s I entered my room, I was struck by seeing an extremely pretty girl
coming out of an adjacent room.

"Who is that young lady?" said I to the chambermaid who was escorting me.

"That's the wife of a young gentleman who has to keep his bed to get
cured of a sword-thrust which he received four days ago on his way from
France."

I could not look at her without feeling the sting of concupiscence. As I
was leaving my room I saw the door half open, and I stopped short and
offered my services as a neighbour. She thanked me politely, and asked me
in. I saw a handsome young man sitting up in bed, so I went up to enquire
how he felt.

"The doctor will not let him talk," said the young lady, "on account of a
sword-thrust in the chest he received at half a league from here. We hope
he will be all right in a few days, and then we can continue our
journey."

"Where are you going, madam?"

"To Geneva."

Just as I was leaving, a maid came to ask me if I would take supper in my
own room or with the lady. I laughed at her stupidity, and said I would
sup in my own apartment, adding that I had not the honour of the lady's
acquaintance.

At this the young lady said it would give her great pleasure if I would
sup with her, and the husband repeated this assurance in a whisper. I
accepted the invitation gratefully, and I thought that they were really
pleased. The lady escorted me out as far as the stairs, and I took the
liberty of kissing her hand, which in France is a declaration of tender
though respectful affection.

At the post-office I found a letter from Valenglard, telling me that
Madame Morin would wait on me at Chamberi if I would send her a carriage,
and another from Desarmoises dated from Lyons. He told me that as he was
on his way from Chamberi he had encountered his daughter in company with
a rascal who had carried her off. He had buried his sword in his body,
and would have killed them if he had been able to stop their carriage. He
suspected that they had been staying in Chamberi, and he begged me to try
and persuade his daughter to return to Lyons; and he added that if she
would not do so I ought to oblige him by sending her back by force. He
assured me that they were not married, and he begged me to answer his
letter by express, for which purpose he sent me his address.

I guessed at once that this daughter of his was my fair neighbour, but I
did not feel at all inclined to come to the aid of the father in the way