The pretty nick-nacks I had given her had made her happy; her ardour was redoubled, and the night passed joyously.

I spent the next day in going from shop to shop, making fresh purchases for Marcoline, and we supped merrily at Madame Pernon’s.

The day after, M. Bono came to see me at an early hour with a smile of content on his face.

“Let us go and breakfast at a coffee-house,” said he; “we will have some discussion together.”

When we were breakfasting he shewed me a letter written by Possano, in which the rascal said that he was ready to abandon proceedings provided that M. de Seingalt gave him a hundred louis, on receipt of which he promised to leave Lyons immediately.

“I should be a great fool,” said I, “if I gave the knave more money to escape from the hands of justice.  Let him go if he likes, I won’t prevent him; but he had better not expect me to give him anything.  He will have a writ out against him to-morrow.  I should like to see him branded by the hangman.  He has slandered me, his benefactor, too grievously; let him prove what he says, or be dishonoured before all men.”

“His abandoning the proceedings,” said M. Bono, “would in my opinion amount to the same thing as his failing to prove his charges, and you would do well to prefer it to a trial which would do your reputation no good, even if you were completely successful.  And the hundred louis is nothing in comparison with the costs of such a trial.”

“M.  Bono, I value your advice very highly, and still more highly the kindly feelings which prompt you, but you must allow me to follow my own opinion in this case.”

I went to my counsel and told him of the fresh proposal that Possano had made, and of my refusal to listen to it, begging him to take measures for the arrest of the villain who had vowed my death.

The same evening I had Madame Pernon and M. Bono, who was her lover, to sup with me; and as the latter had a good knowledge of Italian Marcoline was able to take part in the merriment of the company.

The next day Bono wrote to tell me that Possano had left Lyons never to return, and that he had signed a full and satisfactory retraction.  I was not surprised to hear of his flight, but the other circumstance I could not understand.  I therefore hastened to call on Bono, who showed me the document, which was certainly plain enough.

“Will that do?” said he.

“So well that I forgive him, but I wonder he did not insist on the hundred Louis.”

“My dear sir, I gave him the money with pleasure, to prevent a scandalous affair which would have done us all harm in becoming public.  If I had told you nothing, you couldn’t have taken any steps in the matter, and I felt myself obliged to repair the mischief I had done in this way.  You would have known nothing about it, if you had said that you were not satisfied.  I am only too glad to have been enabled to skew my friendship by this trifling service.  We will say no more about it.”