Volume II Part 78 (1/2)
”Are you, then, not the inventor of the scheme which has been shewn me?”
”No, it is the work ofhim?”
”Certainly His body is feeble, but his our We shall see him directly”
The brother was not aappearance, as he was covered with a kind of leprosy; but that did not prevent hi all his bodily and intellectual faculties; he talked well and aly He never went into society, as, besides his personal disfigurement, he was tor himself, now in one place, and now in another; and as all scratching is accounted an abo in Paris, he preferred to be able to use his fingernails to the pleasures of society He was pleased to say that, believing in God and His works, he was persuaded his nails had been given him to procure the only solace he was capable of in the kind of fury hich he was tormented
”You are a believer, then, in final causes? I think you are right, but still I believe you would have scratched yourself if God had forgotten to give you any nails”
My rean to speak of our common business, and I soon found him to be a man of intellect He was the elder of the two brothers, and a bachelor He was expert in all kinds of calculations, an accoe of coallantry His birthplace was Leghorn, he had been in a Government office at Naples, and had come to Paris with M de l'Hopital His brother was also aand talent, but in every respect his inferior
He shewed me the pile of papers, on which he had worked out all the proble to the lottery
”If you think you can do without me,” said he, ”I must compliment you on your abilities; but I think you will find yourself e of the matter and no business men to help you, your theories will not carry you far What will you do after you have obtained the decree? When you speak before the council, if you take my advice, you will fix a date after which you are not to be held responsible--that is to say, after which you will have nothing more to do with it Unless you do so, you will be certain to encounter trifling and procrastination which will defer your plan to the Greek Kalends On the other hand, I can assure you that M du Vernai would be very glad to see us join hands:”
Very entleood reason that I could not do without the, I went doith the younger brother, who introduced me to his wife before dinner I found present an old lady well known at Paris under the naout, another lady somewhat advanced in years, as called Baroness Blanche, and was still the mistress of M de Vaux, another styled the President's lady, and a fourth, fair as the dawn, Madame Razzetti, from Piedmont, the wife of one of the violin players at the opera, and said to be courted by M de Fondpertuis, the superintendent of the opera
We sat down to dinner, but I was silent and absorbed, all , at Silvia's, I was pronounced absent and pensive, and so I was in spite of the sentiment hich Maderew in strength
I set out for Versailles nexttwo hours before day-break, and elcomed by M de Bernis, who said he would bet that but for him I should never have discovered ne tells enerally esteemed one of the acutest men in France If you will take my advice, Casanova, you will keep up that acquaintance and pay him assiduous court I may tell you that the lottery is certain to be established, that it will be your doing, and that you ought to oes out to hunt, be at hand in the private apart you to the fan Affairs, and introduce yourself in my name to the Abbe de la Ville He is the chief official there, and will give you a good reception”
M de Boulogne told iven their consent, he would have the decree for the established ht have on the subject of finance
At noon Madah the private apartments with the Prince de Soubise, and my patron hastened to point raceful curtsy, and told ht
”Do you go,” said she, ”to see your ambassador?”
”I shewaway”
”I hope you mean to settle in France”
”It would be my dearest wish to do so, e, and I know that in France patronage is only given tocircumstance”
”On the contrary, I think you have reason to be hopeful, as you have sohted if I can be of any assistance to you”
As the fair ratitude
I next went to the Abbe de la Ville, who received me with the utmost courtesy, and told me that he would remember me at the earliest opportunity