Volume III Part 48 (2/2)
”I ager that this is the Elector's doing His highness has desired to preserve his incognito, and M Casanova has played his part to admiration”
This remark set all the company in a roar
”General,” said I, ”if the Elector had given me such an order, I should, of course, have obeyed hi part to play His highness, however, has deigned to do , I shewed hiold snuff-box, which made the tour of the table two or three times over
When we had finished, we rose froed for three hours in a pleasurable occupation, which all would willingly have prolonged; but at last we had to part, and after many compliments they all went upon their way, in order to be in tiuests, I left twenty ducats with the steward, for the servants, and promised hi
I arrived at Cologne in tie I went to the theatre in a sedan chair As soon as I got into the house, I saw the Coood omen, and I went to them directly As soon as she saw ot so ill that he had been obliged to go to bed Soon after, M de Lastic left us, and dropping her assurace, a thousand compliments, which compensated me for the expenses of eneral,” said she, ”had too much to drink; he is an envious devil, and has discovered that it is not seemly of you to treat us as if you were a prince I told him that, on the contrary, you had treated us as if ere princes, waiting on us with your napkin on your ar you”
”Why do you not send him about his business? So rude a fellow is not worthy of serving so famous a beauty”
”It's too late A woet possession of his, and that would vex reat prince! In the reater than Kettler's”
”You are joking, I hope”
”Nay, not at all; I a seriously, for the kisses I was so happy to snatch from you at the ball have inflah kindness to cure ne with a life-long grief”
”Put off your departure: why should you desire to go to Stuttgart so earnestly? I think of you, believe me, and I do not wish to deceive you; but it is hard to find an opportunity”
”If you had not the general's carriage waiting for you to-night, and I had mine, I could take you home with perfect propriety”
”Hush!+ As you have not your carriage, it is my part to take you home It is a splendid idea, that we must so contrive it that it ive e, and I shall then ask you where your carriage is; you will answer that you have not got one I shall ask you to come into ive us a couple oftill we are more fortunate”
I replied to her only by a look which expressed the intoxication of h the play was quite a short one, it seemed to me to last for ever At last the curtain fell, and ent downstairs When we got to the portico she asked reed upon, and when I told her I had not got a carriage, she said, ”I aeneral's to ask after his health; if it will not take you tooas we corand idea We should pass the entire length of the ill-paved toice, and thus we secured a little e was a chariot, and as ere going the moon shone directly on us On that occasion the planet was certainly not entitled to the appellation of the lovers' friend We did all we could, but that was alh my lovely partner endeavoured to help me as much as possible To add to our disco his head round, which forced us to eneral's door told our coachman that his excellency could see no one, and we joyfully turned towards my hotel, and now that the moon was behind us and the ot on a little better, or rather not so badly as before, but the horses see that it would be well to have the coachave hi vexed and unhappy, though more in love than ever, for my fair one had convinced me that she was no passive ive it That being the case I resolved not to leave Cologne before we had drained the cup of pleasure together, and that, it seeeneral was out of the way
Next day, at noon, I went to the general's house to write downvisitors and I went in I eneral an appropriate compliment, to which the rude Austrian only replied by a cold inclination of the head He was surrounded by a good eneral bow and went out The boor kept his room for three days, and as my mistress did not co her
On the last day of the carnival Kettler asked a goodto payleft for a eneral's supper I answered in the negative
”What!” said she, in an inant voice, ”he has not asked you? You o, for all that”
”Consider what you say,” said I, gently, ”I will do anything to please you but that”
”I know all you can urge; nevertheless, you o I should feel insulted if you were not at that supper If you love ive me this proof of your affection and (I think I o But are you aware that you are exposinghis? for I am not the man to pass over an affront”
”I know all you can say,” said she ”I have your honour at heart aswill happen to you; I will answer for everything You ive o, neither will I, but we must never see each other more”