Volume V Part 57 (1/2)

However, I made an effort and said, coldly, that it was all her own fault

”I know it is,” said she, ”for if I had been tractable as I ought to have been, you would have been loving instead of cruel But repentance effaces sin, and I a pardon May I hope to obtain it?”

”Certainly; I aive o, and troubleyou have not heard, and I beg you will listen toto do you can say what you have got to say, I will listen to you”

In spite of the coldness of my words, I was really profoundly touched, and the worst of it was that I began to believe in the genuineness of her ht have relieved herself of what she had to say in a quarter of an hour, but by dint of tears, sighs, groans, digressions, and so forth, she took two hours to tell ht as she had done She ended by saying that she would like to be mine as she had been M Morosini's, to live with ht allow her a monthly sum which she would hand over to her mother, ould, in that case, leave her alone

She dined withthat she ht ed, but that I should prefer to settle with herday, and this seemed to surprise her

It is possible that the Charpillon would have granted me any favour on that day, and then there would have been no question of deception or resistance for the future Why did I not press her? Because sometimes love stupefies instead of quickens, and because I had been in a way her judge, and I thought it would be base ofmy amorous desires, and possibly because I was a fool, as I have often been in the course of my existence She must have left istered a vow to revenge herself on me for the half-contemptuous way in which I had treated her

Goudar was astonished when he heard of her visit, and of the way in which I had spent the day I begged hi I went to see the infamous woman in her own house

She ith her hter will have a house at Chelsea,” said I to the o and see her whenever I like, and also fifty guineas a month to do what she likes with”

”I don't care what you give her a month,” she replied, ”but before I let her leave uineas she was to have had when she slept with you”

”It is your fault that she didn't have theive them to you”

”And in the meanwhile, till you have found the house, I hope you will come and see me”

”Yes”

The next day Goudar shewed uineas, a month's rent, in advance, for which I received a receipt In the afternoon I concluded the bargain with the ive her the hundred guineas, and I did so, not fearing any treachery, as nearly the whole of the girl's clothing was already at Chelsea

In due course ent to our country house The Charpillon liked the house iether

After supper ent to bed, and she granted ht preliminary favours, but when I would have attained ave ical reasons for the circu a one on, but she resisted, and yet with such gentleness that I left her alone and went to sleep I awoke sooner than she did, and determined to see whether she had iown carefully, and took off her linen only to find that I had been duped once more

This roused her, and she tried to stop ently chid her for the trick, and feeling disposed to forgive it set about h horse, and pretended to be hurt ather by surprise I tried to calotI left her alone, but I expressedterms The impudent slut honouredto dress herself she proceeded to indulge in iave her a box on the ears which stretched her at full length on the floor She shrieked, stamped her feet, and an to speak to hiushed from her nose

The man fortunately spoke Italian, and told o away, and advised ht ed to witness against one as fast as she likes,” said I, ”and to keep out of , staunched the blood, and went off in a sedan-chair, while I re that I did not deserve to live, and finding her conduct utterly outrageous and incomprehensible