“And then you will come?”

“Oh, madam! that very minute!”

But the warmth of my exclamation might mean a great deal, and I turned my head round so as not to embarrass her.  She asked me to give her her mantle to go to church, and we went out.  As we were going down the stairs, she placed her ungloved hand upon mine.  It was the first time that she had granted me such a favour, and it seemed to me a good omen.  She took off her hand, asking me whether I was feverish.  “Your hand,” she said, “is burning.”

When we left the church, M. D---- R-----’s carriage happened to pass, and
I assisted her to get in, and as soon as she had gone, hurried to my room
in order to breathe freely and to enjoy all the felicity which filled my
soul; for I no longer doubted her love for me, and I knew that, in this
case, M. D——­ R——­ was not likely to refuse her anything.

What is love?  I have read plenty of ancient verbiage on that subject, I have read likewise most of what has been said by modern writers, but neither all that has been said, nor what I have thought about it, when I was young and now that I am no longer so, nothing, in fact, can make me agree that love is a trifling vanity.  It is a sort of madness, I grant that, but a madness over which philosophy is entirely powerless; it is a disease to which man is exposed at all times, no matter at what age, and which cannot be cured, if he is attacked by it in his old age.  Love being sentiment which cannot be explained!  God of all nature!—­bitter and sweet feeling!  Love!—­charming monster which cannot be fathomed!  God who, in the midst of all the thorns with which thou plaguest us, strewest so many roses on our path that, without thee, existence and death would be united and blended together!

Two days afterwards, M. D---- R-----, told me to go and take orders from
M. F——­ on board his galley, which was ready for a five or six days’
voyage.  I quickly packed a few things, and called for my new patron who
received me with great joy.  We took our departure without seeing madam,
who was not yet visible.  We returned on the sixth day, and I went to
establish myself in my new home, for, as I was preparing to go to M.
D---- R-----, to take his orders, after our landing, he came himself, and
after asking M. F——­ and me whether we were pleased with each other, he
said to me,

“Casanova, as you suit each other so well, you may be certain that you will greatly please me by remaining in the service of M. F.”

I obeyed respectfully, and in less than one hour I had taken possession of my new quarters.  Madame F——­ told me how delighted she was to see that great affair ended according to her wishes, and I answered with a deep reverence.

I found myself like the salamander, in the very heart of the fire for which I had been longing so ardently.