Volume II Part 38 (1/2)
We were to go away early on the Tuesday, and I instinctively longed for that hted with histhe I was duly informed that breakfast was ready, but as I did not answer the suain, and told me that my wife requested me to make haste Scarcely had the word ”wife” escaped his lips than I visited the cheek of the poor felloith a tree kicked his, to the ie I entered the breakfast-roo myself to P---- C----, I asked him as the scoundrel who had announced me in the hotel as the husband of Madame C---- He answered that he did not know; but at the sa knife in his hand, and asked me why I had kicked his servant down the stairs I quickly drew a pistol, and threatening him with it I demanded imperatively from him the name of the person who had represented me as the husband of that woave the names, profession, etc, of your party”
At this I seized the iainst the ith a strong hand I would have broken his head with the butt of my pistol, if the landlord had not prevented me Madame had pretended to swoon, for those wo fits, and the cowardly P---- C---- kept on saying,
”It is not true, it is not true!”
The landlord ran out to get the hotel register, and he angrily thrust it under the nose of the coward, daring hi dictated: Captain P---- C----, with M and Madame Casanova The scoundrel answered that his words had certainly not been heard rightly, and the incensed landlord slapped the book in his face with such force that he sent hiainst the wall
When I saw that the wretched poltroon was receiving such degrading treat by his side, I left the rooe to takefor very sha the society of a scoundrel, I went up to oing out when Madaone, et the respect due to your sex”
She threw herself, crying bitterly, on a chair, entreatedme that she was innocent, and that she was not present when the knave had given the na in at that an to abate, and as I passed near theI saw the carriage I had ordered waiting for ood horses I called for the landlord in order to pay whatever ht coto pay Just at that juncture Count Velo came in
”I daresay, count,” I said, ”that you believe this woman to be my wife”
”That is a fact known to everybody in the city”
”da that I occupy this roo me leave the ball-roo her with you all!”
”Some husbands are blessed with such easy dispositions!”
”I do not think I look like one of that species, and you are not a judge of o out, and I undertake to prove it to you”
The count rushed down the stairs and out of the hotel Theher; for a woh my life I have never known to resist
I considered that if I left the hotel without paying anything, people er and suppose that I had a share in the swindle; I requested the landlord to bringto pay half of it He went for it, but another scene awaited me Madame C----, bathed in tears, fell on her knees, and told me that if I abandoned her she was lost, for she had noto leave as security for her hotel bill
”What, e to the aht with theer here; they have all been taken away, because the letters of exchange, which you saw, and which we considered as good as cash, only
Oh! who could have supposed it?”
”The scoundrel! He kneell enough, and that is why he was so anxious to bring ht that I should pay the penalty of ht by the landlord aure for three days; but a large portion of that sum was cash advanced by the landlord, I immediately felt that my honour demanded that I should pay the bill in full; and I paid without any hesitation, taking care to get a receipt given in the presence of titnesses I then made a present of two sequins to the nephew of the landlord to console hi he had received, and I refused the sa it for her
Thus ended that unpleasant adventure, which taught ht not to have required Two or three weeks later, I heard that Count Trento had given those two s some money to enable them to leave the city; as far as I was concerned, I would not have anything to do with theain arrested for debt, thebeco letter to o and see him, but I did not answer him I was quite as inflexible towards Madareat poverty
I returned to Padua, where I stopped only long enough to take adin, ent back to Venice a few days afterwards
The ht ; I devoured its contents; it was very loving, but gave no news
In ave my dear C---- C---- the particulars of the infamous trick played upon , with the secret of which I acquainted her
According to the information I had received fro, so as to see herclose to her, I told her that I wished to speak with her, and she followedwords; then I told her that I would rehter, and I asked her whether she visited her