Volume I Part 69 (1/2)

”Whoever you o away and let hosts;” he covers hiain and composes hiain at the bedclothes; but when he tries to draw up the sheet, saying that he does not care for ghosts, I oppose some resistance He sits up so as to catch the hand which is pulling at the clothes, and I take care that he should get hold of the dead hand Confident that he has caught thethe trick, he pulls it towards hiht hold of the aro suddenly; the Greek falls back on his pilloithout uttering a single word

The trick was played, I leave the rooo to bed

I was fast asleep, when towardsabout, and not understanding why they should be up so early, I got up

The first person I met--the mistress of the house--told me that I had played an abominable joke

”I? What have I done?”

”M De”

”Have I killed hi htened, I confess, but deter, and I proceeded to Demetrio's room; and I was confronted with horror-stricken countenances and bitter reproaches I found all the guests around him I protested my innocence, but everyone smiled The archpriest and the beadle, who had just arrived, would not bury the aruilty of a great crime

”I am astonished, reverend sir,” I said to the priest, ”at the hasty judgment which is thus passed upon me, when there is no proof to condeuests, ”you alone are capable of such an abomination; it is just like you No one but you would have dared to do such a thing!”

”I am compelled,” said the archpriest, ”to draw up an official report”

”As you please, I have not the slightest objection,” I answered, ”I have nothing to fear”

And I left the room

I continued to take it coolly, and at the dinner-table I was informed that M Demetrio had been bled, that he had recovered the use of his eyes, but not of his tongue or of his limbs The next day he could speak, and I heard, after I had taken leave of the family, that he was stupid and spasmodic The poor man remained in that painful state for the rest of his life I felt deeply grieved, but I had not intended to injure hiht have costconsolation from that idea

On the same day, the archpriest made up his mind to have the arainst me to the episcopal chancellorshi+p of Treviso

Annoyed at the reproaches which I received on all sides, I returned to Venice A fortnight afterwards I was suged M Barbaro to enquire the cause of the aforesaid summons, for it was a for taken againstdesecrated a grave, whilst there could be nothing but suspicion But I wasto that affair M Barbaro inforainst hter She stated in her co decoyed her child to the Zuecca, I had abused her by violence, and she adduced as a proof that her daughter was confined to her bed, owing to the bad treatment she had received from me in my endeavours to ravish her It was one of those coive trouble and to cause expense, even against innocent persons I was innocent of violation, but it was quite true that I had given the girl a sound thrashi+ng I prepared istrate's secretary

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that, on such a day, having hter, I accosted theive thehter refused to accept hter is yet a virgin, and she is quite right not to lose her ood profit by it”

”If so,” I answered, ”I will give you ten sequins for her virginity”

”Youassured , and having ascertained that it irl in the afternoon to the Zuecca, and that I would give her the ten sequins My offer was joyfully accepted, the hter to ether in the Garden of the Cross, she went away When I tried to avail irl, most likely trained to the business by her a tired of it, I told her to have done She answered quietly that it was not her fault if I was not able to do what I wanted Vexed and annoyed, I placed her in such a position that she found herself at bay, but, e her position and debarredany further attempts

”Why,” I said to her, ”did you move?”