Volume IV Part 59 (1/2)
When the supper and the wine had sufficiently raised hter, who let hed, and the silly Harlequin fretted and fu able to take the same liberties with his Dulcinea But at the end of supper, when I haddressed like Ada his sweetheart's ar to draw her away I imperiously told hi hi his back His sweetheart did not follow his exa rant hand did not seem to displease her
The scene excited Bassi's wife, and she begged her husband to give her a proof of his love for her, to which request he acceded, while modest Harlequin sat by the fire with his head on his hands The Alsatian was in a highly excited state, and took advantage of her lover's position to grant reat ith her, and the violentas active a part in it as y was over I eerness hich they shared a score of sequins
This indulgence at a tithsleep Just as I awoke I was handed a suomaster I made haste with my toilette, for I felt curious to know the reason of this citation, and I are I had nothing to fear When I appeared, the istrate addressed me in Gerh of that language to ask for necessaries When he was infornorance of German he addressed me in Latin, not of the Ciceronian kind by any means, but in that peculiar dialect which obtains at most of the German universities
”Why do you bear a false name?” he asked
”My name is not false You can ask Carli, the banker, who has paid me fifty thousand florins”
”I know that; but your naalt?”
”I take this nas to me, and in such a manner that if anyone else dared to take it I should contest it as iti to you?”
”Because I invented it; but that does not preventCasanova as well”
”Sir, you alt; a uese often have half a dozen nauese; you are an Italian: and, after all, how can one invent a na in the world”
”Kindly explain”
”The alphabet belongs equally to the whole huht letters and coalt It pleasedfirmly persuaded that as no one had borne it before no one could deprive me of it, or carry it without urounded, for your naht to be none other than your father's naest that there you are mistaken; the name you yourself bear because your father bore it before you, has not existed from all eternity; it et it from his father, or else your naree to that?”
”I ae”
”You are again ive you by to- list of na, who are allowed to enjoy their na cited to the town hall to explain how they got theainst false names?”
”Yes, but I repeat this nah I do not know it, cannot be more true than entleman you consider your father” He s me that he would make enquiries aboutto M Carli's h
He told omaster was a Catholic, a worthy man, well to do, but rather thick-headed; in short, a fine subject for a joke
The followingM Carli asked omaster
”I saw hi talk, in the course of which I succeeded in convincing him on the question of names, and he is now quite of your opinion”
I accepted the invitation with pleasure, as I was sure of seeing soood co wost others, I noticed the woman in man's dress I had seen at the theatre I watched her at dinner, and I was the more convinced that she was a woman Nevertheless, everybody addressed her as ain search of a to seeallantry as one talks to a woman, and I contrived to let her know that if I were not sure of her sex I had very strong suspicions She pretended not to understand ned expression of offence
After dinner, while ere taking coffee, the pretended gentleman shewed a canon as present a portrait on one of her rings It represented a young lady as in the coh ly My conviction was not disturbed, but when I saw the iled affection and respect, I ceased jesting on the question of her sex M Carli took me aside for a moment, and told me that in spite of his effeoing tolady whose hand he had just kissed