me and I saw that it had made me respected, so small a thing imposes on people.  I then put fifty sequins on one card, going paroli and paix de paroli, and at daybreak I had broken the bank.  Canano said politely that if I liked to be spared the trouble of carrying all that gold he would have it weighed and give me a cheque.  A pair of scales was brought, and it was found that I had thirty-four pounds weight in gold, amounting to two thousand eight hundred and fifty-six sequins.  Canano wrote me a cheque, and I slowly returned to the ball-room.

Barbaro had recognized me with the keenness of a Venetian.  He accosted me and congratulated me on my luck, but I gave him no answer, and seeing that I wished to remain incognito he left me.

A lady in a Greek dress richly adorned with diamonds came up to me, and said in a falsetto voice that she would like to dance with me.

I made a sign of assent, and as she took off her glove I saw a finely-shaped hand as white as alabaster, one of the fingers bearing an exquisite diamond ring.  It was evidently no ordinary person, and though I puzzled my head I could not guess who she could be.

She danced admirably, in the style of a woman of fashion, and I too exerted myself to the utmost.  By the time the dance was over I was covered with perspiration.

“You look hot,” said my partner, in her falsetto voice, “come and rest in my box.”

My heart leaped with joy, and I followed her with great delight; but as I saw Greppi in the box to which she took me, I had no doubt that it must be Therese, which did not please me quite so well.  In short, the lady took off her mask; it was Therese, and I complimented her on her disguise.

“But how did you recognize me, dearest?”

“By your snuff-box.  I knew it, otherwise I should never have found you out.”

“Then you think that nobody has recognized me?”

“Nobody, unless in the same way as I did.”

“None of the people here have seen my snuff-box.”

I took the opportunity of handing over to Greppi Canano’s cheque, and he gave me a receipt for it.  Therese asked us to supper for the ensuing evening, and said,—­

“There will be four of us in all.”

Greppi seemed curious to know who the fourth person could be, but I right guessed it would be my dear son Cesarino.

As I went down once more to the ball-room two pretty female dominos attacked me right and left, telling me that Messer-Grande was waiting for me outside.  They then asked me for some snuff, and I gave them a box ornamented with an indecent picture.  I had the impudence to touch the spring and shew it them, and after inspecting it they exclaimed,—­

“Fie, fie! your punishment is never to know who we are.”

I was sorry to have displeased the two fair masquers, who seemed worth knowing, so I followed them, and meeting Barbaro, who knew everybody, I pointed them out to him, and heard to my delight that they were the two Marchionesses Q——­ and F——.  I promised Barbaro to go and see them.  He said that everybody in the ball-room knew me, and that our bank was doing very well, though, of course, that was a trifle to me.