After a brief silence I told her all that had taken place between the fair Venetian and myself.  I painted our amorous combats in a lively and natural manner, for, besides my recollections, I had her living picture before my eyes, and I could follow on her features the various emotions aroused by my recital.  When I had finished she said,

“But is your M——­ M——­ really so like me, that you mistook me for her?”

Drawing from my pocket-book the portrait in which M——­ M——­ was dressed as a nun, I gave it to her, saying,

“Judge for yourself.”

“She really is; it might pass for my portrait.  It is my dress and my face; it is wonderful.  To this likeness I owe all my good fortune.  Thanks be to God that you do not love me as you loved her, whom I am glad to call my sister.  There are indeed two M——­ M——­ s.  Mighty Providence, all Thy least ways are wonderful, and we are at best poor, weak, ignorant mortals.”

The worthy country-woman came up and have us a still better supper than on the previous night.  The invalid only ate soup, but she promised to do better by the following evening.

I spent an hour with her after supper, and I convinced her by my reserve that she had made a mistake in thinking that I only loved her as a daughter.  Of her own accord she shewed me that her breast had regained its usual condition.  I assured myself of the fact by my sense of touch, to which she made no opposition, not thinking that I could be moved by such a trifle.  All the kisses which I lavished on her lips and eyes she put down to the friendship for her.  She said, smiling, that she thanked God she was not fair like her sister, and I smiled myself at her simplicity.

But I could not keep up this sort of thing for long, and I had to be extremely careful.  As soon as I felt that passion was getting the upper hand, I gave her a farewell kiss and went away.  When I got home Le Duc gave me a note from Madame Zeroli, who said she would expect me at the fountain, as she was going to breakfast with the marquis’s mistress.

I slept well, but in my dreams I saw again and again the face of the new M——­ M——.  Next day, as soon as I got to the fountain, Madame Zeroli told me that all the company maintained that I ought to have lost in playing on thirteen cards at once, as it was not true that one card won four times in each deal; however, the marquis, though he agreed with the rest, had said that he would not let me play like that again.

“I have only one objection to make to that—­namely, that if I wanted to play in the same way again he could only prevent me by fighting for it.”

“His mistress swears she will make you play in the usual way.”

I smiled, and thanked her for her information.