Volume I Part 78 (2/2)
The nized me He had seen me in Padua at the house of his father, as professor of civil law at the tie on condition that he would send it to ood repair at one o'clock in the afternoon
Having completed the purchase, I went to my friend, Franzia, and my present of the bracelets irl in Cesena who could boast of possessing a finer pair, and with that present my conscience felt at ease, for it paid the expense I had occasioned during my stay of ten or twelve days at her father's house four times over But this was not the most important present I offered the family I made the father take an oath to wait for ician for the necessary operation to obtain the treasure, even if I did not return or give any news of myself for ten years
”Because,” I said to hiree the treasure, at the first atte the treasure will sink to twice its present depth, that is to say as deep as thirty-five fathoms, and then I shall haveit to the surface I cannot state precisely the time of my return, for it depends upon certain combinations which are not under my control, but recollect that the treasure cannot be obtained by anyone but I”
I accompanied my advice with threats of utter ruin to his family if he should ever break his oath And in thisthe worthy ainst the deceit of some cheat ould have cared for his ain, andthe deep impression I left on hisfor me, for the name of Farusi must have remained immortal in that faate of the city, where I kissed her affectionately, whichhad had but a momentary effect upon ratulateher adieu, that, her virginity being no longer necessary for et married as soon as possible, if I did not return within three months She shed a few tears, but promised to follow my advice
I trust that my readers will approve of the noble ic business I hardly dare to boast of it, but I think I deserve soht have ruined poor Franzia with a light heart, had I not possessed a well-filled purse
I do not wish to enquire whether any youngpleasure, and placed in the sa my readers to address that question to themselves
As for Capitani, to whom I sold the sheath of St Peter's knife for rather more than it orth, I confess that I have not yet repented on his account, for Capitani thought he had duped ave me, and the count, his father, valued it until his death as more precious than the finest dia with such a firm belief, he died rich, and I shall die a poor e which of the two ain But Icompanions
As soon as I had reached the inn, I prepared everything for our departure for which I was now longing Henriette could not open her lips without hted me even more than her beauty It struck me that the old captain was pleased with all the attention I shewed her, and it seee her elderly lover for ht to think so, inasmuch as I was perfection from a physical point of view, and I appeared to be wealthy, although I had no servant I told Henriette that, for the sake of having none, I spent twice astono spy at reed with everything I said, and it increasedme in advance the aes as far as Parma
We left Cesena after dinner, but not without a contest of politeness respecting the seats The captain wanted me to occupy the back seat-near Henriette, but the reader will understand how much better the seat opposite to her suitedthe bracket-seat, and had the double advantage of shewingconstantly and without difficulty before my eyes the lovely woreat if there had been no drawback to it But where can we find roses without thorns? When the chars which proceed so naturally fro the sorry face of the poor Hungarian, and, wishi+ng to make him share my mirth, I would undertake to translate in Latin Henriette's sallies; but far fro him merry, I often saw his face bear a look of astonishment, as if what I had said seee to myself that I could not speak Latin as well as she spoke French, and this was indeed the case The last thing which we learn in all languages is wit, and wit never shi+nes so well as in jests I was thirty years of age before I began to laugh in reading Terence, Plautus and Martial
Soe, we stopped at Forli to have it repaired After a very cheerful supper, I retired toelse but the char the road, Henriette had struck e that I would not sleep in the second bed in their room I was afraid lest she should leave her old comrade to come to my bed and sleep with me, and I did not kno far the worthy captain would have put up with such a joke I wished, of course, to possess that lovely creature, but I wanted everything to be settled amicably, for I felt so but the military costume in which she stood, not any woe she took the captain's shi+rt Such a state of things was so new to na, excited by an excellent supper and by the a ular adventure she had become the friend of the honest felloho looked her father rather than her lover
”If you wish to know,” she answered, with a smile, ”ask him to relate the whole story himself, only you must request him not to omit any of the particulars”
Of course I applied at once to the captain, and, having first ascertained by signs that the charood man spoke to me thus:
”A friend of o to Roh of six ht the opportunity of visiting a city, the na to the memories of the past attached to it I did not entertain any doubt that the Latin language was spoken there in good society, at least as generally as in Hungary But I was indeed greatly mistaken, for nobody can speak it, not even the priests, who only pretend to write it, and it is true that soreat purity I was therefore rather unco my stay in Rome, and with the exception of my eyes my senses remained perfectly inactive I had spent a very tedious month in that city, the ancient queen of the world, when Cardinal Albani gaveRome, he introduced me to his eminence, and his recommendation had so much influence that the cardinal promised to send me very soon with dispatches for the Duke of Parexpenses would be defrayed As I wished to see the harbour called in forave up the remainder of my time to that visit, and I proceeded there with a cicerone who spoke Latin
”I was loitering about the harbour when I saw, co woman dressed as she is now Her beauty struck ht any more about it, if the officer had not put up at my inn, and in an apartment over which I had a co I saw the couple taking supper at the same table, but I remarked that the elderly officer never addressed a word to the young one When the supper was over, the disguised girl left the room, and her companion did not lift his eyes fro, as it seemed to me, with the deepest attention Soon afterwards the officer closed the s, the light was put out, and I supposeup early as is irl remained alone in the room
”I sent irl in the garb of an officer that I would give her ten sequins for an hour's conversation He fulfilled my instructions, and on his return he inforiven in French, had been to the effect that she would leave for Rome immediately after breakfast, and that, once in that city, I should easily find so to her
”'I can find out from the vetturino,' said my cicerone, 'where they put up in Rome, and I promise you to enquire of him'
”She left Civita-Vecchia with the elderly officer, and I returned ho day
”Two days afterwards, the cardinal gave me the dispatches, which were addressed to M Dutillot, the French minister, with a passport and the reat kindness, that I need not hurry on the road
”I had alotten the handsome adventuress, when, two days before ave me the information that he had found out where she lived, and that she ith the same officer I told him to try to see her, and to let her know that my departure was fixed for the day after the morrow She sent me word by him that, if I would inform her of the hour of et into the coach with e the day I sent the cicerone to tell her the hour at which I intended to leave, and where I would wait for her outside of the Porto del Popolo She caether ever since As soon as she was seated near ns that she wanted to dine withone another, but we guessed so expressed by our pantoht
”We dined gaily together, speaking without understanding, but after the dessert we comprehended each other very well I fancied that I had seen the end of it, and youher the ten sequins, she refusedo with me to Parma, because she had some business in that city, and did not want to return to Rome