Volume II Part 36 (1/2)

I i at first to write only a few lines, as she had requested me; but my time was too short to write so little My letter was a screed of four pages, and very likely it said less than her note of one short page I told her her letter had saved my life, and asked her whether I could hope to see her I inforer, that she would find another for herself under the seal of ht want I entreated her not to fail writing every Wednesday, to be certain that her letters would never be long enough to give me full particulars, not only of all she did, of all she was allowed to do, but also of all her thoughts respecting her release fro of all the obstacles which were in the way of our mutual happiness; for I was as aining the love of all the nuns and boarders, but without taking the no dislike of her convent life After praising her for the clever manner in which she had contrived to write to me, in spite of superior orders, Isurprised while she riting, because in such a case her room would certainly be searched and all her papers seized

”Burn all o to confession often, but without i our love Share with me all your sorrohich interest me even more than your joys”

I sealed uess that there was a sequin hidden under the sealing wax, and I rewarded the woive her the saht me a letter from my friend When she saw the sequin which I had put in her hand the good woates of the convent were never closed for her, she would deliverlady alone

Here is the note which C---- C---- had given to the woman, with the letter addressed to ood woman, prompts me to have confidence in you rather than in anybody else Take this letter to Venice, and should the person to who it back to me You must deliver it to that person himself, and if you find hiive me, but only when you are certain that nobody can see you”

If Love is imprudent, it is only in the hope of enjoy back happiness destroyed by some untoward accident, Love foresees all that the keenest perspicacity could possibly find out The letter ofwife overwhelmed me with joy, and in one moment I passed from a state of despair to that of extreme felicity

I felt certain that I should succeed in carrying her off even if the walls of the convent could boast of artillery, and after the departure of the ht was to endeavour to spend the seven days, before I could receive the second letter, pleasantly Gaot my trunk ready, and immediately sent it to the burchiello then ready to start, and I left for Frusina From that place I posted, and in less than three hours I arrived at the door of the Bragadin Palace, where I founddown to dinner He e me covered with perspiration he said to me,

”I am certain that you are in no hurry”

”No,” I answered, ”but I aht joy to the brotherly trio, and I enhanced their happiness when I told my friends that I would remain six days with them De la Haye dined with us on that day; as soon as dinner was over he closeted hiether I had gone to bed during that time, but M Dandolo came up to me and told me that I had arrived just in ti an iave me the questions, and requested me to find the answers He wanted to knohether he would act rightly if he accepted a project proposed to hiatively

M Dandolo, rather surprised, asked a second question: he wished Paralis to give his reasons for the denial

I forht out this answer:

”I asked Casanova's opinion, and as I find it opposed to the proposal made by De la Haye, I do not wish to hear any more about it”

Oh! wonderful power of self-delusion! This worthyable to throw the odium of a refusal on me, left me perfectly satisfied

I had no idea of the nature of the affair to which he had been alluding, and I felt no curiosity about it; but it annoyed me that a Jesuit should interfere and try to h uer to know that reater than his own

After that, I dressed, masked myself, and went to the opera, where I sat down to a faro-table and lost all my money Fortune was deterree with love My heart was heavy, I felt , I saw De la Haye co an air of devoted friendshi+p, he s towards me

I knehat to think of it all, and I waited for the 'denouement'

”My dear friend,” he said towhat I had insinuated to him?”

”What had you insinuated to hih”

”If I knew it, I would not ask you”

”M Dandolo hiainst it”

”Advised against, that may be, but certainly not dissuaded, for if he had been persuaded in his own mind he would not have asked my advice”