ed me wonderfully in the course I had
taken.

Early the next day the count came into my room with a very pleased
expression.

"My wife is very well," said he, "and told me to wish you good day."

I did not expect this, and I no doubt looked somewhat astonished.

"I am glad," he said, "that you gave her francs instead of the sequins
you got from Triulzi, and I hope, as Triulzi said, you will have luck
with it at the bank."

"I am not going to the opera," said I, "but to the masked ball, and I
don't want anyone to recognize me."

I begged him to go and buy me a new domino, and not to come near me in
the evening, so that none but he should know who I was. As soon as he had
gone out I began to write letters. I had heavy arrears to make up in that
direction.

The count brought me my domino at noon, and after hiding it we went to
dine with the countess. Her affability, politeness, and gentleness
astounded me. She looked so sweetly pretty that I repented having
outraged her so scandalously. Her insensibility of the evening before
seemed inconceivable, and I began to suspect that the signs I had noticed
to the contrary were only due to the animal faculties which are specially
active in sleep.

"Was she really asleep," said I to myself, "when I was outraging her so
shamefully?"

I hoped it had been so. When her husband left us alone, I said, humbly
and tenderly, that I knew I was a monster, and that she must detest me.

"You a monster?" said she. "On the contrary I owe much to you, and there
is nothing I can think of for which I have cause to reproach you."

I took her hand, tenderly, and would have carried it to my lips, but she
drew it away gently and gave me a kiss. My repentance brought a deep
blush to my face.

When I got back to my room I sealed my letters and went to the ball. I
was absolutely unrecognizable. Nobody had ever seen my watches or my
snuff-boxes before, and I had even changed my purses for fear of anybody
recognizing me by them.

Thus armed against the glances of the curious, I sat down at Canano's
table and commenced to play in quite a different fashion. I had a hundred
Spanish pieces in my pocket worth seven hundred Venetian sequins. I had
got this Spanish money from Greppi, and I took care not to use what
Triulzi had given me for fear he should know me.

I emptied my purse on the table, and in less than an hour it was all
gone. I rose from the table and everybody thought I was going to be