Volume VI Part 26 (1/2)
This was another surprise; I did not knohat to expect next ”What can be the ine, but I will have an explanation, or perish”
I dined sadly with Donna Ignazia, without telling her the cause ofto take ht me a letter from his master and fled before I could read it The letter contained an enclosure which I read first It was from Baron de Fraiture He asked Manucci to lend hi to shew him the man whom he held for his dearest friend to be his worst ene rateful traitor) said that the baron's letter had excited his curiosity and he had met him in St Jerome's Park, where the baron had clearly proved this eneh the naenuine the title of count was quite apocryphal
After recapitulating the inforiven him, and which could only have proceeded from myself, he advised me to leave Madrid as soon as possible, in a week at latest
I can give the reader no idea of the shock this letter gave uilty of folly, ingratitude, and criiveness, and did not think of asking Manucci to pardonbut despair
Nevertheless, in spite of Manucci's just indignation, I could not help seeing that he hada ht have known thatsuch a piece of advice He could not compel me to obey his counsel or command; and to leave Madrid would have been to corief I spent the day without taking any steps one way or the other, and I went to bed without supping and without the coot up and wrote to the friend whom I had offended a sincere and hu that I hoped that this evidence of my sincere and heartfelt repentance would suffice, but if not that I was ready to give him any honourable satisfaction in my power
”You may,” I said, ”have me assassinated if you like, but I shall not leave Madrid till its suits me to do so”
I put a commonplace seal on my letter, and had the address written by Philippe, whose hand was unknown to Manucci, and then I sent it to Pando where the king had gone
I keptthat I had recovered ree, made no more enquiries about the cause ofa reply, but in vain
The third day, being Sunday, I went out to call on the Prince della Catolica My carriage stopped at his door, but the porter cahness had his reasons for not receiving er
This was an unexpected blow, but after it I was prepared for anything
I drove to the Abbe Bigliardi, but the lackey, after taking in ot into e and went to Varnier, who said he wanted to speak to o and hear ether”
On our way he told o, had warned the Duke of Medina Sidonia that I was a dangerous character
”The duke,” he added, ”replied that he would cease to know you as soon as he found out the badness of your character hi in such quick succession, casttill we heard ether, but I believe that if I had not then told him the whole story I should have had an apoplectic fit
Varnier pitied reat when they have abjured all virtue and honesty Nevertheless, I advise you to keep silence about it, unless you would irritate Manucci still farther”
When I got hoeance, or else I should be obliged to tell the story to all those who insulted me for the ambassador's sake I sent the letter to M Soderini, the secretary of the e sure that he would forward it to Manucci
I dined with ht, where I chanced to findthat in which Manucci and the two ambassadors were seated I ed to return, and did not vouchsafe thelance for the rest of the spectacle
The next day the Marquis Grimaldi refused to receive me, and I saw that I should have to abandon all hope The Duke of Lossada remained my friend on account of his dislike to the ambassador and his unnatural tastes; but he told me that he had been requested not to receive htest chance of obtaining any employment at Court