Hearing the last words, Madame F-----, who did not like Madame Sagredo,
laughed heartily, and, as we were getting out of the carriage, M.
D——­ R——­ invited me to accompany them upstairs.  He was in the habit of
spending half an hour alone with her at her own house when they had taken
supper together with the general, for her husband never shewed himself. 
It was the first time that the happy couple admitted a third person to
their tete-a-tete.  I felt very proud of the compliment thus paid to me,
and I thought it might have important results for me.  My satisfaction,
which I concealed as well as I could, did not prevent me from being very
gay and from giving a comic turn to every subject brought forward by the
lady or by her lord.

We kept up our pleasant trio for four hours; and returned to the mansion of M. D——­ R——­ only at two o’clock in the morning.  It was during that night that Madame F——­ and M. D——­ R——­ really made my acquaintance.  Madame F——­ told him that she had never laughed so much, and that she had never imagined that a conversation, in appearance so simple, could afford so much pleasure and merriment.  On my side, I discovered in her so much wit and cheerfulness, that I became deeply enamoured, and went to bed fully satisfied that, in the future, I could not keep up the show of indifference which I had so far assumed towards her.

When I woke up the next morning, I heard from the new soldier who served me that La Valeur was better, and had been pronounced out of danger by the physician.  At dinner the conversation fell upon him, but I did not open my lips.  Two days afterwards, the general gave orders to have him removed to a comfortable apartment, sent him a servant, clothed him, and the over-credulous proveditore having paid him a visit, all the naval commanders and officers thought it their duty to imitate him, and to follow his example:  the general curiosity was excited, there was a rush to see the new prince.  M. D——­ R——­ followed his leaders, and Madame Sagredo, having set the ladies in motion, they all called upon him, with the exception of Madame F——­, who told me laughingly that she would not pay him a visit unless I would consent to introduce her.  I begged to be excused.  The knave was called your highness, and the wonderful prince styled Madame Sagredo his princess.  M. D——­ R——­ tried to persuade me to call upon the rogue, but I told him that I had said too much, and that I was neither courageous nor mean enough to retract my words.  The whole imposture would soon have been discovered if anyone had possessed a peerage, but it just happened that there was not a copy in Corfu, and the French consul, a fat blockhead, like many other consuls, knew nothing of family trees.  The madcap La Valeur began to walk out a week after his metamorphosis into a prince.  He dined and had supper every day with the general, and every evening he was present at the reception, during which, owing to his intemperance, he always