to tell her that if she
would meet me alone I would stay in Cologne till the end of the carnival.
"And what would you say," she asked, "if I give my promise, and do not
keep it?"

"I should bemoan my lot, without accusing you; I should say to myself
that you had found it impossible to keep your word."

"You are very good; you must stay with us."

The day after the ball I went to pay her my first visit. She made me
welcome, and introduced me to her worthy husband, who, though neither
young nor handsome, was extremely good-hearted. After I had been there an
hour, we heard the general's carriage coming, and she said to me:

"If he asks you whether you are going to the Elector's ball at Bonn, say
yes!"

The general came in, and after the usual compliments had been passed I
withdrew.

I did not know by whom the ball was to be given, or when it was to take
place, but scenting pleasure from afar off I hastened to make enquiries
about it, and heard that all the good families in Cologne were going. It
was a masked ball, and consequently open to all. I decided then that I
would go; indeed I concluded that I had had orders to that effect, and at
all events my lady would be there, and I might hope for a happy meeting
with her. But as I wished to keep up my incognito as much as possible, I
resolved to reply to all who asked me that important business would
prevent my being present.

It fell out that the general asked me this very question in the presence
of the lady, and without regard to the orders I had received from her I
replied that my health would forbid my having that pleasure.

"You are very wise, sir," said the general, "all the pleasures on earth
should be sacrificed when it is a question of one's health."

I think so, too, now, but I thought differently then.

On the day of the ball, towards the evening, I set out in a post-chaise,
disguised so that not a soul in Cologne could have recognized me, and
provided with a box containing two dominoes; and on my arrival at Bonn I
took a room and put on one of the dominoes, locking up the other in the
box; and I then had myself carried to the ball in a sedan-chair.

I got in easily and unperceived, and recognized all the ladies of Cologne
without their masks, and my mistress sitting at a faro-table risking a
ducat. I was glad to see in the banker, Count Verita of Verona, whom I
had known in Bavaria. He was in the Elector's service. His small bank did
not contain more