I wonder at that."

"I may tell you, that I never forget certain things, But I guess your
meaning. You want me to subdue my liking for Irene. I am willing to do
so, but she will be the loser."

This conversation had silenced Irene, but she soon took courage, and said
she was like me.

"No, no," I answered, "if you were like me you would not be so pretty."

"I don't think so; I think you are very handsome."

"You flatter me."

"Stay to dinner with us."

"No, if I stayed I might fall in love with you, and that would be a pity,
as your mother says I am your father."

"I was joking," said the countess, "you may love Irene with a good
conscience."

"We will see what can be done."

When Irene had left the room, I said to the mother,--

"I like your daughter, but I won't be long sighing for her, and you
mustn't take me for a dupe."

"Speak to my husband about it. We are very poor, and we want to go to
Cremona."

"I suppose Irene has a lover?"

"No."

"But she has had one, of course?"

"Never anything serious."

"I can't believe it."

"It's true, nevertheless. Irene is intact."

Just then Irene came in with her father, who had aged to such an extent
that I should never have known him in the street. He came up to me and
embraced me, begging me to forget the past. "It is only you," he added,
"who can furnish me with funds to go to Cremona.

"I have several debts here, and am in some danger of imprisonment. Nobody
of any consequence comes to see me. My dear daughter is the only thing of
value which I still possess. I have just been trying to sell this
pinchbeck watch, and though I asked only six sequins, which is half what
it is worth, they would not give me more than two. When a man gets
unfortunate, everything is against him."

I took the watch, and gave the father six sequins for it, and then handed
it to Irene. She said with a smile that she could not thank me, as I only
gave her back her own, but she thanked me for the present I had made her
father.

"Here," said she seriously to the old man, "you can sell it again now."

This made me laugh. I gave the count ten sequins in addition, embraced
Irene, and said I must be gone, but that I would see them again in three
or four days.

Irene escorted me to the bottom of the stairs, and as she allowed me to
assure myself that she still possessed the rose of virginity, I gave her
another ten sequins, and told her that the first time she went alone to
t