Volume IV Part 89 (1/2)
I wanted someone on whoined that ht of Zenobia would be as serviceable as her husband; she could do so to dress up
I talked to ossip, and told him to take me to the best second-hand clothes dealer in Milan
When we got to the shop I said to the man--
”I want to look at your very finest costuentle that has never been worn?”
”Certainly, if you have got such a thing”
”I have a very rich assortment of new clothes”
”Get me, then, in the first place, a handsome velvet suit, all in one piece, which nobody in Milan will be able to recognize”
Instead of one he shewed me a dozen such suits, all in excellent condition I chose a blue velvet lined hite satin The tailor conducted the bargaining, and it was laid on one side; this was for the pretty cousin's lover Another suit, in shout, I put aside for the young officer I also took two handsome pairs of trousers in smooth velvet, and two superb silk vests
I then chose two dresses, one flame-coloured and the other purple, and a third dress in shot silk This was for the officer's mistress Then came lace shi+rts, two for men, and three for women, then lace handkerchiefs, and finally scraps of velvet, satin, shot silk, etc, all of different colours
I paid two hundred gold ducats for the lot, but on the condition that if anybody caht theive me the money and take back the reened, and I returned with the tailor, who carried the whole bundle to my rooms over the pastrycook's
When it was all spread out on the table I told the tailor that I would blow out his brains if he told anybody about it, and then taking a stiletto I proceeded to cut and slash the coats, vests, and trousers all over, to the astonishht I must be mad to treat such beautiful clothes in this h to this day when I reht and said to the tailor,--
”Now, 'gossip, it is your turn; I want you to sew in these pieces into the holes I have enius will aid you to produce soot your work cut out for you and no time to lose I will see that yourchamber, but you o for your wife, ill help you, and you can sleep together”
”For God's sake, sir! you don't want the ladies' dresses treated like the coats and trousers?”
”Just the same”
”What a pity! it will make my wife cry”
”I will console her”
On ht five pairs of white silk stockings, loves, two fine castor hats, two burlesquefeht two pretty china plates, and I carried them all to Zenobia's in a sedan-chair
I found that char about her neck, and her full breast was concealed by no kerchief
Such charin with I devoured her with kisses I spent half an hour with her, and uess that it ell employed I then helped her to finish her toilette, and ent off in the sedan-chair
We found the tailor engaged in picking out the scraps and cutting them to fit the holes I had made Zenobia looked on in a kind of stupor, and when she saw in to slash the dresses she turned pale andht I ot hardened, and reassured her, and when she heard h the idea struck her as a very odd one
When it is a question of an affair of the heart, of the passions, or of pleasure, a woman's fancy moves much faster than a man's When Zenobia knew that these dresses were meant for three beautiful women, whom I wished to make a centre of attraction to the whole asseed the rents in such amodesty The dresses were slashed especially at the breast, the shoulders, and the sleeves; so that the lace shi+ft could be seen, and in its turn the shi+ft was cut open here and there, and the sleeves were so arranged that half the arms could be seen I saw sure that she understood what I wanted, and that she would keep her husband right; and I left the them to work their best and quickest But I looked in three or four times in the day, and was more satisfied every time with my idea and their execution
The as not finished till the Saturday afternoon I gave the tailor six sequins and dismissed him, but I kept Zenobia to attend on the ladies I took care to place powder, po that a lady needs, on the table, not forgetting ribbons and pack-thread
The next day I found play going on in a very spirited manner, but the two cousins were not at the tables, so I went after the as Barbaro alon