At last I was tired and left the ball, and went to bed intending to go to mass in the morning.  I slept for some time and woke, but as it was still dark I turned on the other side and went to sleep again.  At last I awoke again, and seeing the daylight stealing through my double windows, I sent for a hairdresser, telling my man to make haste as I wanted to hear mass on the first Sunday after my arrival in St. Petersburg.

“But sir,” said he, “the first Sunday was yesterday; we are at Monday now.”

“What!  Monday?”

“Yes, sir.”

I had spent twenty-seven hours in bed, and after laughing at the mishap I felt as if I could easily believe it, for my hunger was like that of a cannibal.

This is the only day which I really lost in my life; but I do not weep like the Roman emperor, I laugh.  But this is not the only difference between Titus and Casanova.

I called on Demetrio Papanelopulo, the Greek merchant, who was to pay me a hundred roubles a month.  I was also commended to him by M. da Loglio, and I had an excellent reception.  He begged me to come and dine with him every day, paid me the roubles for the month due, and assured me that he had honoured my bill drawn at Mitau.  He also found me a reliable servant, and a carriage at eighteen roubles, or six ducats per month.  Such cheapness has, alas! departed for ever.

The next day, as I was dining with the worthy Greek and young Bernardi, who was afterwards poisoned, Count Volpati came in with the dessert, and told us how he had met a Venetian at the ball who had promised to come and see him.

“The Venetian would have kept his promise,” said I, “if he had not had a long sleep of twenty-seven hours.  I am the Venetian, and am delighted to continue our acquaintance.”

The count was about to leave, and his departure had already been announced in the St. Petersburg Gazette.  The Russian custom is not to give a traveller his passports till a fortnight has elapsed after the appearance of his name in the paper.  This regulation is for the advantage of tradesmen, while it makes foreigners think twice before they contract any debts.

The next day I took a letter of introduction to M. Pietro Ivanovitch Melissino, colonel and afterwards general of artillery.  The letter was written by Madame da Loglio, who was very intimate with Melissino.  I was most politely welcomed, and after presenting me to his pleasant wife, he asked me once for all to sup with him every night.  The house was managed in the French style, and both play and supper were conducted without any ceremony.  I met there Melissino’s elder brother, the procurator of the Holy Synod and husband of the Princess Dolgorouki.  Faro went on, and the company was composed of trustworthy persons who neither boasted of their gains nor bewailed their losses to anyone, and so there was no fear of the Government discovering this infringement of the law against gaming.  The bank was held by Baron Lefort, son of the celebrated admiral of Peter the Great.  Lefort was an example of the inconstancy of fortune; he was then in disgrace on account of a lottery which he had held at Moscow to celebrate the coronation of the empress, who had furnished him with the necessary funds.  The lottery had been broken and the fact was attributed to the baron’s supposed dishonesty.