I proceeded to the Villa Negroni; the moment he saw me the cardinal stopped to receive my letter, allowing two persons who accompanied him to walk forward.  He put the letter in his pocket without reading it, examined me for one or two minutes, and enquired whether I felt any taste for politics.  I answered that, until now, I had not felt in me any but frivolous tastes, but that I would make bold to answer for my readiness to execute all the orders which his eminence might be pleased to lay upon me, if he should judge me worthy of entering his service.

“Come to my office to-morrow morning,” said the cardinal, “and ask for the Abbe Gama, to whom I will give my instructions.  You must apply yourself diligently to the study of the French language; it is indispensable.”  He then enquired after Don Leilo’s health, and after kissing his hand I took my leave.

I hastened to the house of M. Gaspar Vivaldi, where I dined amongst a well-chosen party of guests.  M. Vivaldi was not married; literature was his only passion.  He loved Latin poetry even better than Italian, and Horace, whom I knew by heart, was his favourite poet.  After dinner, we repaired to his study, and he handed me one hundred Roman crowns, and Don Antonio’s present, and assured me that I would be most welcome whenever I would call to take a cup of chocolate with him.

After I had taken leave of Don Gaspar, I proceeded towards the Minerva, for I longed to enjoy the surprise of my dear Lucrezia and of her sister; I inquired for Donna Cecilia Monti, their mother, and I saw, to my great astonishment, a young widow who looked like the sister of her two charming daughters.  There was no need for me to give her my name; I had been announced, and she expected me.  Her daughters soon came in, and their greeting caused me some amusement, for I did not appear to them to be the same individual.  Donna Lucrezia presented me to her youngest sister, only eleven years of age, and to her brother, an abbe of fifteen, of charming appearance.  I took care to behave so as to please the mother; I was modest, respectful, and shewed a deep interest in everything I saw.  The good advocate arrived, and was surprised at the change in my appearance.  He launched out in his usual jokes, and I followed him on that ground, yet I was careful not to give to my conversation the tone of levity which used to cause so much mirth in our travelling coach; so that, to, pay me a compliment, he told nee that, if I had had the sign of manhood shaved from my face, I had certainly transferred it to my mind.  Donna Lucrezia did not know what to think of the change in my manners.