Volume II Part 37 (2/2)
”That , and they invent when they cannot guess the truth”
”And evil- those inventions everywhere”
”But there can be no doubt that you wanted to kill the postillion Is that a calureatest of all Do you think that a good shot canin his very face, unless he does it purposely?”
”It seems difficult; but at all events it is certain that the horse is dead, and you ed to you, for the postillion preceded s; do you happen to know the posting regulations? Besides, I was in a great hurry because I had proements, as you are well aware, cannot be broken”
Master de la Haye looked angry at the rather caustic irony hich I had sprinkled the dialogue; but he was still old out of my pocket, I returned to hiues well except when his purse is well filled; then his spirits are pitched in a high key, unless he should happen to be stupefied by soht I was quite right to shew myself at the opera without a mask
The moment I made my appearance in the pit everybody seemed quite astonished, and I was overwhelmed with compliments, sincere or not
After the first ballet I went to the card-roo, and almost dead for want of sleep, I returned to my friends to boast of my victory My friend Bavois was there, and he seized the opportunity to borrow from me fifty sequins, which he never returned; true, I never asked hi constantly absorbed in my dear C---- C----, I spent the whole of the next day in having my likeness painted in miniature by a skilful Piedmontese, who had coreat deal of money in Venice When he had completed my portrait he painted for me a beautiful St Catherine of the sa, the bezel of which shewed only the sainted virgin; but a blue spot, hardly visible on the white ena which brought outon the blue spot with the point of a pin
On the following Friday, as ere rising froreat surprise that I recognized the writing of P---- C---- He asked ive ht have so his sister, I went to hiratulating him upon his release from prison I asked him for the news he had to communicate
”I am certain,” he said, ”that my sister is in a convent, and I shall be able to tell you the nae
But his news had only been a pretext to erness to coratification of ed contract for three years for a sum of fifteen thousand florins, and the ain tooksecurity for me, and advanced e”
He shewed e, endorsed by a naood one, and he continued,
”I intend to buy six thousand florins worth of silk goods froive in paye I aoods rapidly with a profit of ten per cent Cooods to the amount of two hundred sequins, and thus you will find yourself covered for the guarantee which you have been kind enough to give to the jeweller for the ring We shall complete the transaction within twenty-four hours”
I did not feel much inclination for the trip, but I allowed myself to be blinded by the wish to cover the auaranteed, and which I had no doubt I would be called upon to pay soo with hioods at a loss of twenty-five per cent, and I shall get nothing”
I promised to accompany him He shewed me several letters of recommendation for the best houses in Vicenza, and our departure was fixed for early the nextI was at the ”Star Hotel” by daybreak
A carriage and four was ready; the hotel-keeper caed me to pay it The bill amounted to five sequins; four of which had been advanced in cash by the landlord to pay the driver who had brought the, yet I paid with pretty good grace, for I guessed that the scoundrel had left Venice without a penny We reached Vicenza in three hours, and we put up at the ”Cappello,” where P---- C---- ordered a good dinner before leaving me with the lady to call upon the manufacturers
When the beauty found herself alone withfriendly reproaches to hteen years; the first time that I saw you ere in Padua, and ere then only nine years old”
I certainly had no recollection of it She was the daughter of the antiquarian friend of M Grimani, who had placed me as a boarder with the accursed Sclavonian wo, for I recollected that her an to oods, and the face of Madahtened up In less than two hours the room was filled with them, and P---- C---- came back with two merchants, whom he had invited to dinner Madame allured them by her pretty manners; we dined, and exquisite wines were drunk in profusion In the afternoon fresh goods were brought in; P---- C---- made a list of them with the prices; but he wanted more, and the h it was Sunday Towards the evening several counts arrived, for in Vicenza every nobleman is a count P---- C---- had left his letters of recommendation at their houses We had a Count Velo, a Count Sesso, a Count Trento--all very amiable companions They invited us to accompany them to the casino, where Madame C---- shone by her charms and her coquettish manners After we had spent two hours in that place, P---- C---- invited all his new friends to supper, and it was a scene of gaiety and profusion The whole affair annoyed reatly, and therefore I was not amiable; the consequence was that no one spoke tothe joyous co I came downstairs, had oods that I did not see how P---- C---- could possibly pay for all with his six thousand florins He told me, however, that his business would be completed on the morrow, and that ere invited to a ball where all the nobility would be present The merchants hom he had dealt came to dine with us, and the dinner was remarkable for its extreot very weary of it, for every body was speaking to Madame C---- and to P---- C----, who never uttered a ith any , but whenever I opened my lips people would pretend not to hear me I invited a lady to dance a ht or to the left, and seewas contrived in such a manner as to leave me out of it, and the very lady who had refused ood spirits I should certainly have resented such conduct, but I preferred to leave the ball-room I went to bed, unable to understand why the nobility of Vicenza treated lected iven to P---- C----, but I thought that they ht have known the laws of common politeness I bore the evil patiently, however, as ere to leave the city the next day
On Monday, the worthy pair being tired, they slept until noon, and after dinner P---- C---- went out to pay for the goods