and assured me that if I returned to the inn I should be
arrested, "for," said he, "an officer came to see you, and finding you
were out he took up his position at the street door and has two soldiers
standing at the foot of the staircase."

The Binetti said, "You must not go to the inn; stay here, where you have
nothing to fear. Send for what you want, and we will wait and see what
happens." I then gave orders to my Spaniard to go and fetch the
belongings which were absolutely necessary to me.

At midnight the ambassador came in; we were still up, and he seemed
pleased that his mistress had sheltered me. He assured me that my plea
had been laid before the sovereign, but during the three days I was in
the house I heard no more about it.

On the fourth day, whilst I was pondering as to how I should act, the
ambassador received a letter from a minister requesting him, on behalf of
the sovereign, to dismiss me from his house, as I had a suit pending with
certain officers of his highness, and whilst I was with the ambassador
justice could not take its course. The ambassador gave me the letter, and
I saw that the minister promised that strict justice should be done me.
There was no help for it; I had to make up my mind to return to my inn,
but the Binetti was so enraged that she began to scold her lover, at
which he laughed, saying, with perfect truth, that he could not keep me
there in defiance of the prince.

I re-entered the inn without meeting anyone, but when I had had my dinner
and was just going to see my counsel an officer served me with a summons,
which was interpreted to me by my landlord, which ordered me to appear
forthwith before the notary appointed to take my deposition. I went to
him with the officer of the court, and spent two hours with the notary,
who wrote down my deposition in German while I gave it in Latin. When it
was done he told me to sign my name; to which I answered that I must
decline to sign a document I did not understand. He insisted on my doing
it, but I was immovable. He then got in a rage and said I ought to be
ashamed of myself for suspecting a notary's honour. I replied calmly that
I had no doubts as to his honour, but that I acted from principle, and
that as I did not understand what he had written I refused to sign it. I
left him, and was accompanied by the officer to my own counsel, who said
I had done quite right, and promised to call on me the next day to
receive my power of attor