacred vessels adorned with diamonds and other precious +stones, a rich balustrade, etc. + +As I understood German very imperfectly and the Swiss dialect (which +is hard to acquire and bears the same relation to German that Genoese +has to Italian) not at all, I began to speak Latin, and asked the +abbot if the church had been built for long. Thereupon the very +reverend father entered into a long history, which would have made me +repent my inquisitiveness if he had not finished by saying that the +church was consecrated by Jesus Christ Himself. This was carrying +its foundation rather far back, and no doubt my face expressed some +surprise, for to convince me of the truth of the story the abbot bade +me follow him into the church, and there on a piece of marble +pavement he shewed me the imprint of the foot of Jesus, which He had +left there at the moment of the consecration, to convince the +infidels and to save the bishop the trouble of consecrating the +church. + +The abbot had had this divinely revealed to him in a dream, and going +into the church to verify the vision he saw the print of the Divine +Foot, and gave thanks to the Lord. + + + + +End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of MEMOIRES OF JACQUES CASANOVA +THE ETERNAL QUEST, Vol. 3c, HOLLAND AND GERMANY +by Jacques Casanova de Seingalt |