Volume IV Part 95 (2/2)

When ere ready I thanked the ht without any pretence of our going to the masquerade, if the ladies had no objection The lieutenant answered for them in the affirmative, and hishiht The marquis confessed to the same fault, and I repeated the words like an article of faith, while the ladies kissed us, and thanked us for our kindness to them We parted in the same way as before, except that this time the marquis reot hoot up I found the house was empty, so I went to dine at the pastry-cook's, where I found Zenobia and her husband, who had cos of our supper He told iven his wife twenty-four sequins and the woossip that I should like sorateful mood

As soon as I was alone with Zenobia I asked her if she were satisfied with the ht blush h,” said I, ”no one can see you without loving you, or love you without desiring to possess your charo so far as that”

”It may be so, but I am surprised to hear it”

When I had dined, I hastened to call on the fair marchioness, whoiven me

I wanted to see what effect she would have onme so happy She looked prettier than ever She received lad to have acquired sohts over her lover

”I was sure,” said she, ”that you would coh her cousin was there she kissed me so often and so ardently that there was no rooht together I passed five hours with her, which went by all too quickly, for we talked of love, and love is an inexhaustible subject This five hours' visit on the day after our bridal shewed me that I was madly in love with my new conquest, while it must have convinced her that I orthy of her affection

Countess A---- B---- had sentme to sup with her, her husband, and the Marquis Triulzi, and other friends This engage a visit to Canano, who had won a thousand sequins of reat victory as Pierrot I knew that he boasted that he was sure of ain the ed war on ht I was rarely visible She tried hard to steal et some information as to my amorous adventures It was known that I sohed at because he had been silly enough to say that he had nothing to dread froaht

The next day Barbaro, as as honest as ht me the two hundred sequins I had lent him, with a profit of two hundred ht difference with the lieutenant, and was not going to play anypresentedhi her scruples He s h for

About three o'clock I called on my sweetheart, and spent five hours with her as before As Barbaro was not playing, the servants had been ordered to say that no one was at home As I was the declared lover of the marchioness, her cousin treated edas possible, not only to make her cousin happy, but for her sake as well, since without me she could not enjoy the marquis's society in private, and while her father was alive he would never dare to coht she would certainly become his wife as soon as her old father was dead, but she hoped vainly, for soon after thewe all asseave ourselves up to pleasure We spent a delicious night, but it was saddened by the reflection that the carnival was drawing to a close, and with it our mutual pleasures would be over

On the eve of Shrove Tuesday as there was no ball I sat down to play, and not being able once to hit on three winning cards, I lost all the gold I had about uised as a ns to play it I risked a hundred sequins on it, giving et back my money I lost a thousand sequins, which I paid the next day

I was just going out to console myself with the company of my dear , accouise, who shook ed s” at such a number, if the honour of an old friend was dear to me

”What friend is that?”

”Myself”

”What is your name?”

”I cannot tell you”

”Then you need not tell me to come, for if you were a true friend of mine you would tellot there he took off his nized Croce, whom my readers may remember

I kneas banished froive his nao to his inn

”I am surprised to see you here,” said I

”I dare say your are I have come here in this carnival season, when one can wear a ive me what they owe me; but they put me off froo when Lent begins”