inst, that may be, but certainly not dissuaded, for if he had
been persuaded in his own mind he would not have asked my advice."

"As you please; but may I enquire your reasons?"

"Tell me first what your proposal was."

"Has he not told you?"

"Perhaps he has; but if you wish to know my reasons, I must hear the
whole affair from your own lips, because M. Dandolo spoke to me under a
promise of secrecy."

"Of what good is all this reserve?"

"Everyone has his own principles and his own way of thinking: I have a
sufficiently good opinion of you to believe that you would act exactly as
I do, for I have heard you say that in all secret matters one ought to
guard against surprise."

"I am incapable of taking such an advantage of a friend; but as a general
rule your maxim is a right one; I like prudence. I will tell you the
whole affair. You are aware that Madame Tripolo has been left a widow,
and that M. Dandolo is courting her assiduously, after having done the
same for fourteen years during the life of the husband. The lady, who is
still young, beautiful and lovely, and also is very respectable, wishes
to become his wife. It is to me that she has confided her wishes, and as
I saw nothing that was not praiseworthy, either in a temporal or in a
spiritual point of view, in that union, for after all we are all men, I
took the affair in hand with real pleasure. I fancied even that M.
Dandolo felt some inclination for that marriage when he told me that he
would give me his decision this morning. I am not astonished at his
having asked your advice in such an important affair, for a prudent man
is right in asking the opinion of a wise friend before taking a decisive
step; but I must tell you candidly that I am astonished at your
disapproval of such a marriage. Pray excuse me if, in order to improve by
the information, I ask why your opinion is exactly the reverse of mine."

Delighted at having discovered the whole affair, at having arrived in
time to prevent my friend who was goodness itself contracting an absurd
marriage, I answered the hypocrite that I loved M. Dandolo, that I knew
his temperament, and that I was certain that a marriage with a woman like
Madame Tripolo would shorten his life.

"That being my opinion," I added, "you must admit that as a true friend I
was right in advising him against your proposal. Do you recollect having
told me that you never married for the very same reason? Do you recollect
your str