Volume II Part 56 (1/2)
”In theless seducing;” but the night brought counsel, and in theirl's, and that it would therefore be unjust to punish her for it
We shall see, dear reader, how all this ended
CHAPTER XXIII
Continues the Preceding Chapter--M M Recovers--I Return to Venice--Tonine Consoles Me--Decrease of My Love For M M-- Doctor Righelini--Curious Conversation With Him--How This Conversation Affected M M--Mr Murray Undeceived and Avenged
Tontine had what is called tact and co these qualities were required in our econo to bed before receivinginto my room except in a proper dress, and all this pleased ht M---- M---- was so ill that I expected every moment to hear the news of her death On Shrove Tuesday C---- C---- wrote that her friend was not strong enough to readto receive 'extreme unction' This news so shocked me that I could not rise, and passed the whole day in weeping and writing, Tonine not leaving ot a letter, in which C---- C---- told me that the doctor had no hopes for her friend, and that he only gave her a fortnight to live A low fever asting her away, her weakness was extreme, and she could scarcely s a little broth She had also the misfortune to be harassed by her confessor, who made her foretaste all the terrors of death I could only solace ain rief, and that it would be the death of nant, and that keeping to , and no food, would finally drive rief to poor Tonine, whose chief duty was to wipe away my tears She had co C---- C---- that if our friend died I should not survive her, I asked her to tell M---- M---- that if she wanted me to take care of my life she must promise to let me carry her off on her recovery
”I have,” I said, ”four thousand sequins and her diamonds, which are worth six thousand; we should, therefore, have a sufficient sum to enable us to live honourably in any part of Europe”
C---- C---- wrote today, and said thatmy letter read, had fallen into a kind of convulsion, and, beco delirious, she talked incessantly in French for three whole hours in a fashi+on which would have made all the nuns take to their heels, if they had understood her I was in despair, and was nearly raving as wildly as my poor nun Her deliriuot back her reason she charged her young friend to tell et well if I promised to keep to my word, and to carry her off as soon as her health would allow I hastened to reply that if I lived she ht be sureto deceive each other in all good faith, we got better, for every letter fro , was to rew rew better, and h quite unconsciously, began to take pleasure in the siht before she saw that I was asleep
Towards the end of March M---- M---- wrote to er, and that by taking care she hoped to be able to leave her room after Easter I replied that I should not leave Muran till I had the pleasure of seeing her at the grating, where, without hurrying ourselves, we could plan the execution of our scheadin had seenanxious I resolved to go and see hi Tonine that I should not be back till the evening, I started for Venice without a cloak, for having gone to Muran ht days without going out ofany food I had just gone through an experience which flattered irl ould have passed for a beauty anywhere in Europe She was gentle, thoughtful, and delicate, and without being taxed with foppishness I think I may say that, if she was not in love with me, she was at all events inclined to please me to the utmost of her ability; for all that I had been able to withstand her youthful char her every day, I had dispersed ratitude seeed to confess that this charirl had lavished on me the most tender and assiduous care
She had passed whole nights on a chair byiven her a kiss, never had I allowed myself to undress in her presence, and never (with one exception) had she co properly dressed For all that, I knew that I had fought a battle, and I felt inclined to boast at having won the victory There was only one circumstance that vexed me--namely, that I was nearly certain that neither M M nor C C would consider such continence to be within the bounds of possibility, if they heard of it, and that Laura herself, to whohter would tell the whole story, would be sceptical, though she ot to M de Bragadin's just as the soup was being served He welco foreseen that I should thus surprise them Besides my two other old friends, there were De la Haye, Bavois, and Dr Righelini at table
”What! you without a cloak!” said M Dandolo
”Yes,” said I; ”for having gone out with hed, and, without putting , for it was understood that that question should be left to me to answer or not Nevertheless, De la Haye, as bursting with curiosity, could not refrain froot so thin,” said he, ”that uncharitable people will be rather hard on you”
”I trust they will not say that I have been passing my time with the Jesuits”
”You are sarcastic They may say, perhaps, that you have passed your time in a hot-house under the influence of Mercury”
”Don't be afraid, sir, for to escape this hasty judg”
”No, no, I am quite sure you will not”
”Believetone, ”that I deeoverned by it”
Seeing that I was in earnest, ry with hihelini, as one of Murray's intimate friends, said toto tell Murray of my re-appearance, and of the falsity of all the reports about o to sup with hi that M de Bragadin and his two friends were uneasy about me, I promised to dine with them on April 25th, St Mark's Day
As soon as Mr Murray saw me, he fell on my neck and embraced me He introduced reat politeness
After Murray had told me the innumerable stories which had been made about my disappearance, he asked me if I knew a little story by the Abbe Chiari, which had come out at the end of the carnival As I said that I knew nothing about it, he gave ht It was a satire in which the Zorzi clique was pulled to pieces, and in which I played a very poor part I did not read it till some time after, and in the ood supper I took a gondola to return to Muran