So saying I gave her a kiss which she took very kindly, but she smelt of nursing, which I detested, so I did not go any farther despite her radiant beauty.

I made my bargain with the landlord, and paid a month’s rent in advance for which he gave me a receipt.  It was agreed that I should come and go as I pleased, and that he should provide me with food.  I gave him a name so common as to tell him nothing whatever about me, but he seemed to care very little about that.

As I had agreed with Barbaro to visit the fair marchionesses, I dressed carefully, and after a slight repast with the countess, who was pleasant but did not quite please me, I met my fellow-countryman and we called on the two cousins.

“I have come,” said I, “to beg your pardons for having revealed to you the secret of the snuff-box.”

They blushed, and scolded Barbaro, thinking that he had betrayed them.  On examining them I found them far superior to Irene, my present flame, but their manner, the respect they seemed to require, frightened me.  I was not at all disposed to dance attendance on them.  Irene, on the contrary, was an easy prey.  I had only to do her parents a service, and she was in my power; while the two cousins had their full share of aristocratic pride, which debases the nobility to the level of the vilest of the people, and only imposes upon fools, who after all are in the majority everywhere.  Further I was no longer at that brilliant age which fears nothing, and I was afraid that my appearance would hardly overcome them.  It is true that Barbaro had made me hope that presents would be of some use, but after what the Marquis Triulzi had said, I feared that Barbaro had only spoken on supposition.

When the company was sufficiently numerous, the card-tables were brought in.  I sat down by Mdlle.  Q——­, and disposed myself to play for small stakes.  I was introduced by the aunt, the mistress of the house, to a young gentleman in Austrian uniform who sat beside me.

My dear countryman played like a true sharper, much to my displeasure.  My fair neighbour, at the end of the game, which lasted four hours, found herself the gainer of a few sequins, but the officer, who had played on his word of honour, after losing all the money in his pockets, owed ten louis.  The bank was the winner of fifty sequins, including the officer’s debt.  As the young man lived at some distance he honoured me by coming in my carriage.

On the way, Barbaro told us he would introduce us to a girl who had just come from Venice.  The officer caught fire at this, and begged that we should go and see her directly, and we accordingly went.  The girl was well enough looking, but neither I nor the officer cared much about her.  While they were making some coffee for us, and Barbaro was entertaining the young lady, I took a pack of cards, and had not much difficulty in inducing the officer to risk twenty sequins against the twenty I put on the table.  While we were playing I spoke to him of the passion with which the young marchioness inspired me.