, nor have I looked at a woman since. Our old friend below can
prove it, by my answer when he cautioned me against the charms of his
housekeeper."

I did not, your highness, tell the whole truth to Cerise; for I have
always considered it perfectly justifiable to retain facts which cannot
add to people's happiness. I declared that I left her because my life
would have been forfeited if I had remained, and I valued it only for
her sake. That I always intended to return, and when I quitted Valencia,
and had become a man of property, I immediately proceeded to make
inquiries, and heard the news of her death. Neither did I acquaint her
with the profession which I had followed; I merely stated that my father
was a man of eminence, and that he had died rich--for although people of
good family will sometimes bow to love, taking the risk of high or low
birth, they are always mortified when they discover that their ticket in
the lottery has turned up a blank.

Cerise was satisfied--we renewed our vows--and the old gentleman, who
declared that of all the secrets in his possession ours would be the
most dangerous to him if discovered, was not sorry to see us united, and
quit the house.

I obtained two-thirds of my fortune from the claimant, and with it and
my wife repaired to Toulon.

For one year I enjoyed uninterrupted happiness. My wife was everything
to me, and so far from leaving her in search of variety, I could not
bear to go out of the house unless she accompanied me: but we were
living much too fast, and at the end of the year I found one-third of my
property had been spent. My affection would not permit me to reduce my
wife to beggary, and I determined to take some measures to secure the
means of future existence. Consulting her on the occasion, with many
tears Cerise acknowledged my prudence, and having divided the remainder
of my property, one half of which I laid out in merchandise, and the
other I gave to her, for her support during my absence, I embarked on
board of a vessel bound to the West Indies.

We made the islands without any accident, and I was extremely
successful in my speculations; I began to think that fortune was tired
of persecuting me, but knowing how treacherous she was, I shipped one
half of my return cargo in another vessel, that I might have more than
one chance.

When our captain was ready to sail, the passengers repaired on board,
and amongst others a rich old gentleman who had come from M