Volume III Part 51 (1/2)

I did not at all like following theenius led me in that wretched town from one blunder to another, and so I went in spite of myself

We turned back into the town, and I lethouse, and in the meanest of rooms I saw the pretended nieces of Peccini A moment after Peccini appeared, and had the i me his best friend His nieces overwhelmed me with caresses, and seemed to confir and held ue

The officers prepared for a debauch; I did not imitate their example, but this made no difference to them I saw into what an evil place I had been decoyed, but a false sha the house without cere, but I deter a pot-house supper was served, of which I did not partake; but not wishi+ng to seearian wine After supper, which did not last very long, cards were produced, and one of the officers held a bank at faro I punted and lost the fifty or sixty Louis I had about , and I would have gladly given over playing and gone away, but I have never been so possessed as on that day, either froave me

My noble officers seee They made me hold a bank of a hundred Louis in fish, which they counted out to ain I lost My inflaer, deprivedall the tiood rascals declared they would play no more They made a calculation, and declared that I had lost nearly a hundred thousand francs So great was h I had had no ed to send for a sedan chair to takeold snuff-boy

”Don't forget to wake ,” said I Therewith I went to bed and enjoyed a cal nextI found a hundred Louis in my pocket, at which I wasover now, I re before; but my mind was taken up with the pleasure party, and I put off thinking of this incident and of my enormous losses till afterwards I went to the Toscani and we set out for Louisbourg, where we had a capital dinner, and uessed the art in the evening

When I got ho about my watches and snuff-box at the house where I had been the evening before, and that the three officers had co me at home they had told him to warnThey kept the appointment

”Gentlemen,” said I, as soon as they came in, ”I have lost a sum which I cannot pay, and which I certainly should not have lost without the drugged wine you gave me You have taken me to a den of infamy, where I was shamefully robbed of jewellery to the value of more than three hundred Louis I complain of no one, since I have only my own folly to complain of If I had been wiser all this would not have happened to me”

They exclaimed loudly at this speech, and tried to play the part of men of honour They spoke in vain, as I had

Whilst ere in the thick of the fight, and were beginning to get angry over it, Baletti, Toscani, and Binetti caht in, and after we had finished my friends left me

When ere once more alone, one of the rascals addressed me as follows:

”We are too honest, sir, to take advantage of your position You have been unfortunate, but allbetter than a mutual accommodation We will take over all your properties; jewels, diae, and have them valued; and if the sum realized does not cover your debt ill take your acceptance, payable at date, and reood friends”

”Sir, I do not wish for the friendshi+p of robbers, and I will not play a single farthing”

At this they tried threats, but I kept cool and said,--

”Gentlemen, your menaces will not intimidate etting paid; either by way of the law, in which case I do not think I shall find it difficult to get a barrister to take up my case, or, secondly, you can pay yourselves on my body, honourably, with sword in hand”

As I had expected, they replied that if I wished they would dome that I would be sorry for what I had said

Soon after I went out and spent the day with the Toscani in gaiety which, situated as I as not far off hter's char their elasticity

However, the e of the three robbers was the first to urge ainst their villainy by an appeal to the law

”If you give thereat advantage over you in spite of the right being on your side”

And whilst I toyed with her char my case the counsel told me that n as soon as possible

”They took you to the house of ill-faed hich deprived you of your reason; they a is strictly forbidden); in this company you were robbed of your jewels after they hadmatter, and the duke's interest will be to do you justice, for an act of scoundrelism like this committed by his officers would dishonour hinance to this course, for though the duke was a sharaceful story

However, the case was a serious one, and after giving it due reflection I deter