soon as we got to the inn, he went on in front,
and after climbing three flights of stairs I entered a wretched den where
I saw a tall young girl, a sweet brunette, who looked proud and not in
the least confused. As soon as I made my appearance she said, without any
greeting,--

"Are you the brother of this liar and monster who has deceived me so
abominably?"

"Yes," said I. "I have the honour."

"A fine honour, truly. Well, have the kindness to send me back to Venice,
for I won't stop any longer with this rascal whom I listened to like the
fool I was, who turned my head with his lying tales. He was going to meet
you at Milan, and you were to give us enough money to go to Geneva, and
there we were to turn Protestants and get married. He swore you were
expecting him at Milan, but you were not there at all, and he contrived
to get money in some way or another, and brought me here miserably
enough. I thank Heaven he has found you at last, for if he had not I
should have started off by myself and begged my way. I have not a single
thing left; the wretch sold all I possessed at Bergamo and Verona. I
don't know how I kept my senses through it all. To hear him talk, the
world was a paradise outside Venice, but I have found to my cost that
there is no place like home. I curse the hour when I first saw the
miserable wretch. He's a beggarly knave; always whining. He wanted to
enjoy his rights as my husband when we got to Padua, but I am thankful to
say I gave him nothing. Here is the writing he gave me; take it, and do
what you like with it. But if you have any heart, send me back to Venice
or I will tramp there on foot."

I had listened to this long tirade without interrupting her. She might
have spoken at much greater length, so far as I was concerned; my
astonishment took my breath away. Her discourse had all the fire of
eloquence, and was heightened by her expressive face and the flaming
glances she shot from her eyes.

My brother, sitting down with his head between his hands, and obliged to
listen in silence to this long catalogue of well-deserved reproaches,
gave something of a comic element to the scene. In spite of that,
however, I was much touched by the sad aspects of the girl's story. I
felt at once that I must take charge of her, and put an end to this
ill-assorted match. I imagined that I should not have much difficulty in
sending her back to Venice, which she might never have quitted if it had
not been for her