We went out, and the jeweller having accepted my security the bargain was completed.  The merchant, who knew me only by name, thinking of paying me a great compliment, told P——­ C——­ that with my guarantee all his goods were at his service.  I did not feel flattered by the compliment, but I thought I could see in it the knavery of P——­ C——­, who was clever enough to find out, out of a hundred, the fool who without any reason placed confidence in me when I possessed nothing.  It was thus that my angelic C——­ C——­, who seemed made to insure my happiness, was the innocent cause of my ruin.

At noon P——­ C——­ brought his sister; and wishing most likely to prove its honesty—­for a cheat always tries hard to do that—­he gave me back the letter of exchange which I had endorsed for the Cyprus wine, assuring me likewise that at our next meeting he would hand me the one hundred sequins which he had promised me.

I took my mistress as usual to Zuecca; I agreed for the garden to be kept closed, and we dined under a vine-arbour.  My dear C——­ C——­ seemed to me more beautiful since she was mine, and, friendship being united to love we felt a delightful sensation of happiness which shone on our features.  The hostess, who had found me generous, gave us some excellent game and some very fine fish; her daughter served us.  She also came to undress my little wife as soon as we had gone upstairs to give ourselves up to the sweet pleasures natural to a young married couple.

When we were alone my loved asked me what was the meaning of the one hundred sequins which her brother had promised to bring me, and I told her all that had taken place between him and me.

“I entreat you, darling,” she said to me, “to refuse all the demands of my brother in future; he is, unfortunately, in such difficulties that he would at the end drag you down to the abyss into which he must fall”

This time our enjoyment seemed to us more substantial; we relished it with a more refined delight, and, so to speak, we reasoned over it.

“Oh, my best beloved!” she said to me, “do all in your power to render me pregnant; for in that case my father could no longer refuse his consent to my marriage, under the pretext of my being too young.”

It was with great difficulty that I made her understand that the fulfilment of that wish, however much I shared it myself, was not entirely in our power; but that, under the circumstances, it would most probably be fulfilled sooner or later.

After working with all our might at the completion of that great undertaking, we gave several hours to a profound and delightful repose.  As soon as we were awake I called for candles and coffee, and we set to work again in the hope of obtaining the mutual harmony of ecstatic enjoyment which was necessary to insure our future happiness.  It was in the midst of our loving sport that the too early dawn surprised us, and we hurried back to Venice to avoid inquisitive eyes.