Volume I Part 52 (1/2)

My conclusion was that M F---- had asked M D---- R---- to let estion of his wife, or, at least with her consent, and it was highly flattering to my love and to my vanity But I was bound in honour not to accept the post, unless I had a perfect assurance that it would not be disagreeable to my present patron ”I will accept,” I said to myself, ”if M D---- R---- tellsso It is for M F to ht I had the honour of offeringthe procession which takes place in commemoration of the death of our Lord and Saviour, which was then attended on foot by all the nobility I expected she would mention the h the night I could not close my eyes

I feared she had been offended by rief I passed the whole of the next day without breakingreception I felt very unwell, and I had an attack of fever which kept me in bed on Easter Sunday I was very weak on the Monday, and intended to reer from Madame F---- caer not to say that he had foundmyself rapidly I hurried to her house I entered her roo very ill: yet she did not enquire after my health, and kept silent ato recollect what she had to say to me

”Ah! yes, you are aware that our adjutant is dead, and that ant to replace hireat esteem for you, and feels that M D---- R---- leaves you perfectly free to ular fancy that you will come, if I ask you myself to do us that pleasure Is he mistaken? If you would co to a roo the chamber in which she slept, and so situated that, to see her in every part of her room, I should not even require to place myself at the

”M D---- R-----,” she continued, ”will not love you less, and as he will see you here every day, he will not be likely to forget his interest in your welfare Now, tell me, will you come or not?”

”I wish I could, ular Take a seat, and tellmy offer, you are sure to please M D---- R---- as well as us”

”If I were certain of it, I would accept immediately; but all I have heard from his lips was that he left rieve hi on earth”

”I aood as to obtain that he says so to me himself?”

”And then you will come?”

”Oh, madam! that very reat deal, and I turned ive her herdown the stairs, she placed her ungloved hand upon ranted ood o me whether I was feverish ”Your hand,”

she said, ”is burning”

When we left the church, M D---- R-----'s carriage happened to pass, and I assisted her to get in, and as soon as she had gone, hurried to my room in order to breathe freely and to enjoy all the felicity which filled er doubted her love for me, and I knew that, in this case, M D---- R---- was not likely to refuse her anything

What is love? I have read plenty of ancient verbiage on that subject, I have read likewise most of what has been said by modern writers, but neither all that has been said, nor what I have thought about it, when I was young and now that I aree that love is a trifling vanity It is a sort of rant that, but a madness over which philosophy is entirely powerless; it is a disease to which e, and which cannot be cured, if he is attacked by it in his old age Love being sentiment which cannot be explained! God of all nature!--bitter and sweet feeling! Love!--char monster which cannot be fathomed! God who, in the uest us, strewest so many roses on our path that, without thee, existence and death would be united and blended together!

Two days afterwards, M D---- R-----, told alley, which was ready for a five or six days' voyage

I quickly packed a few things, and called for reat joy We took our departure without seeing madam, as not yet visible We returned on the sixth day, and I went to establish o to M D---- R-----, to take his orders, after our landing, he ca M

F---- and me whether ere pleased with each other, he said to me,

”Casanova, as you suit each other so well, youin the service of M F”

I obeyed respectfully, and in less than one hour I had taken possession of hted she was to see that great affair ended according to her wishes, and I answered with a deep reverence

I found myself like the salamander, in the very heart of the fire for which I had been longing so ardently

Al often alone with her, acco her in her walks, even when M D---- R---- was not with us, seeing her fro with her in her chamber, always reserved and attentive without pretension, the first night passed by without any change being brought about by that constant intercourse

Yet I was full of hope, and to keep up h to conquer her pride I expected everything from some lucky chance, which I promised myself to improve as soon as it should present itself, for I was persuaded that a lover is lost if he does not catch fortune by the forelock