Before entering the house I went into the actresses dressing-room, and the leading lady struck me as rather good-looking.  Her name was Narici, and she was from Bologna.  I bowed to her, and after the common-place conversation usual in such cases, I asked her whether she was free.

“I am only engaged with the manager,” she answered.

“Have you any lover?”

“No.”

“I offer myself for the post, if you have no objection”

She smiled jeeringly, and said,

“Will you take four tickets for the four performances?”

I took two sequins out of my purse, taking care to let her see that it was well filled, and when she gave me the four tickets, presented them to the maid who was dressing her and was prettier than the mistress, and so left the room without uttering a single word.  She called me back; I pretended not to hear her, and took a ticket for the pit.  After the first ballet, finding the whole performance very poor, I was thinking of going away, when, happening to look towards the chief box, I saw to my, astonishment that it was tenanted by the Venetian Manzoni and the celebrated Juliette.  The reader will doubtless remember the ball she gave at my house in Venice, and the smack with which she saluted my cheek on that occasion.

They had not yet noticed me, and I enquired from the person seated next to me who was that beautiful lady wearing so many diamonds.  He told me that she was Madame Querini, from Venice, whom Count Spada, the owner of the theatre, who was sitting near her, had brought with him from Faenza.  I was glad to hear that M. Querini had married her at last, but I did not think of renewing the acquaintance, for reasons which my reader cannot have forgotten if he recollects our quarrel when I had to dress her as an abbe.  I was on the point of going away when she happened to see me and called me.  I went up to her, and, not wishing to be known by anyone, I whispered to her that my name was Farusi.  Manzoni informed me that I was speaking to her excellency, Madame Querini.  “I know it,” I said, “through a letter which I have received from Venice, and I beg to offer my most sincere congratulations to Madame.”  She heard me and introduced me to Count Spada, creating me a baron on the spot.  He invited me most kindly to come to his box, asked me where I came from, where I was going to, etc., and begged the pleasure of my company at supper for the same evening.

Ten years before, he had been Juliette’s friend in Vienna, when Maria Theresa, having been informed of the pernicious influence of her beauty, gave her notice to quit the city.  She had renewed her acquaintance with him in Venice, and had contrived to make him take her to Bologna on a pleasure trip.  M. Manzoni, her old follower, who gave me all this information, accompanied her in order to bear witness of her good conduct before M. Querini.  I must say that Manzoni was not a well-chosen chaperon.