“I will give you no other favours.” she replied, “than those which Armelline may give you.  You ought to try to get her married also.”

In spite of her grief at these proposals, gentle Armelline replied,——­

“You are the only man I have ever seen; and as I have no hopes of getting married I will give you no pledges at all, though I do not know what you mean by the word.”

Though I saw how pure and angelic she was, I had the cruelty to go away, leaving her to her distress.

It was hard for me to torment her thus, but I thought it was the only way to overcome her prejudices.

Calling on the Venetian ambassador’s steward I saw some peculiarly fine oysters, and I got him to let me have a hundred.  I then took a box at the Capronica Theatre, and ordered a good supper at the inn where we had supped before.

“I want a room with a bed,” I said to the waiter.

“That’s not allowed in Rome, signor,” he replied, “but on the third floor we have two rooms with large sofas which might do instead, without the Holy Office being able to say anything.”

I looked at the rooms and took them, and ordered the man to get the best supper that Rome could offer.

As I was entering the boa with the two girls I saw the Marchioness d’Aout was my near neighbour.  She accosted me, and congratulated herself on her vicinity to me.  She was accompanied by her French abbe, her husband, and a fine-looking young man, whom I had never seen before.  She asked who my companions were, and I told her they were in the Venetian ambassador’s household.  She praised their beauty and began to talk to Armelline, who answered well enough till the curtain went up.  The young man also complimented her, and after having asked my permission he gave her a large packet of bonbons, telling her to share them with her neighbour.  I had guessed him to be a Florentine from his accent, and asked him if the sweets came from the banks of the Arno; he told me they were from Naples, whence he had just arrived.

At the end of the first act I was surprised to hear him say that he had a letter of introduction for me from the Marchioness of C——.

“I have just heard your name,” he said, “and tomorrow I shall have the honour of delivering the letter in person, if you will kindly give me your address.”

After these polite preliminaries I felt that I must comply with his request.

I asked after the marquis, his mother-in-law, and Anastasia, saying that I was delighted to hear from the marchioness from whom I had been expecting an answer for the last month.

“The charming marchioness has deigned to entrust me with the answer you speak of.”

“I long to read it.”

“Then I may give you the letter now, though I shall still claim the privilege of calling on you to-morrow.  I will bring it to you in your box, if you will allow me.”

“Pray do so.”