Volume II Part 54 (1/2)

The day after Shrove Tuesday, going to the casino of Muran, I found there a letter froave me two pieces of bad news: that C---- C---- had lost her irl was in despair; and that the lay-sister, whose rheum was cured, had returned to take her place Thus C---- C---- was deprived of her friend at a tiiven her consolation, of which she stood in great need C---- C----, it see very fond of her, had obtained permission from the superior

This circu any hted if chance had put this obstacle in his path a few days sooner

All these misfortunes seemed of small account coht have to pay the price for her pleasures, and I so far regarded in of her unhappiness as to feel bound never to abandon her, and this ht have involved me in terrible complications

M---- M---- askedMonday I went and found them both sad--he for the loss of his new er a friend to ht M de Be in a ed to pass several months in Vienna on ireed to sup together every Friday

When ere alone M---- M---- told ed to me if in the future I would coood-natured and witty profligate had a very natural prejudice against indulging his a alone

M de Bemis came to all our suppers till he left for Vienna, and alent away at -place, partly becauseonly lay in the recess, and partly because, having had time to make love before my arrival, his desires were appeased M---- M---- always found me amorous My love, indeed, was even hotter than it had been, since, only seeing her once a week and reather in C---- C----'s letters which she brought to me softened me to tears, for she said that after the loss of her mother she could not count upon the friendshi+p of any of her relations She calledof her grief in not being able to see ed me to remain faithful to her dear friend

On Good Friday, when I got to the casino, I found the lovers over-whelrief Supper was served, but the ambassador, downcast and absent, neither ate nor spoke; and M---- M---- was like a statue that moves at intervals by some mechanis any questions, but on M---- M---- leaving us together, M de Bemis told me that she was distressed, and with reason, since he was obliged to set out for Vienna fifteen days after Easter ”I may tell you confidentially,” he added, ”that I believe I shall scarcely be able to return, but she must not be told, as she would be in despair” M---- M---- came back in a few

After so M---- M---- still low-spirited, said,

”Do not grieve thus, sweetheart, go I must, but my return is a matter of equal certainty when I have finished the important business which summons me to Vienna You will still have the casino, but, dearest, both friendshi+p and prudence make me advise you not to come here in my absence, for after I have left Venice I cannot depend upon the faith of the gondoliers in my service, and I suspect our friend here cannot flatter hiet reliable ones Ithat our intercourse is known to the State Inquisitors, who conceal their knowledge for political reasons, but I fancy the secret would soon coer here, and when the nun who connives at your departure froer for me that you leave it The only people whom I would trust are the housekeeper and his wife I shall order theo, to look upon our friend here as eo well till my return, if you will only behave discreetly I rite to you under cover of the housekeeper, his ill give you my letters as before, and in the sao, dearest one, but my heart is with you, and I leave you, till my return, in the hands of a friend, whom I rejoice to have known He loves you, he has a heart and knowledge of the world, and he will not let you make any mistakes”

M---- M---- was so affected by what the ao, as she wished to be alone and to lie down

As she e agreed to sup together on the following Thursday

As soon as ere alone the ambassador i fro,” said he, ”to work in concert with the Austrian cabinet on a treaty which will be the talk of Europe I entreat you to write to me unreservedly, and as a friend, and if you love our common mistress, have a care for her honour, and above all have the strength of mind to resist all projects which are certain to involve you in misfortune, and which will be equally fatal to both You knohat happened to Madame de Riva, a nun in the convent of St---- She had to disappear after it became known that she ith child, and M de Frulai, my predecessor, went mad, and died shortly after J J Rousseau told me that he died of poison, but he is a visionary who sees the black side of everything

Forable to do anything for the unfortunate woman, who afterwards procured a dispensation fro at Padua without any position in society

”Let the prudent and loyal friend o and see M---- M---- sometimes in the parlour of the convent, but not here, or the boate which we both have that the girls are in a satisfactory condition is a great alleviation to my distress, but you must confess that you have been very imprudent You have risked a terrible misfortune; consider the position you would have been in, for I am sure you would not have abandoned her She had an idea that the danger s but I convinced her that she was mistaken In God's name, be discreet in the future, and write to me fully, for I shall always be interested in her fate, both froether to Venice, where we separated, and I passed the rest of the night in great distress In theto console her to the best of my ability, I tried to impress on her the necessity for prudence and the avoidance of such escapades as ht eventually ruin us

Next day I received her reply, every word of which spelt despair

Nature had given her a disposition which had becoence that the cloister was unbearable to her, and I foresaw the hard fights I should have to undergo

We saw each other the Thursday after Easter, and I told her that I should not coht She had had four hours to pass with her lover in tears and regrets, ast which she had often cursed her cruel fate and the foolish resolution which h the meal was a rich and delicate one we did it little honour When we had finished, the aat all of the pleasures of a party of two, for Love lighteth not his torch at the hearts of two lovers who are full of grief and sorrow M---- M---- had grown thin, and her condition excitedti her with tender and affectionate kisses, but I shewed no intention of consoling her by amusements in which her spirit could not have taken part She said, before we parted, that I had shewn myself a true lover, and she asked me to consider myself from henceforth as her only friend and protector

Next week, ere together as usual, M de Bemis called the housekeeper just before supper, and in his presence executed a deed in n In this docuhts over the contents of the casino, and charged hied to sup together two days after, to make our farewells, but onup, and pale as death, or rather as white as a statue of Carrara one,” she said, ”and he leaves , whoht I loved but as a friend, now you are lost to me I see my mistake Before I knew him I was not happy, but neither was I unhappy as I now a by the rief, but with out success Her character, as abandoned to sorrow as to pleasure, was displayed to ht She told me at what hour I should come to the convent parlour, the next day, and on hted to find her not quite so sad She shewed me a letter which her lover had written to her from Trevisa, and she then toldme that she would be accompanied sometimes by one nun and sometimes by another, for she foresaw that my visits would become the talk of the convent, when it becao to ive in another na suspicious

”Nevertheless,” she added, ”this will not preventalone when I have any matter of importance to communicate to you Promise me, sweetheart, to sup and sleep at the casino at least once a week, and write me a note each time by the housekeeper's wife”

Iher that h, as she was happy again, and her amorous inclinations had returned in full force About this tihtedto fear

Full of a pleasure of seeing one another through a wretched grating, we racked our brains to find out soether to do e liked, without any risk