The first dawn of day found me with my ‘vis-a-vis’ and four at the door of Donna Cecilia, who came with me as before.  The charming widow, notwithstanding her strict morality, was delighted at my love for her daughter.  The family rode in a large phaeton hired by Don Francisco, which gave room for six persons.

At half-past seven in the morning we made a halt at a small place where had been prepared, by Don Franciso’s orders, an excellent breakfast, which was intended to replace the dinner, and we all made a hearty meal, as we were not likely to find time for anything but supper at Tivoli.  I wore on my finger the beautiful ring which Lucrezia had given me.  At the back of the ring I had had a piece of enamel placed, on it was delineated a saduceus, with one serpent between the letters Alpha and Omega.  This ring was the subject of conversation during breakfast, and Don Francisco, as well as the advocate, exerted himself in vain to guess the meaning of the hieroglyphs; much to the amusement of Lucrezia, who understood the mysterious secret so well.  We continued our road, and reached Tivoli at ten o’clock.

We began by visiting Don Francisco’s villa.  It was a beautiful little house, and we spent the following six hours in examining together the antiquities of Tivoli.  Lucrezia having occasion to whisper a few words to Don Francisco, I seized the opportunity of telling Angelique that after her marriage I should be happy to spend a few days of the fine season with her.

“Sir,” she answered, “I give you fair notice that the moment I become mistress in this house you will be the very first person to be excluded.”

“I feel greatly obliged to you, signora, for your timely notice.”

But the most amusing part of the affair was that I construed Angelique’s wanton insult into a declaration of love.  I was astounded.  Lucrezia, remarking the state I was in, touched my arm, enquiring what ailed me.  I told her, and she said at once,

“My darling, my happiness cannot last long; the cruel moment of our separation is drawing near.  When I have gone, pray undertake the task of compelling her to acknowledge her error.  Angelique pities me, be sure to avenge me.”

I have forgotten to mention that at Don Francisco’s villa I happened to praise a very pretty room opening upon the orange-house, and the amiable host, having heard me, came obligingly to me, and said that it should be my room that night.  Lucrezia feigned not to hear, but it was to her Ariadne’s clue, for, as we were to remain altogether during our visit to the beauties of Tivoli, we had no chance of a tete-a-tete through the day.

I have said that we devoted six hours to an examination of the antiquities of Tivoli, but I am bound to confess here that I saw, for my part, very little of them, and it was only twenty-eight years later that I made a thorough acquaintance with the beautiful spot.

We returned to the villa towards evening, fatigued and very hungry, but an hour’s rest before supper—­a repast which lasted two hours, the most delicious dishes, the most exquisite wines, and particularly the excellent wine of Tivoli—­restored us so well that everybody wanted nothing more than a good bed and the freedom to enjoy the bed according to his own taste.