Volume VI Part 16 (2/2)

The business kept us there for a couple of hours Before leaving s at dinner at his house

When I returned to my filthy prison I found a clean arht in for me I sat down in it iain and again He was ive rievously He never forgave me, at which I aree with eance too far

After the scene which had taken place, the vile crowd of prisoners stood gazing at ed ht me as usual, and at three o'clock the Alcalde Messa appeared and begged me to follow hi, where he hoped I should find everything in perfect order At the sa to bring to uard returned me my sword, the alcalde, as in his black cloak, put hiuard of thirty constables The seals were removed from my apartment, and after a brief inspection I pronounced that everything was in perfect order

”If you had not a rascal and a traitor (who shall end his days in the galleys) in your service, Senor Caballero, you would never have written down the servants of his Catholic nation made me write the same sentence to four of his majesty's er Let us forget and forgive; but you must confess that if I had not knorite a letter you would have sent alleys”

”Alas! it is very likely”

I need not say that I hastened to remove all traces of the vile prison where I had suffered so rateful visit was paid to the noble cobbler The worthy lad to see ht--perhaps she had not been so sure of o heard of the satisfaction that had been given randee of Spain could not have asked for ed the worthy people to co theladly

I felt that nazia had increased i

Afterwards I called on Mengs, ith his knowledge of Spanish law expected nothing less than to see me When he heard of ratulations He was in his Court dress--an unusual thing with hi him the reason he told me that he had been to Don Emmanuel de Roda's to speak onan audience He gave me a Venetian letter which had just arrived for me I opened it, and found it was froo M

Dandolo said that on reading the enclosed letter the a me, as it contained a recommendation from one of the Inquisitors on behalf of the three

When I told Mengs of this he said it was now in my power to make my fortune in Spain, and that noas the time when all thefor s I had received

”I advise you,” he said, ”to take the letter to the ae; after what you have undergone for the last few days you cannot be in a walking hus that I would not sup with hiht, but would dine with him the next day The ambassador was out, so I left the letter with Manucci, and then drove home and slept profoundly for twelve hours

Manucci cah spirits, and told me that M

Girolamo Zulian had written to the a him that he need not hesitate to countenance ainst ree prejudicial to my honour

”The ambassador,” he continued, ”proposes to introduce you at Court next week, and he wants you to dine with him to-day; there will be a nus”

”No matter, he shall be asked as well; you must come Consider the effect of your presence at the aht Go and ask Mengs, and tell the a his invitation”

CHAPTER V

Cas--The Marquis Grimaldi--Toledo--Madame Pelliccia--My Return to Madrid

Different circumstances in my life seem to have combined to renderconfession, and yet I make it But who could help it? A man who abandons hi with a billiard cue It may make a stroke that would be an honour to the e coincidences of life which, as I have said, have caused me to become superstitious

Fortune, which under the humbler nauides the most important actions of a man's life Always it has seeists affirht h places, only, as it seems, to be cast into the depths Fortune has done her best to hty power; she hasbefore this mysterious pohich takes my will and moulds it, and makes it a mere instrument for the accomplishment of its decrees

I could not possibly have done anything in Spain without the help of the representative offor iven hiht effect if it had not come to hand so soon after h the handsoiven me