vice for Possano to take with him, it ran as follows:
"M. Bonno, pay to M. Possano, on sight, to himself, and not to order, the
sum of one hundred louis, if these presents are delivered to you on the
30th day of April, in the year 1763; and after the day aforesaid my order
to become null and void."

With this letter in my hand I went to the traitor who had been lanced an
hour before.

"You're an infamous traitor," I began, "but as Madame d'Urfe knows of the
disgraceful state you are in she would not so much as read your letter. I
have read it, and by way of reward I give you two alternatives which you
must decide on immediately. I am in a hurry. You will either go to the
hospital--for we can't have pestiferous fellows like you here--or start
for Lyons in an hour. You must not stop on the way, for I have only given
you sixty hours, which is ample to do forty posts in. As soon as you get
to Lyons present this to M. Bono, and he will give you a hundred louis.
This is a present from me, and afterwards I don't care what you do, as
you are no longer in my service. You can have the carriage I bought for
you at Antibes, and there is twenty-five louis for the journey: that is
all. Make your choice, but I warn you that if you go to the hospital I
shall only give you a month's wages, as I dismiss you from my service now
at this instant."

After a moment's reflection he said he would go to Lyons, though it would
be at the risk of his life, for he was very ill.

"You must reap the reward of your treachery," said I, "and if you die it
will be a good thing for your family, who will come in for what I have
given you, but not what I should have given you if you had been a
faithful servant."

I then left him and told Clairmont to pack up his trunk. I warned the
inn-keeper of his departure and told him to get the post horses ready as
soon as possible.

I then gave Clairmont the letter to Bono and twenty-five Louis, for him
to hand them over to Possano when he was in the carriage and ready to go
off.

When I had thus successfully accomplished my designs by means of the
all-powerful lever, gold, which I knew how to lavish in time of need, I
was once more free for my amours. I wanted to instruct the fair
Marcoline, with whom I grew more in love every day. She kept telling me
that her happiness would be complete if she knew French, and if she had
the slightest hope that I would take her to England with me.

I had never flattered her