Volume VI Part 84 (2/2)
I spoke of her sister to her, and frouessed that I had loved her She toldthe Carnival of 1773, but I did not see her again till the year 1776, when I was at Venice
The dreadful Nina Bergonci, who had made a madman of Count Ricla, and was the source of allof Lent, occupying a pleasant house which she had taken She had carte blanche with a banker, and kept up a great state, affir herself to be with child by the Viceroy of Catalonia, and deraciously chosen Bologna as the place of her confineate, who often visited her, but in the greatest secrecy
The time of her confinement approached, and the insane Ricla sent over a confidential man, Don Martino, as enize it as Ricla's natural offspring
Ninaat the theatre and in the public places with an enorna paid court to her, and Nina told theuarantee their safety froh to tell the that I was at Bologna
She was extremely surprised to hear from Count Zini, who knew me, that I inhabited the same town as herself
When the count met me he asked me if the Barcelona story was true I did not care to take him into my confidence, so I replied that I did not know Nina, and that the story had doubtless been er for her sake
When I met the cardinal I told hiave hiht into Nina's character, and inforrandfather
”I could stake my life,” said I, ”that Nina is no hing, ”that is really too strong; why shouldn't she have a child? It is a very simple matter, it seems to me Possibly it may not be Ricla's child but there can be no doubt that she is with sonancy?”
”Tothe Count de Ricla, as athis Messalina If your eminence knew the hideous character of Nina you would not wonder at anything she did”
”Well, we shall see”
”Yes”
About a week later I heard a great noise in the street, and on putting my head out of theI sao scourged by the hangna Severini came up at the same moment and inforna, and that her punishment had been ordered by the cardinal archbishop
”It reat crime,” I observed
”No doubt It is the woman ith Nina the day before yesterday”
”What! has Nina been brought to bed?”
”Yes; but of a still-born child”
”I see it all”
Next day the story was all over the town
A poor woman had come before the archbishop, and had complained bitterly that the ive her twenty sequins if she would give her a fine boy to whoiven the su of the death of her child she begged for justice, declaring herself able to prove that the dead child said to be Nina's was in reality her own
The archbishop ordered his chancellor to enquire into the affair with the utmost secrecy, and then proceed to instant and summary execution
A week after this scandal Don Martino returned to Barcelona; but Nina remained as impudent as ever, doubled the size of the red cockades which she e her on the insolent archbishop She re to be still suffering froate, as asha to do with such an abandoned prostitute, did his best to have her ordered to leave