Volume IV Part 77 (1/2)

At the second ballet at the opera an actress dressed in a tippet held out her cap to the bones as if to beg an al a pas de deux I was in the Marchioness of Corti's box, and when the girl held out her cap to s of ostentation and benevolence to draw forth my purse and drop it in It contained about twenty ducats The girl took it, thanked me with a smile, and the pit applauded loudly I asked the Marquis Belcredi, as near me, if she had a lover

”She has a penniless French officer, I believe,” he replied; ”there he is, in the pit”

I went back towith M Basili, a Modenese colonel, when the ballet girl, her er sister caift ”We are so poor,” said the girl

I had almost done supper, and I asked them all to sup with me after the performance the next day This offer was quite a disinterested one, and it was accepted

I was delighted to have made a woman happy at so little expense and without any ulterior objects, and I was giving orders to the landlord for the supper, when Clairmont, my man, told me that a French officer wanted to speak to me I had him in, and asked what I could do for him

”There are three courses before you, Mr Venetian,” said he, ”and you can take which you like Either countermand this supper, invite me to come to it, or come and measure swords withto the fire, did not givebrand and rushed on the officer, who thought it best to escape Luckily for him the door ofdownstairs that the waiter ca he had stolen so him with his firebrand, had him released

This adventure became town talk directly My servant, proud of his exploit and sure of oing out, as the officer was only a braggart He did not even draw his sword on the waiter who had caught hold of hih the man only had a knife in his belt

”At all events,” he added, ”I will go out with you”

I told him that he had done well this time, but that for the future he must not interfere in my affairs

”Sir,” he replied, ”your affairs of this kind are o beyond ht very sensible, though I did not tell hi, sood French servants are of the saent, but they all think themselves cleverer than their masters, which indeed is often the case, and when they are sure of it they becoive theentlemen endeavour to conceal But when the master kno to make himself respected, the Clairmonts are excellent

The landlord of my inn sent a report of the affair to the police, and the French officer was banished from the town the same day At dinner Colonel Basili asked to hear the story, and said that no one but a French officer would think of attacking a man in his own room in such a foolish manner I differed froenerally they are perfectly polite and have wonderful tact Wretchedness and love, joined to a false spirit of courage, makes a fool of a irl thankedher of the poor devil, who (as she said) was always threatening to kill her, and wearied her besides Though she was not beautiful, there was soraceful, well-ent, her e and expressive I think I should have found her a good bargain, but as I wanted to get away froood-natured without ulterior motive, I bade her farewell after supper, withMy politeness seeratitude

Next day I dined at the celebrated Chartreuse, and in the evening I reached Milan, and got out at Count A---- B----'s, who had not expectedday

The countess, of whom my fancy had made a perfect woman, disappointed ives reins to the ih too sht still have loved her, in spite of ravity that was not to ave ave her the two pieces of sarcenet she had co me that her confessor would reimburse me for my expenditure The count then took me to my room, and left me there till supper It was nicely furnished, but I felt ill at ease, and resolved to leave in a day or two if the countess remained iive her

Weall the time to draw me out, and to hide his wife's sulkiness I answered in the sa to his wife, however, in the hope of rousing her

It was all lost labour The little woman only replied by faint smiles which vanished almost as they came, and by monosyllabic answers of the briefest description, without taking her eyes off the dishes which she thought tasteless; and it was to the priest, as the fourth person present, that she addressed her coh I liked the count very well, I could not help pronouncing his wife decidedly ungracious I was looking at her to see if I could find any justification for her ill humour on her features, but as soon as she saw an to speak about nothing to the priest This conduct offended ns on me, for as she had not fascinated me at all I was safe froht in; it was to be used for a dress with hoops,

The count was grieved to see her fall so short of the praises he had lavished on her, and caive her Spanish ways, and saying that she would be very pleasant when she knew me better

The count was poor, his house was small, his furniture shabby, and his footman's livery threadbare; instead of plate he had china, and one of the countess's es nor horses, not even a saddle horse of any kind Clairave me all this information, and added that he had to sleep in a little kitchen, and was to share his bed with the man who had waited at table

I had only one roo three heavy trunks foundsoreeable toto ask what I usually took for breakfast