to lose the first,
whereas she does not care about the second.

"It will not be so with me, charming Leonilda," said I.

"You make a mistake, I am sure."

The pictures with which the closet where we breakfasted was adorned were
admirable more from the colouring and the design than from the amorous
combats they represented.

"They don't make any impression on me," said the duke, and he shewed us
that it was so.

Leonilda looked away, and I felt shocked, but concealed my feelings.

"I am in the same state as you," said I, "but I will not take the trouble
of convincing you."

"That can't be," said he; and passing his hand rapidly over me he assured
himself that it was so. "It's astonishing," he cried; "you must be as
impotent as I am."

"If I wanted to controvert that assertion one glance into Leonilda's eyes
would be enough."

"Look at him, dearest Leonilda, that I may be convinced."

Leonilda looked tenderly at me, and her glance produced the result I had
expected.

"Give me your hand," said I, to the poor duke, and he did so.

"I was in the wrong," he exclaimed, but when he endeavoured to bring the
surprising object to light I resisted. He persisted in his endeavours,
and I determined to play on him a trick. I took Leonilda's hand and
pressed my lips to it, and just as the duke thought he had triumphed I
besprinkled him, and went off into a roar of laughter. He laughed too,
and went to get a napkin.

The girl could see nothing of all this, as it went on under the table;
and while my burning lips rested on her hand, my eyes were fixed on hers
and our breath mingled. This close contact had enabled me to baptise the
duke, but when she took in the joke we made a group worthy of the pen of
Aretin.

It was a delightful breakfast, though we passed certain bounds which
decency ought to have proscribed to us, but Leonilda was wonderfully
innocent considering her position. We ended the scene by mutual embraces,
and when I took my burning lips from Leonilda's I felt consumed with a
fire which I could not conceal.

When we left I told the duke that I would see his mistress no more,
unless he would give her up to me, declaring that I would marry her and
give her a dower of five thousand ducats.

"Speak to her, and if she consents I will not oppose it. She herself will
tell you what property she has."

I then went to dress for dinner. I found the duchess in the midst of a
large circle, and she told me kindly t