At six o’clock precisely my mistress alighted from the gondola, well dressed and well masked, but this time in the garb of a woman.  We went to the Saint Samuel opera, and after the second ballet we repaired to the ‘ridotto’, where she amused herself by looking at all the ladies of the nobility who alone had the right to walk about without masks.  After rambling about for half an hour, we entered the hall where the bank was held.  She stopped before the table of M. Mocenigo, who at that time was the best amongst all the noble gamblers.  As nobody was playing, he was carelessly whispering to a masked lady, whom I recognized as Madame Marina Pitani, whose adorer he was.

M——­ M——­ enquired whether I wanted to play, and as I answered in the negative she said to me,

“I take you for my partner.”

And without waiting for my answer she took a purse, and placed a pile of gold on a card.  The banker without disturbing himself shuffled the cards, turned them up, and my friend won the paroli.  The banker paid, took another pack of cards, and continued his conversation with his lady, shewing complete indifference for four hundred sequins which my friend had already placed on the same card.  The banker continuing his conversations, M——­ M——­ said to me, in excellent French,

“Our stakes are not high enough to interest this gentleman; let us go.”

I took up the gold, which I put in my pocket, without answering M. de Mocenigo, who said to me: 

“Your mask is too exacting.”

I rejoined my lovely gambler, who was surrounded.  We stopped soon afterwards before the bank of M. Pierre Marcello, a charming young man, who had near him Madame Venier, sister of the patrician Momolo.  My mistress began to play, and lost five rouleaux of gold one after the other.  Having no more money, she took handfuls of gold from my pocket, and in four or five deals she broke the bank.  She went away, and the noble banker, bowing, complimented her upon her good fortune.  After I had taken care of all the gold she had won, I gave her my arm, and we left the ‘ridotto’, but remarking that a few inquisitive persons were following us, I took a gondola which landed us according to my instructions.  One can always escape prying eyes in this way in Venice.

After supper I counted our winnings, and I found myself in possession of one thousand sequins as my share.  I rolled the remainder in paper, and my friend asked me to put it in her bureau.  I then took my locket and threw it over her neck; it gave her the greatest delight, and she tried for a long time to discover the secret.  At last I showed it her, and she pronounced my portrait an excellent likeness.

Recollecting that we had but three hours to devote to the pleasures of love, I entreated her to allow me to turn them to good account.

“Yes,” she said, “but be prudent, for our friend pretends that you might die on the spot.”