respected the slumbers of Pierrot.  The quadrille lasted one hour, and I took no part in it, but immediately after it, a Harlequin approached me with the impertinence which belongs to his costume, and flogged me with his wand.  It is Harlequin’s weapon.  In my quality of Pierrot I had no weapons.  I seized him round the waist and carried him round the parlour, running all the time, while he kept on flogging me.  I then put him down.  Adroitly snatching his wand out of his hand, I lifted his Columbine on my shoulders, and pursued him, striking him with the wand, to the great delight and mirth of the company.  The Columbine was screaming because she was afraid of my tumbling down and of shewing her centre of gravity to everybody in the fall.  She had good reason to fear, for suddenly a foolish Merry Andrew came behind me, tripped me up, and down I tumbled.  Everybody hooted Master Punch.  I quickly picked myself up, and rather vexed I began a regular fight with the insolent fellow.  He was of my size, but awkward, and he had nothing but strength.  I threw him, and shaking him vigorously on all sides I contrived to deprive him of his hump and false stomach.  The nuns, who had never seen such a merry sight, clapped their hands, everybody laughed loudly, and improving my opportunity I ran through the crowd and disappeared.

I was in a perspiration, and the weather was cold; I threw myself into a gondola, and in order not to get chilled I landed at the ‘ridotto’.  I had two hours to spare before going to the casino of Muran, and I longed to enjoy the astonishment of my beautiful nun when she saw M. Pierrot standing before her.  I spent those two hours in playing at all the banks, winning, losing, and performing all sorts of antics with complete freedom, being satisfied that no one could recognize me; enjoying the present, bidding defiance to the future, and laughing at all those reasonable beings who exercise their reason to avoid the misfortunes which they fear, destroying at the same time the pleasure that they might enjoy.

But two o’clock struck and gave me warning that Love and Comus were calling me to bestow new delights upon me.  With my pockets full of gold and silver, I left the ridotto, hurried to Muran, entered the sanctuary, and saw my divinity leaning against the mantelpiece.  She wore her convent dress.  I come near her by stealth, in order to enjoy her surprise.  I look at her, and I remain petrified, astounded.

The person I see is not M——­ M——­

It is C——­ C——­, dressed as a nun, who, more astonished even than myself, does not utter one word or make a movement.  I throw myself in an arm-chair in order to breathe and to recover from my surprise.  The sight of C——­ C——­ had annihilated me, and my mind was as much stupefied as my body.  I found myself in an inextricable maze.