Volume VI Part 16 (1/2)
At eight o'clock Manucci called and toldenquiries about hly in ret that he could not take race with the State Inquisitors
”He has certainly been shaentabout it, but for a furious letter he has written me; and Don Emmanuel de Roda and the Duke of Lossada have received epistles in the saht, but that is not the way to address people”
”If he really said I was in the right, that is sufficient”
”He said it, sure enough”
”Then he must do me justice, and as to my style everyone has a style of their own I am furious, and I wrote furiously Look at this place; I have no bed, the floor is covered with filth, and I aed to sleep on a narrow bench Don't you think it is natural that I should desire to eat the hearts of the scoundrels who have placed me here? If I do not leave this hell by too mad”
Manucci understood the horrors of ain early the next day, and adviseda bed, but I would not listen to hi froht of the verhtened me, and I was afraid for my purse and the jewels I had aboutto sleep fro off the bench
Manucci caht o'clock, andwith him some excellent chocolate, which in so it, an officer of high rank, accompanied by two other officers, came in and called out,--
”M de Casanova!”
I stepped forward and presented an, ”the Count of Aranda is at the gate of the prison; he is rieved at the treath the letter you wrote him yesterday, and if you had written sooner your pains would have been shorter”
”Such was my intention, colonel, but a soldier”
I proceeded to tell hi his nauard, repriive ly, and the colonel then ordered the captain to fetch the offending soldier, and to give hi before me
This officer, the emissary of the all-powerful Aranda, was Count Royas, coarrison of Buen Retiro I told him all the circumstances of my arrest, and of my imprisonet back that day o mad or kill myself
”Here,” I said, ”I can neither rest nor sleep, and a ht If you had co filth hich the floor was covered”
The worthy y hich I spoke I saw his feelings, and hastened to say,--
”Youfroe I aine the effect of such treatment on me”
Manucci told hiood fellow enough The colonel expressed his pity for me, and assured me that my arms should be restored to me, and my liberty too, in the course of the day
”Afterwards,” said he, ”you o and thank his excellency the Count of Aranda, who came here expressly for your sake He bade me tell you that your release would be delayed till the afternoon, that you may have full satisfaction for the affront you have received, if it is an affront, for the penalties of the law only dishonour the guilty In this instance the Alcalde Messa has been deceived by the rascal as in your service”
”There he is,” said I ”Be good enough to have hiht kill him”
”He shall be taken away this moment,” he replied
The colonel went out, and two ue away between theain, and never troubled myself to enquire what had becoedsoldier flogged Manucci was at my side, and at some little distance stood the Count of Aranda, surrounded by officers, and accouard