proofs of their affection."

"That has always been my principle."

"It's an excellent way to avoid being duped. The lover of the person you
have been with kept a lady in society for some time in great splendour,
but all the rest of us despised her."

"Why so, if you please?"

"Because she lowered herself so terribly. Greppi is absolutely a man of
no family whatever."

Without expressing my surprise at the name of Greppi, I replied that a
man need not be well born to be an excellent lover.

"The only thing needful," said I, "is a fine physique and plenty of
money, and those ladies who despised their friend were either
ridiculously proud or abominably envious. I have not the slightest doubt
that if they could find any more Gieppis they would be willing enough to
lower themselves."

She would doubtless have made a sharp reply, for what I had said had
angered her; but the Marquis Triulzi arriving, she went out with him,
while her husband and myself went to a place where there was a bank at
faro, the banker only having a hundred sequins before him.

I took a card and staked small sums like the rest of the company. After
losing twenty ducats I left the place.

As we were going to the opera the poor count told me I had made him lose
ten ducats on his word of honour, and that he did not know how he could
pay it by the next day. I pitied him, and gave him the money without a
word; for misery has always appealed strongly to me. Afterwards I lost
two hundred ducats at the same bank to which I had lost money the evening
before. The count was in the greatest distress. He did not know that
Greppi, whom his proud wife considered so worthless, had a hundred
thousand francs of my money, and that I possessed jewellery to an even
greater amount.

The countess, who had seen me lose, asked me if I would sell my beautiful
dress.

"They say it's worth a thousand sequins," said she.

"Yes, that is so; but I would sell everything I possess before parting
with any of the articles which I intend for the fair sex."

"Marquis Triulzi wants it badly to present to someone."

"I am very sorry, but I cannot sell it to him."

She went away without a word, but I could see that she was exceedingly
vexed at my refusal.

As I was leaving the opera-house I saw Therese getting into her
sedan-chair. I went up to her, and told her that I was sure she was going
to sup with her lover. She whispered in my ear that she was going to sup
by herse