Volume I Part 48 (2/2)

This letter, which was read publicly at the evening reception, h, but he ordered redo is the cause of it all”

”True, but she is well punished for it You ought to call upon her with me to-morrow”

”To-morrow? Are you then certain that I shall not be placed under arrest?”

”Yes, for I know that the general is a man of honour”

”I ao on board your felucca We will eht”

”Why not now?”

”Because I will not run the risk of spending the night on board M

Foscari's bastarda I want to reach Corfu by daylight, so as to make your victory ht hours?”

”We will pay a visit to soood supper”

I ordered my lieutenant to send plenty to eat and to drink to the men on board the felucca, to prepare a splendid supper, and to spare nothing, as I should leave the island at ht I made him a present of all my provisions, except such as I wanted to take with ave a week's pay, insisted upon escorting me, fully equipped, as far as the boat, which h all the way

We reached Corfu by eight o'clock in the side the 'bastarda The adjutant consigned ive notice of e to his house, and report the success of his expedition to the general

M Foscari, the commander of the bastarda, treated me very badly If he had been blessed with any delicacy of feeling, he would not have been in such a hurry to have ht have talked to me, and have thus delayed for a quarter of an hour that operation which greatly vexed le word, he sent me to the 'capo di scalo' who made me sit down, and told me to put my foot forward to receive the irons, which, however, do not dishonour anyone in that country, not even the galley slaves, for they are better treated than soldiers

My right leg was already in irons, and the left one was in the hands of the man for the completion of that unpleasant ceremony, when the adjutant of his excellency came to tell the executioner to set me at liberty and to return me my sword I wanted to present my compliments to the noble M Foscari, but the adjutant, rather ashamed, assured me that his excellency did not expectI did was to payone word to him, but he told me with a serious countenance to be more prudent for the future, and to learn that a soldier's first duty was to obey, and above all to beof the two last words, and acted accordingly

When I made my appearance at M D---- R-----'s, I could see pleasure on everybody's face Those otten them, they have afforded me consolation in the time of adversity If you would relish pleasure you hts are in proportion to the privations we have suffered M D---- R---- was so glad to see me that he came up to me and war which he took frohtly in not letting anyone, and particularly hie

”You can't think,” he added, frankly, ”how interested Madahted if you called on her ihtful to receive such advice from his own lips! But the word ”iht on board the felucca, I was afraid that the disorder of ht injure me in her eyes Yet I could neither refuse M D---- R-----, nor tell hiht myself that I could make a merit of it in the eyes of Madame F---- I therefore went at once to her house; the Goddess was not yet visible, but her attendant toldme that her mistress's bell would soon be heard, and that she would be very sorry if I did not wait to see her I spent half an hour with that young and indiscreet person, as a very charreat pleasure, and particularly all that had been said respecting hout the affair eneral approbation

As soon as Madame F---- had seen her maid, she desired me to be shewn in

The curtains were drawn aside, and I thought I saw Aurora surrounded with the roses and the pearls ofI told her that, if it had not been for the order I received from M D---- R---- I would not have presu costume; and in theall the interest she felt in ht to tell me to coreatest esteem for reat happiness, for all I dared aim at was toleration”

”We all ads when you refrained fro that insolent madman on the spot; he would have been thrown out of theif he had not beat a hurried retreat”

”I should certainly have killed him, madam, if you had not been present”

”A very pretty coht of me in such a ave a deep sigh She observed e the subject of conversation she praised M D---- R----- very highly, as soon as I had told her how he had offered it to ive her an account of my life on the island, and I did so, but allowed my pretty needlewomen to remain under a veil, for I had already learnt that in this world the truth must often remain untold

All reatly admired my conduct