Volume V Part 76 (1/2)
The first visit I paid in Berlin was to Calsabigi, the younger brother of the Calsabigi hom I had founded the lottery in Paris in 1757 He had left Paris and his wife too, and had set up a lottery in Brussels; but his extravagance was so great that he became a bankrupt in spite of the efforts of Count Cobenzl to keep hi He fled fro of Prussia He was a plausible speaker, and persuaded the er, and to give him the title of Counsellor of State
He pro in an annual revenue of at least two hundred thousand crowns, and only asked a percentage of ten per cent for hi for two years, and had had a great success, as hitherto it had had no large losses; but the king, who knew that the luck et about it With this idea he told Calsabigi that he must carry it on on his own responsibility and pay hi the cost of his Italian Theatre
I happened to call on Calsabigi on the very day on which the king inti over our old relationshi+p and the vicissitudes we had both experienced, he told me what had happened; it see, he said, would be at the king's risk; but the public would have to be informed that in future the lottery would be a private one He wanted capital to the amount of two million crowns, for he foresaw that otherwise the lottery would collapse, as people would not risk theirpaid in the event of their winning
He said he would guarantee me an inco the king change his ement he recalled to my mind the effect of my persuasive powers at Paris seven years before
”'Tis a good omen,” said he, ”and without any superstition I believe that the good genius of the lottery has brought hed at his illusions, but I pitied hi an individual whose only arguer” He begged me to stay to dinner and introduced me to his wife This was a double surprise for ht General La Motte, as his first as called, to be still living, and in the second place because I recognized in this second wife of his, Mdlle Belanger I addressed the usual compliments to her and enquired after her h, and told me not to ask any questions about her family as she had only bad news to tell er at Paris; she was a ith one daughter, and seeh and well married, and yet in this doleful humour, and I felt ei had placed h opinion of the skill of his cook, he shewedme to take a drive with his wife and come back to supper, which, as he said, was his best ether, the necessity of talking about so led me to ask the lady by what happy chain of circui
”His real wife is still alive, so I have not thethat position, but everyone in Berlin thinks I ao I was deprived of my mother and the means of livelihood at one stroke, for h to help s I subsisted for two years on the sale ofwith a worthy wo by embroidery I learnt her art, and only went out to mass on Sundays I was a prey to melancholy, and when I had spent all I had I went to M Brea, a Genoese, on whoetthat I was tolerably competent for such a position He promised to do what he could forproposal:
”He read i, of whoed hiood birth, good education, and pleasant appearance, as when his aged and infirm wife died he intended to marry her
”As such a person would ed M
Brea to give her fifty Louis to buy clothes and linen and fifty Louis to journey to Berlin with alady should hold the position of Calsabigi's wife, and be presented in that character to all his friends; that she should have a waiting-e, an allowance of clothes, and a certain monthly amount as pin-ement was not found suitable, to set her free at the end of a year, giving her a hundred Louis, and leaving her in possession of whatever ht have saved, and such clothes and jewels as he reed to live with hii proift in her favour to the amount of ten thousand crohich the public would believe to be her dowry, and if he died before being able to ht to claim the aforesaid sum from his estate
”With such fine promises did Brea persuade me to leave h everybody treats me as if I were his wife, it is probably known that I am only his mistress
I have been here for six months, and I have never had an instant's happiness”
”Has he not kept the conditions you have i's state of health will kill hi, for he is loaded with debt, and his creditors would have the first claim on the estate Besides, I do not like him; and the reason is that he loves me too much You can understand that; his devotion worries me”
”At all events, you can return to Paris in sixyou like when the teret your hundred louis, and can lay in a pretty stock of linen”
”If I go to Paris I shall be dishonoured, and if I remain here I shall be dishonoured In fact, I am very unhappy, and Brea is the cause of my woe Nevertheless, I can't blame him, as he could not have been aware that his friend's property only consisted of debts And now the king has withdrawn his countenance, the lottery will fail, and Calsabigi will inevitably becoeration, and I could not help confessing that she was to be pitied I advised her to try and sell the deed of gift for ten thousand crowns, as it was not likely he would raise any objection
”I have thought it over,” said she, ”but to do that I have need of a friend; of course, I do not expect to dispose of it save at a great loss”
I promised to see what I could do for her
There were four of us at supper The fourth person was a young man who had helped in the Paris and Brussels Lotteries, and had followed Calsabigi to Berlin He was evidently in love with Mdlle Belanger, but I did not think his love was croith success
At dessert Calsabigi begged ive him my opinion of a sche in a suht remain secure