whether I had been paid.

"Your husband settled with me," said I, "but you have given me a lesson I
can never forget."

"What lesson?" said the marquis.

"I had hoped that the countess would have deigned to receive this poor
present at my hands."

"And she wouldn't take it? It's absurd, on my life."

"There is nothing to laugh at," said the countess, "but you laugh at
everything."

While the man was measuring her, she complained of feeling cold, as she
was in her stays, and her beautiful breast was exposed. Thereupon, the
marquis put his hands on it, as if he were quite accustomed to use such
familiarities. But the Spaniard, no doubt ashamed because of my presence,
got into a rage, and abused him in the most awful manner, while he
laughed pleasantly, as if he could calm the storm when he pleased. This
was enough to inform me of the position in which they stood to one
another, and of the part I ought to take.

We remained together till the evening, when the countess and the marquis
went to the opera, and the count came with me to my room, till my
carriage was ready to take us there too. The opera had begun when we got
in, and the first person I noticed on the stage was my dear Therese
Palesi, whom I had left at Florence. It was a pleasant surprise to me,
and I foresaw that we should renew our sweet interviews while I remained
at Milan I was discreet enough to say nothing to the count about his
wife's charms, or the way their house was managed. I saw that the place
was taken, and the odd humours of the lady prevented my falling in love
with her. After the second act we went to the assembly rooms, where five
or six banks at faro were being held; I staked and lost a hundred ducats
as if to pay for my welcome, and then rose from the table.

At supper the countess seemed to unbend a little, she condoled with me on
my loss, and I said that I was glad of it as it made her speak so.

Just as I rang my bell the next morning, Clairmont told me that a woman
wanted to speak to me.

"Is she young?"

"Both young and pretty, sir."

"That will do nicely, shew her in."

I saw a simply dressed girl, who reminded me of Leah. She was tall and
beautiful, but had not as high pretensions as the Jewess; as she only
wanted to know whether she could do my washing for me. I was quite taken
with her. Clairmont had just brought me my chocolate, and I asked her to
sit down on the bed; but she answered modestly that she did not want t