The next day I took my two nymphs for a ride, and asked Pembroke to dinner.  In vain we waited for Petina’s mistress; she was nowhere to be found.  At nine o’clock I got a letter from her, with a German letter enclosed for her mother.  She said that feeling certain that her mother would not give her consent to her marriage, she had eloped with her lover, who had got together enough money to go to Naples, and when they reached that town he would marry her.  She begged me to console her mother and make her listen to reason, as she had not gone off with an adventurer but with a man of rank, her equal.  My lips curled into a smile of pity and contempt, which made the three sisters curious.  I shewed them the letter I had just received, and asked them to come with me to their mother.

“Not to-night,” said Victoire, “this terrible news would keep her awake.”

I took her advice and we supped together, sadly enough.

I thought the poor wretch was ruined for life, and I reproached myself with being the cause of her misfortune; for if I had not released the marquis from prison this could never have happened.  The Marquis Caraccioli had been right in saying that I had done a good deed, but a foolish one.  I consoled myself in the arms of my dear Gabrielle.

I had a painful scene with the mother the next morning.  She cursed her daughter and her seducer, and even blamed me.  She wept and stormed alternately.

It is never of any use to try and convince people in distress that they are wrong, for one may only do harm, while if they are left to themselves they soon feel that they have been unjust, and are grateful to the person who let them exhaust their grief without any contradiction.

After this event I spent a happy fortnight in the society of Gabrielle, whom Hippolyta and Victoire looked on as my wife.  She made my happiness and I made hers in all sorts of ways, but especially by my fidelity; for I treated her sisters as if they had been my sisters, shewing no recollection of the favours I had obtained from them, and never taking the slightest liberty, for I knew that friendship between women will hardly brook amorous rivalry.  I had bought them dresses and linen in abundance, they were well lodged and well fed, I took them to the theatre and to the country, and the consequence was they all adored me, and seemed to think that this manner of living would go on for ever.  Nevertheless, I was every day nearer and nearer to moral and physical bankruptcy.  I had no more money, and I had sold all my diamonds and precious stones.  I still possessed my snuff-boxes, my watches, and numerous trifles, which I loved and had not the heart to sell; and, indeed, I should not have got the fifth part of what I gave for them.  For a whole month I had not paid my cook, or my wine merchant, but I liked to feel that they trusted me.  All I thought of was Gabrielle’s love, and of this I assured myself by a thousand delicacies and attentions.