her she would have a
right to claim the aforesaid sum from his estate.

"With such fine promises did Brea persuade me to leave my native country
to come and dishonour myself here, for though everybody treats me as if I
were his wife, it is probably known that I am only his mistress. I have
been here for six months, and I have never had an instant's happiness."

"Has he not kept the conditions you have mentioned?"

"Conditions! Calsabigi's state of health will kill him long before his
wife, and in that case I shall have nothing, for he is loaded with debt,
and his creditors would have the first claim on the estate. Besides, I
do not like him; and the reason is that he loves me too much. You can
understand that; his devotion worries me."

"At all events, you can return to Paris in six months' time, or, in fact,
do anything you like when the term stipulated has expired. You will get
your hundred louis, and can lay in a pretty stock of linen."

"If I go to Paris I shall be dishonoured, and if I remain here I shall be
dishonoured. In fact, I am very unhappy, and Brea is the cause of my woe.
Nevertheless, I can't blame him, as he could not have been aware that his
friend's property only consisted of debts. And now the king has withdrawn
his countenance, the lottery will fail, and Calsabigi will inevitably
become a bankrupt."

She had studiously refrained from exaggeration, and I could not help
confessing that she was to be pitied. I advised her to try and sell the
deed of gift for ten thousand crowns, as it was not likely he would raise
any objection.

"I have thought it over," said she, "but to do that I have need of a
friend; of course, I do not expect to dispose of it save at a great
loss."

I promised to see what I could do for her.

There were four of us at supper. The fourth person was a young man who
had helped in the Paris and Brussels Lotteries, and had followed
Calsabigi to Berlin. He was evidently in love with Mdlle. Belanger, but I
did not think his love was crowned with success.

At dessert Calsabigi begged me to give him my opinion of a scheme he had
drafted, the aim of which was to bring in a sum of two million crowns, so
that the credit of the lottery might remain secure.

The lady left us to talk business at our ease. She was between
twenty-four and twenty-five, and without having much wit she possessed a
great knowledge of the usages of society, which is better than wit in a
woman; in fine, she