Volume VI Part 62 (1/2)
”Who is the other diplo?”
”'Tis yourself”
”Then your battle is over, for I consent before I knohat you ask I only make a reserve on one point”
”So much the worse, as that may turn out to be just what I want you to do Tellto Rome, when the Abbe Galiani told me that Donna Lucrezia was here with you”
”And can a short delay interfere with your happiness? Are you not your own master?”
”Smile on me once more; your desires are orders which must be obeyed I have always been my own master, but I cease to be so from this ood Then I command you to come and spend a few days with us at an estate we have at a short distance My husband will have himself transported here You will allow e?”
”Here, sweet marchioness, is the key to n to coe, a pretty boy, and told his were carefully taken to the castle
Her lady-in-waiting was very fair I said so to Leonilda in French, not knowing that the young lady understood the language, but she smiled and told her mistress that ere old acquaintances
”When had I the pleasure of knowing you, o You have often spoken to me and teased me”
”Where, may I ask?”
”At the duchess of Matalone's”
”That in to re teased you”
The hly airl to say how I had teased her She confined herself, however, to saying that I had played tricks on her I thought I re stolen a few kisses, but I left the ladies to think what they liked
I was a great student of the human heart, and felt that these reproaches of Anastasia's (such was her name) were really advances, but unskillfully made, for if she had wanted more of me, she should have held her peace and bided her time
”It strikes me,” said I, ”that you were much smaller in those days”
”Yes, I was only twelve or thirteen You have changed also”
”Yes, I have aged”
We began talking about the late Duke of Matalone, and Anastasia left us
We sat down in a charhter, and allowing ourselves liberties which threatened to lead to danger
The ood husband
Donna Lucrezia remarked our mutual emotion as I held Leonilda in my arms, and warned us to be careful She then left us to walk in a different part of the garden
Her words had the contrary effect to as intended, for as soon as she left us in so opportune athe double crime, we approached too near to each other, and an almost involuntary movementinto one another's eyes, in mute astonishuilt nor repentance in our breasts