I addressed myself to the marquis:  Your lordship, and you, madam, turning to the marchioness, I hope will excuse me for having requested of you the honour of being once more admitted to your presence, and to that of three brothers, for whom I shall ever retain the most respectful affection.  I could not think of leaving a city, where one of the first families in it has done me the highest honour, without taking such a leave as might shew my gratitude.—­Accept, my lords, bowing to each; accept, madam, more profoundly bowing to the marchioness, my respectful thanks for all your goodness to me.  I shall, to the end of my life, number most of the days that I have passed at Bologna among its happiest, even were the remainder to be as happy as man ever knew.

The marquis said, We wish you, chevalier, very happy; happier than—­He sighed, and was silent.

His lady only bowed.  Her face spoke distress.  Her voice was lost in sighs, though she struggled to suppress them.

Chevalier, said the bishop, with an air of solemnity, you have given us many happy hours:  for them we thank you.  Jeronymo, for himself, will say more:  he is the most grateful of men.  We thank you also for what you have done for him.

I cannot, said Jeronymo, express suitably my gratitude:  my prayers, my vows, shall follow you whithersoever you go, best of friends, and best of men!

The general, with an air and a smile that might have been dispensed with, oddly said, High pleasure and high pain are very near neighbours:  they are often guilty of excesses, and then are apt to mistake each other’s house.  I am one of those who think our whole house obliged to the chevalier for the seasonable assistance he gave to our Jeronymo.  But—­

Dear general, said Lady Juliana, bear with an interruption:  the intent of this meeting is amicable.  The chevalier is a man of honour.  Things may have fallen out unhappily; yet nobody to blame.

As to blame, or otherwise, said the Conte della Porretta, that is not now to be talked of; else, I know where it lies:  in short, among ourselves.  The chevalier acted greatly by Signor Jeronymo:  we were all obliged to him:  but to let such a man as this have free admission to our daughter—­ She ought to have had no eyes.

Pray, my lord, pray, brother, said the marquis, are we not enough sufferers?

The chevalier, said the general, cannot but be gratified by so high a compliment; and smiled indignantly.

My lord, replied I to the general, you know very little of the man before you, if you don’t believe him to be the most afflicted man present.

Impossible! said the marquis, with a sigh.

The marchioness arose from her seat, motioning to go; and turning round to the two ladies, and the count, I have resigned my will to the will of you all, my dearest friends, and shall be permitted to withdraw.  This testimony, however, before I go, I cannot but bear:  Wherever the fault lay, it lay not with the chevalier.  He has, from the first to the last, acted with the nicest honour.  He is entitled to our respect.  The unhappiness lies nowhere but in the difference of religion.