Volume II Part 50 (1/2)
”Believe me, dearest, I am sick from unhappiness I love you with my whole soul, but I a, my love! Oh! I entreat you, spare , but I can assure you I never meant to make you unhappy I a likewise”
The alaru M---- M---- coave her the key of the casino, requesting her to return it for one back to the convent, I put on my er of Perishi+ng in the Lagunes--Illness--Letters fro at the Casino of Muran I Learn the Name of M M's Friend, and Consent to Give Him A Supper at My Casino in the Company of Our Common Mistress
The weather was fearful The as blowing fiercely, and it was bitterly cold When I reached the shore, I looked for a gondola, I called the gondoliers, but, in contravention to the police regulations, there was neither gondola nor gondolier What was I to do? Dressed in light linen, I was hardly in a fit state to walk along the wharf for an hour in such weather I should one back to the casino if I had had the key, but I was paying the penalty of the foolish spite which had ive it up The wind almost carried et a shelter
I had in my pockets three hundred philippes that I had won in the evening, and a purse full of gold I had therefore every reason to fear the thieves of Muran--a very dangerous class of cutthroats, determined murderers who enjoyed and abused a certain iranted to them by the Government on account of the services they rendered in the lassworks which are nuration, the Govern a pair of the, at least I had not, by chance, with me the knife which all honest men must carry to defend their lives in my dear country I was truly in an unpleasant predicaht I could see a light through the crevices of a sainst the shutter A voice called out:
”Who is knocking?”
And at the same moment the shutter was pushed open
”What do you want?” asked a man, rather astonished at my costuiving hied his permission to shelter myself under his roof Convinced by my sequin rather thanhiondola to takeGod for that piece of good fortune, and went out assuring ondola I remained alone in a ether in a large, ill-looking bed, were staring at me in consequence of ood ondoliers were at the wharf, but that they wanted to be paid in advance I raised no objection, gave a sequin to the ht of two strong gondoliers ondola without anxiety, and we left the shore without being one beyond the island, the storht ood swih to resist the violence of the waves and swio back to the island, but they answered that I had not to deal with a couple of cowards, and that I had no occasion to be afraid I knew the disposition of our gondoliers, and I made up my mind to say nowaves rushed into the gondola, and e, could no longer guide it We were only within one hundred yards of the ust of wind threw one of the 'barcarols' into the sea; et in again, but he had lost his oar, and while he was securing another the gondola had tacked, and had already gone a considerable distance abreast The position called for immediate decision, and I had no wish to take my supper with Neptune I threw a handful of philippes into the gondola, and ordered the gondoliers to throw overboard the 'felce' which covered the boat The ringing of er, ensured instant obedience, and then, the wind having less hold upon us, my brave boatmen shewed AEolus that their efforts could conquer hiars' Canal, and I reached the Bragadin Palace I went to bed at once, covering ain my natural heat, but sleep, which alone could have restored me to health, would not visit adin and his two inseparable friends paidwith fever That did not prevent ht of the costuescaped with my life out of such a bad predica I perspired so profusely that ed The next day my fever and deliriu abated, I found o I felt that nothing could relieve imen, and I bore the evil patiently
Early on the Wednesday er, called on me; I was still in my bed: I told her that I could neither read nor write, and I asked her to coain the next day She placed on the table, nearwhat had occurred to me sufficiently to enable her to infor a little better towards the evening, I ordered my servant to lock me inI found in the parcel, and which caused reat pleasure, was the key of the casino which she returned to inning to feel that I had been in the wrong It acted like a refreshi+ng bal, not less dear after the return of the precious key, was a letter fro, and I read the following lines:
”The particulars which you have read, or which you are going to read, in the letter of et the fault which I have committed so innocently, for I trusted, on the contrary, that you would be very happy I saw all and heard all, and you would not have gone aithout the key if I had not, most unfortunately, fallen asleep an hour before your departure Take back the key and coht, since Heaven has saved you froht to coiven you any mark of contempt”
I afterwards read the letter of ive a copy of it here, because I think it will prove interesting:
”I entreat you, dear husband, not to send back this key, unless you have become thetomen who, love you ardently, and who love you for yourself only Knowing your excellent heart, I trust you will go to the casino to-o there to-night You will see that you are in the wrong, dearest, and that, far fro you, my dear friend loves you only In the mean time, let me tell you what you are not acquainted with, and what you one away in that fearful stor to return to the convent, I wasbefore -place had heard all you had said She had several ti herself, but she had always been prevented by the fear of co a reconciliation which she thought was inevitable between two fond lovers Unfortunately, sleep had conquered her before your departure, and she only hen the alarum struck, too late to detain you, for you had rushed with the haste of a er As soon as I saw her, I gave her the key, although I did not knohat it h, toldas soon as ere safe in her roo for your safety, and not thinking of our own danger
As soon as ere in the convent I resumed my usual costume, and M---- M---- went to bed I took a seat near her, and this is what she told o to your aunt, who had sent for you, I examined it with so much attention that at last I suspected the s; I took a pin, succeeded in re the top part, and I cannot express the joy I felt when I saw that we both loved the saive you an idea of hts Delighted, however, with my discovery, I immediately conceived a plan which would procure you the pleasure of supping with hi you at the sa I was then truly the happiest of wo that you were aware of the love of your lover for me, since I had innocently shewed you his portrait, and happy in the idea that you were not jealous of me, I would have despised s different frohts over hier than mine As for the mysterious manner in which you always kept frouessed that you were only obeying his orders, and I adoodness of your heart Inus both, if we found out that neither the one nor the other of us possessed his whole heart I could not express ht that, after you had seen me in possession of his portrait, you continued to act in the saer hope to be the sole object of his love Then I had but one idea; to prove to both of you that M---- M---- is worthy of your affection, of your friendshi+p, of your esteeht that the felicity of our trio would be increased a hundredfold, for is it not an unbearablewe adore? Ia masterpiece You allowed me to dress you as a nun, and with a compliance which proves your confidence inAs soon as you had landed, the gondola came back, and I went to a place well known to our friend fro seen, I could follow all youryou said I was the author of the play; it was natural that I should witness it, thethat would not be very agreeable to me I reached the casino a quarter of an hour after you, and I cannot tell you htful surprise when I saw that dear Pierrot who had anized But I was fated to feel no other pleasure than that of his appearance Fear, surprise, and anxiety overwhelmed me at once when I saw the effect produced upon him by the disappointment of his expectation, and I felt unhappy Our lover took the thing wrongly, and he went away in despair; he loves etback that key he proves that he will never again go to the casino Fatal night! When my only as to minister to the happiness of three persons, how is it that the very reverse of my wish has occurred? It will kill me, dear friend, unless you contrive to make him understand reason, for I feel that without hi to hioodness, send back this key to him with a letter to persuade hi day, if it is only to speak to me; and I hope to convince him of my love and my innocence Rest to-day, dearest, but to-morrorite to him, tell hiive her for loving your lover I shall write a few lines myself; you will enclose theer loves you; you ought to hate h to love me
I adore you; I have seen his tears, I have seen hoell his soul can love; I know him now I could not have believed that ht Do not think I ary, dear friend, because you confided to him that we love one another like two lovers; it does not displease me, and with him it was no indiscretion, because his ood'
”Tears were choking her I tried to console her, and I ly prohout that day, but I slept soundly for four hours
”When we got up we found the convent full of bad nehich interested us a great deal ined It was reported that, an hour before daybreak, a fishi+ng-boat had been lost in the lagune, that two gondolas had been capsized, and that the people in theuish!+ We dared not ask any questions, but it was just the hour at which you had left s We returned to our rooeous than she is, I told her that you were a good swimmer, but I could not allay her anxiety, and she went to bed with a feverish chill Just at that moment, hing, to tell us that during the storh sodrowned 'Ah! the poor Pierrot!' I exclailad he was saved Who is he? Do you know?' 'Oh!