, not gifted with the faculty of divination, but
who knew how to obey his master's orders. The rascal was much perturbed
at the result of his officiousness, and asked Therese to plead for him;
but, like a sensible woman, she told him that his master was the best
judge of the value of his services.

At ten o'clock all the actors and actresses arrived, bringing with them a
mob of amateurs who crowded the hall. Therese received their greetings
graciously, and I could see she enjoyed a great reputation. The rehearsal
lasted three hours, and wearied me extremely. To relieve my boredom I
talked to Palesi, whom I liked for not asking me any particulars of my
acquaintance with his wife. I saw that he knew how to behave in the
position in which he was placed.

A girl from Parma, named Redegonde, who played a man's part and sang very
well, stayed to dinner. Therese had also asked a young Bolognese, named
Corticelli. I was struck with the budding charms of this pretty dancer,
but as I was just then full of Therese, I did not pay much attention to
her. Soon after we sat down I saw a plump abbe coming in with measured
steps. He looked to me a regular Tartuffe, after nothing but Therese. He
came up to her as soon as he saw her, and going on one knee in the
Portuguese fashion, kissed her hand tenderly and respectfully. Therese
received him with smiling courtesy and put him at her right hand; I was
at their left. His voice, manner, and all about him told me that I had
known him, and in fact I soon recognized him as the Abbe Gama, whom I had
left at Rome seventeen years before with Cardinal Acquaviva; but I
pretended not to recognize him, and indeed he had aged greatly. This
gallant priest had eyes for no one but Therese, and he was too busy with
saying a thousand soft nothings to her to take notice of anybody else in
the company. I hoped that in his turn he would either not recognize me or
pretend not to do so, so I was continuing my trifling talk with the
Corticelli, when Therese told me that the abbe wanted to know whether I
did not recollect him. I looked at his face attentively, and with the air
of a man who is trying to recollect something, and then I rose and asked
if he were not the Abbe Gama, with whose acquaintance I was honoured.

"The same," said he, rising, and placing his arms round my neck he kissed
me again and again. This was in perfect agreement with his crafty
character; the reader will not have forgotten the portrai