Volume II Part 30 (1/2)
CHAPTER XI
I Return the Portrait I Had Stolen in Vienna I Proceed to Padua; An Adventure on My Way Back, and Its Consequences-- I Meet Therese Iain--My Acquaintance With Madeain in ht which is experienced by all true-hearted ain the place in which they have received the first lasting impressions I had acquired some experience; I knew the laws of honour and politeness; in one word, I felt ed to resume ular and reat pleasure, as I entered my study, the perfect 'statu quo' which had been preserved there My papers, covered with a thick layer of dust, testified well enough that no strange hand had ever etting ready to acco, as usual, to wed the Adriatic, theof soas on the first day of her creation, a gondolier broughtnobleed me in the most polite manner to call at his house to receive a letter which had been entrusted to him for delivery in my own hands I went to him immediately, and after the usual co seal, which he had received the day before
Here are the contents:
”Sir, having made a useless search forin the habit of receiving thieves in my apartment, I feel satisfied that it must be in your possession I request you to deliver it to the person ill hand you this letter
”FOGLIAZZI”
Happening to have the portrait with ave it at once to M Grimani, who received it with a mixture of satisfaction and surprise for he had evidently thought that the commission entrusted to him would be more difficult to fulfil, and he remarked,
”Love has ratulate you, for your passion cannot be a very ardent one”
”How can you judge of that?”
”Froive up this portrait”
”I would not have given it up so easily to anybody else”
”I thank you; and as a co you to accept my friendshi+p”
”I place it in my estiinal May I ask you to forward my answer?”
”I promise you to send it Here is some paper, write your letter; you need not seal it”
I wrote the folloords:
”In getting rid of the portrait, Casanova experiences a satisfaction by far superior to that which he felt when, owing to a stupid fancy, he was foolish enough to put it in his pocket”
Bad weather having co until the following Sunday, I acco to Padua The amiable old er suited his age, and he was going to spend in peace the few days which the public rejoicings would have rendered unpleasant for hi Saturday, after dinner, I bade hiot into the post-chaise to return to Venice
If I had left Padua two minutes sooner or later, the whole course of my life would have been altered, and my destiny, if destiny is truly shaped by fatal combinations, would have been very different But the reader can judge for hi, therefore, left Padua at the very instant o a cabriolet, drawn at full speed by two post-horses, containing a very pretty wo a German uniform
Within a few yards from me the vehicle was suddenly upset on the side of the river, and the wo into the Brenta I juto the assistance of the lady I remedied with a chaste hand the disorder caused to her toilet by her fall
Her companion, who had picked himself up without any injury, hastened towards us, and there was the lovely creature sitting on the ground thoroughly amazed, and less confused from her fall than from the indiscretion of her petticoats, which had exposed in all their nakedness certain parts which an honest woer In the warmth of her thanks, which lasted until her postillion and hted the cabriolet, she often calledall right, the lady continued her journey towards Padua, and I resumed mine towards Venice, which I reached just in time to dress for the opera
The next day I masked myself early to accompany the Bucentoro, which, favoured by fine weather, was to be taken to the Lido for the great and ridiculous ceremony The whole affair is under the responsibility of the ad fine, under penalty of his head, for the slightest contrary wind e, with all the most serene noblemen, the ambassadors, and the Pope's nuncio, who is the sponsor of that burlesque wedding which the Venetians respect even to superstition To crown the misfortune of such an accident it would h, and people would not fail to say that the Doge of Venice had gone at last to consue