Volume IV Part 58 (1/2)

I had enough of Cephalides, and Dr Algardi prepared in rains ofa large glass of curds after it, and in the evening I had another pill with barley water, and this was the only sustenance I had This heroic treatave me back reat deal of pain; but I did not begin to put on flesh and get backthis tiht with my diamonds, watches, snuff-box, linen, rich suits, and a hundred louis which Madaiven hie for fifty thousand francs, which she had happily not entrusted to the robber, and the money rescued me very opportunely from the state to which my imprudence had reduced me

At this period I made another discovery of an extremely vexatious character; naiven him if he had not forced me to a public exposure, which I could only have avoided with the loss of my honour However, I kept him in my service tillyear

Towards the end of Septeress would not take place, the Renaud passed through Augsburg with Desarrnoises on her way to Paris; but she dared not cooods, of which she had taken possession without telling me Four or five years later she ave the Cardinal de Rohan the famous necklace, which he supposed was destined for the unfortunate Marie Antoinette The Renaud was at Paris when I returned, but I made no endeavour to see her, as I wished, if possible, to forget the past I had every reason to do so, for a that wretched year the person I found ivenoff Desarmoises's ears; but the old rascal, who, no doubt, foresahat kind of treatment I was likely to mete to him, made his escape Shortly after, he died miserably of consumption in Norot all an once more to amuse myself My excellent cook, Anna Midel, who had been idle so long, had to work hard to satisfy my ravenous appetite

My landlord and pretty Gertrude, his daughter, looked atsoardi, who had saveduht, for I required an immense quantity of nourishment to recover my former state, and I soon felt in a condition to renew my sacrifices to the deity for whom I had suffered so much

I fell in love with the cook and Gertrude, ere both young and pretty I imparted my love to both of them at once, for I had foreseen that if I attacked them separately I should conquer neither Besides, I felt that I had not much time to lose, as I had proht of the year 1761 in a suite of rooms she had furnished for me in the Rue de Bac She had adorned the rooms with superb tapestry made for Rene of Savoy, on which were depicted all the operations of the Great Work She wrote to me that she had heard that Santis had recovered froiven him, and had been committed to the Bicetre for fraud

Gertrude and Anna Midel occupiedthe rest of lect society I spent reeable , who occupied the position of field-marshal to the prince-bishop His wife had all the attractions which collect good coether At this house I made the acquaintance of the Baron von Selentin, a captain in the Prussian service, as recruiting for the King of Prussia at Augsburg I was particularly drawn to the Count La by his taste for literature He was an extremely learned man, and has published some excellent works I kept up a correspondence with him till his death, by his own fault, in 1792, four years fro I say by his fault, but I should have said by the fault of his doctors, who treated him mercurially for a disease which was not venereal; and this treatood name

Hisis still alive, and lives in Bavaria, loved by her friends and her daughters, who all es

At this time a miserable co, and I got them permission to play in a small and wretched theatre As this was the occasion of an incident which diverted me, the hero, I shall i them also

CHAPTER XIV

The Actors--Bassi--The Girl Fro The Female Count- -My Return to Paris I Go to Metz--Pretty Raton--The Pretended Countess Lascaris

A woh, but lively like all Italians, called on me, and asked me to intercede with the police to obtain perliness she was a poor fellow-countrywo whether the coood or bad, I pro the favour

I went to the first performance, and saw to my surprise that the chief actor was a Venetian, and a fellow-student of e His naiven up the priesthood Fortune had h, while I, the adventurer, had a prosperous air

I felt curious to hear his adventures, and I was also actuated by that feeling of kindliness which draws one towards the companions of one's youthful and especially one's school days, so I went to the back as soon as the curtain fell He recognized ave a joyful cry, and after he had embraced me he introduced me to his wife, the woirl of thirteen or fourteen, whose dancing had delightedto his mates, of whom he was chief, introduced me to the me dressed like a lord, with a cross on my breast, took , and Bassi, strange to say, did not undeceive thes and put on its everyday rags, Bassi's ugly wife took me by the arm and said I ot to just the kind of rooround floor, which served for kitchen, dining-roo table, part of which was covered with a cloth which looked as if it had been in use for a month, and at the other end of the roo certain earthenware dishes in a dirty pan This den was lighted by one candle stuck in the neck of a broken bottle, and as there were no snuffers Bassi's wife snuffed it cleverly with her finger and thu the burnt wick on the floor An actor with long moustaches, who played the villain in the various pieces, served an enor in a sea of dirty water dignified with the nary family proceeded to tear pieces of bread off the loaf with their fingers or teeth, and then to dip theht to be disgusted A large pot of ale passed from hand to hand, and with all this misery mirth displayed itself on every countenance, and I had to ask myself what is happiness For a second course there was a dish of fried pork, which was devoured with great relish Bassi was kind enough not to press ed to him

The meal over, he proceeded to ih, and like those which o; and while he talked his pretty daughter sat onthat he was going to Venice for the carnival, and was sure ofa lot of money I wished hi me what profession I followed the fancy took me to reply that I was a doctor

”That's a better trade than ive you a valuable present”

”What is that?” I asked

”The receipt for the Venetian Specific, which you can sell at two florins a pound, while it will only cost you four gros”

”I shall be delighted; but tell me, how is the treasury?”

”Well, I can't coiven my actors a florin apiece But I am sure I don't kno I am to play to-morrow, as the coive each of them a florin in advance”

”They don't ask very much, however”