Volume II Part 49 (1/2)

I answered that she had guessed rightly, that the locket of her friend was a present from me and contained my likeness, but that she was to keep the secret, and to be certain that my friendshi+p for M---- M---- interfered in no ith the feeling which bound me to her for ever

I certainly ell aware that I was not behaving in a straightforward manner, but I endeavoured to deceive myself, so true it is that a wo she inspires than th At all events, I was foolishly trying to keep up an intrigue which I knew to be near its denoue up between these two friendly rivals

Laura having informed e parlour of the convent, I uise that nize me I decided upon the costuait better than any other I was certain that , and that it would afford ether and of co the carnival, that innocent pleasure is allowed in convents The guests dance in the parlour, and the sisters reht of the ball, which is over by sunset Then all the guests retire, and the poor nuns are for a long time happy in the recollection of the pleasure enjoyed by their eyes The ball was to take place in the afternoon of the day appointed forat the casino of Muran, but that could not preventto the ball; besides, I wanted to see my dear C---- C----

I have said before that the dress of a Pierrot is the costuait e cap, of concealing the hair, and the white gauze which covers the face does not allow the colour of the eyes or of the eyebrows to be seen, but in order to prevent the costu theunderneath, and in winter a dress reeable I did not, however, pay any attention to that, and taking only a plate of soup I went to Muran in a gondola I had no cloak, and--inbut my handkerchief, my purse, and the key of the casino

I went at once to the convent The parlour was full, but thanks to my costume of Pierrot, which was seen in Venice but very seldoait of a booby, the true characteristic of my costume, and I stopped near the dancers After I had examined the Pantaloons, Punches, Harlequins, and Merry Andrews, I went near the grating, where I saw all the nuns and boarders, so to, notice any of theether, and very intent upon the dancers I then walked round the rooeneral attention upon irl dressed as a Columbine, and I took her hand in so aard a hed andto her costuhter was general After the our Out of breath, I threw o to sleep, and the an to snore everybody respected the slumbers of Pierrot The quadrille lasted one hour, and I took no part in it, but immediately after it, a Harlequin approached s to his costued me with his wand It is Harlequin's weapon In my quality of Pierrot I had no weapons I seized hi all the tihis wand out of his hand, I lifted his Colu hiht andbecause she was afraid of ravity to everybody in the fall She had good reason to fear, for suddenly a foolish Merry Andrew came behind me, tripped me up, and down I tumbled Everybody hooted Master Punch I quickly picked ht with the insolent fellow

He was of th I threw hiorously on all sides I contrived to deprive him of his hump and false stoht, clapped their hands, everybody laughed loudly, and ih the crowd and disappeared

I was in a perspiration, and the weather was cold; I threw et chilled I landed at the 'ridotto' I had two hours to spare before going to the casino of Muran, and I longed to enjoy the astonish before her I spent those two hours in playing at all the banks, winning, losing, and perfor satisfied that no one could recognizedefiance to the future, and laughing at all those reasonable beings who exercise their reason to avoid theat the saht enjoy

But two o'clock struck and gaveold and silver, I left the ridotto, hurried to Muran, entered the sanctuary, and saw ainst the mantelpiece She wore her convent dress I come near her by stealth, in order to enjoy her surprise I look at her, and I remain petrified, astounded

The person I see is not M---- M----

It is C---- C----, dressed as a nun, who, more astonished even than myself, does not utter one word or make a movement I throw myself in an arm-chair in order to breathe and to recover froht of C---- C---- had annihilated me, and my mind was as much stupefied as my body I found myself in an inextricable maze

It is M---- M----, I said to myself, who has played that trick upon me, but how has she contrived to know that I am the lover of C---- C----?

Has C---- C---- betrayed my secret? But if she has betrayed it, how could M---- M---- deprive herself of the pleasure of seeingtaken by her friend and rival? That cannot be a mark of kind compliance, for a woman never carries it to such an extreratuitous insult

My self-love tried hard to iine some reason likely to disprove the possibility of that contempt, but in vain Absorbed in that dark discontent, I believed myself wantonly trifled with, deceived, despised, and I spent half an hour silent and gloo at C---- C----, who scarcely dared to breathe, perplexed, confused, and not knowing in whose presence she was, for she could only know me as the Pierrot whom she had seen at the ball

Deeply in love with M---- M----, and having come to the casino only for her, I did not feel disposed to accept the exchange, although I was very far froreat, at least, as those of M---- M---- I loved her tenderly, I adored her, but at that moment it was not her whom I wanted, because at first her presence had struck me as a mystification It seemed to me that if I celebrated the return of C---- C---- in an amorous ht that I was bound in honour not to lendthat feeling, I was not sorry to have it in my power to reproach M---- M---- with an indifference very strange in a woman in love, and I wanted to act in such a manner that she should not be able to say that she had procured me a pleasure Iin the secret closet, perhaps with her friend

I had to take a decision, for I could not pass the whole night in ht of going away, the more so that both C---- C---- and her friend could not be certain that I and Pierrot were the same individual, but I soon abandoned the idea with horror, thinking of the deep sorrohich would fill the loving soul of C---- C---- if she ever heard I was the Pierrot

I alrief which she evidently would feel in that case I had seduced her I had given her the right to call hts broke my heart

If M---- M---- is in the closet, said I to ood tiauze which covered h, and said:

”I breathe again! it could not be anyone but you, my heart felt it You seemed surprised when you sawfor you?”

”I had not the faintest idea of it”

”If you are angry, I regret it deeply, but I am innocent”

”My adored friend, cory with you I ahted to see you; you are always my dear wife: but I entreat you to clear up a cruel doubt, for you could never have betrayed uilty of such a thing, even if death had stared me in the face”

”Then, how did you co? No one but you could tell her that I am your husband Laura perhaps'