Volume IV Part 58 (2/2)
”I know that, but I have no e; but they will be sorry for it afterwards, as I am sure I shall make at least fifty florins to-morrow”
”Howmy family Could you lend ht”
”Certainly, but I should like to have you all to supper at the nearest inn to the theatre Here are the ten florins”
The poor devil overfloith gratitude, and said he would order supper at a florin a head, according to ht of fourteen faood supper would be rather a, but as only thirty or at most forty people were present, poor Bassi did not knohere to turn to pay for the lighting and the orchestra He was in despair; and instead of returning ed ood house next ti ould talk it over after supper, and that I would go to the inn to wait for uests
Ithe bottle freely
My reason was that I had taken a great interest in a young girl fro cha, while sheat her Italian pronounced with an Alsatian accent, and at her gestures which were of the most comic description
I was determined to possess her in the course of the next twenty-four hours, and before the party broke up I spoke as follows:--
”Ladies and gentlee you myself for a week at fifty florins a day on the condition that you acknowledge , and pay all the expenses of the theatre You e the prices I name for seats, five members of the co If the receipts amount to more than fifty florins, ill share the overplus between us”
My proposal elcomed with shouts of joy, and I called for pen, ink, and paper, and drew up the agreement
”For to-morrow,” I said to Bassi, ”the prices for admission shall remain the same, but the day after ill see what can be done You and your fa Alsatian whom I could never separate fro description for the following evening; but, in spite of all, the pit only contained a score of common people, and nearly all the boxes were empty
Bassi had done his best, and eextreave e!” said I; and I proceeded to share theood supper, and I kept the the a thousand pranks with Bassi's daughter and the young Alsatian, who sat one on each side of me I did not heed the jealous Harlequin, who seemed not to relish my familiarities with his sweetheart The latter lent herself to race, as she hoped Harlequin would marry her, and consequently did not want to vex him When supper was over, we rose, and I took her betweenher in a estive to the lover, who tried to pull ht this rather toohim by his shoulders I disreat humility However, the situation assuan to weep bitterly Bassi and his wife, two hardened sinners, laughed at her tears, and Bassi's daughter said that her lover had offered , and told ain if I did not make her lover return
”I will see to all that,” said I; and four sequins soon ain She even tried to shew me that she was not really cruel, and that she would be still less so if I could , and she did her best to convince me that she would be quite complaisant on the first opportunity
I ordered Bassi to give notice that the pit would be two florins and the boxes a ducat, but that the gallery would be opened freely to the first co alarmed
”Maybe, but that remains to be seen You must request twelve soldiers to keep order, and I will pay for them”
”We shall want soallery, but as for the rest of the house”
”Again I tell you, we shall see Carry out my instructions, and whether they prove successful or no, ill have a merry supper as usual”
The next day I called upon the Harlequin in his little den of a room, and with two Louis, and a prolove
Bassi's bills h People said he must be mad; but when it was ascertained that it was the lessee's speculation, and that I was the lessee, the accusation of allery was full an hour before the rise of the curtain; but the pit was empty, and there was nobody in the boxes with the exception of Count La uise
The actors surpassed theallery enlivened the perforave me the three ducats for the three boxes, but of course I returned them to him; it was quite a little fortune for the poor actors I sat down at table between Bassi's wife and daughter, leaving the Alsatian to her lover I told the h ould, and I made him promise to play all his best pieces