circumstance might occur in which you might accuse me of not having acted towards you with all the sincerity that true love inspires, and that it has a right to demand, I have made up my mind to confide to you a secret which concerns my friend, although I am aware that he relies entirely upon my discretion.  I shall certainly be guilty of a breach of confidence, but you will not love me less for it, because, compelled to choose between you two, and to deceive either one or the other, love has conquered friendship; do not punish me for it, for it has not been done blindly, and you will, I trust, consider the reasons which have caused the scale to weigh down in your favour.

“When I found myself incapable of resisting my wish to know you and to become intimate with you, I could not gratify that wish without taking my friend into my confidence, and I had no doubt of his compliance.  He conceived a very favourable opinion of your character from your first letter, not only because you had chosen the parlour of the convent for our first interview, but also because you appointed his casino at Muran instead of your own.  But he likewise begged of me to allow him to be present at our first meeting-place, in a small closet—­a true hiding-place, from which one can see and hear everything without being suspected by those in the drawing-room.  You have not yet seen that mysterious closet, but I will shew it to you on the last day of the year.  Tell me, dearest, whether I could refuse that singular request to the man who was shewing me such compliant kindness?  I consented, and it was natural for me not to let you know it.  You are therefore aware now that my friend was a witness of all we did and said during the first night that we spent together, but do not let that annoy you, for you pleased him in everything, in your behaviour towards me as well as in the witty sayings which you uttered to make me laugh.  I was in great fear, when the conversation turned upon him, lest you would say something which might hurt his self-love, but, very fortunately, he heard only the most flattering compliments.  Such is, dearest love, the sincere confession of my treason, but as a wise lover you will forgive me because it has not done you the slightest harm.  My friend is extremely curious to ascertain who you are.  But listen to me, that night you were natural and thoroughly amiable, would you have been the same, if you had known that there was a witness?  It is not likely, and if I had acquainted you with the truth, you might have refused your consent, and perhaps you would have been right.

“Now that we know each other, and that you entertain no doubt, I trust, of my devoted love, I wish to ease my conscience and to venture all.  Learn then, dearest, that on the last day of the year, my friend will be at the casino, which he will leave only the next morning.  You will not see him, but he will see us.  As you are supposed not to know anything about it, you must feel that you will have to be natural