On the third day I saw plainly that Marina wished to make a conquest of her colleague, and feeling what great advantage might accrue to her from it I resolved on helping her.  She had a post-chaise for two persons, and I easily persuaded her to take Baletti with her, saying that I wished to arrive alone in Mantua for several reasons which I could not confide to her.  The fact was that if I had arrived with her, people would have naturally supposed that I was her lover, and I wished to avoid that.  Baletti was delighted with the proposal; he insisted upon paying his share of the expenses, but Marina would not hear of it.  The reasons alleged by the young man for paying his own expenses were excellent ones, and it was with great difficulty that I prevailed upon him to accept Marina’s offer, but I ultimately succeeded.  I promised to wait for them on the road, so as to take dinner and supper together, and on the day appointed for our departure I left Milan one hour before them.

Reaching the city of Cremona very early, where we intended to sleep, I took a walk about the streets, and, finding a coffee-house, I went in.  I made there the acquaintance of a French officer, and we left the coffee-room together to take a short ramble.  A very pretty woman happened to pass in a carriage, and my companion stopped her to say a few words.  Their conversation was soon over, and the officer joined me again.

“Who is that lovely lady?” I enquired.

“She is a truly charming woman, and I can tell you an anecdote about her worthy of being transmitted to posterity.  You need not suppose that I am going to exaggerate, for the adventure is known to everybody in Cremona.  The charming woman whom you have just seen is gifted with wit greater even than her beauty, and here is a specimen of it.  A young officer, one amongst many military men who were courting her, when Marshal de Richelieu was commanding in Genoa, boasted of being treated by her with more favour than all the others, and one day, in the very coffee-room where we met, he advised a brother officer not to lose his time in courting her, because he had no chance whatever of obtaining any favour.

“‘My dear fellow,’ said the other officer, ’I have a much better right to give you that piece of advice; for I have already obtained from her everything which can be granted to a lover.’

“‘I am certain that you are telling a lie,’ exclaimed the young man, ’and I request you to follow me out.’

“‘Most willingly,’ said the indiscreet swain, ’but what is the good of ascertaining the truth through a duel and of cutting our throats, when I can make the lady herself certify the fact in your presence.’

“‘I bet twenty-five louis that it is all untrue,’ said the incredulous officer.

“‘I accept your bet.  Let us go.’

“The two contending parties proceeded together towards the dwelling of the lady whom you saw just now, who was to name the winner of the twenty-five louis.