Volume II Part 32 (2/2)
”Whoever loses the race,” I said, ”shall have to do whatever the winner asks”
”Agreed!”
We -post, and made a fair start I was certain to win, but I lost on purpose, so as to see what she would ask ht while I reserved oal As she was trying to recover her breath, she thought of sentencing ood penance: she hid herself behind a tree and toldShe had concealed it about her, and that was putting htful forfeit, for I could easily see that she had chosen it with intentional ht not to take too e of her, because her artless confidence required to be encouraged We sat on the grass, I visited her pockets, the folds of her stays, of her petticoat; then I looked in her shoes, and even at her garters which were fastened below the knees Not finding anything, I kept onwas about her, I was of course bound to discover it My reader hashiding-place in which the young beauty had concealed the ring, but before co was at last found between the two most beautiful keepers that nature had ever rounded, but I felt such e
”What are you tre found the ring; you had concealed it so well!
But you owe e, and this tian a new race, and seeing that she was not running very fast, I thought I could easily distance her whenever I liked I was th, and e had run about two-thirds of the race she suddenly sprang forward at full speed, left ht of a trick, the effect of which never fails; I feigned a heavy fall, and I uttered a shriek of pain The poor child stopped at once, ran back toround Thea spring forward, I had reached the goal long before her
The charhly amazed, said to me,
”Then you did not hurt yourself?”
”No, for I fell purposely”
”Purposely? Oh, to deceive me! I would never have believed you capable of that It is not fair to win by fraud; therefore I have not lost the race”
”Oh! yes, you have, for I reached the goal before you”
”Trick for trick; confess that you tried to deceive me at the start”
”But that is fair, and your trick is a very different thing”
”Yet it has given ano, Il vincer sempre fu laudabil cosa”
”I have often heard those words from my brother, but never froment noill obey”
”Wait a little Let arters for arters! But you have seen ”
”Never mind Twice every day I shall think of the person I love, and as nearly as possible at the same hours you will have to think of me”
”It is a very pretty idea, and I like it Now I forgive you for having deceived arters! Ah! my dear deceiver, how beautiful yours are! What a handsome present! How they will please my mother! They must be a present which you have just received, for they are quite new”
”No, they have not been given toested totheine my sorrohen I saw that you would win Vexation inspiredyou had caused yourself, and which turned entirely to your honour, for you must admit that you would have shewn a very hard heart if you had not come to my assistance”