from the path of duty, but she replied that experience had taught her to
dread me no longer.

CHAPTER XVII

The Florentine--Marriage of Emilie--Scholastica--Armelline
at the Ball

Before the supper I had loved Armelline to such an extent that I had
determined to see her no more, but after it I felt that I must obtain her
or die. I saw that she had only consented to my small liberties because
she regarded them as mere jokes, of no account, and I resolved to take
advantage of this way of looking at it to go as far as I could. I begin
to play the part of indifferent to the best of my ability, only visiting
her every other day, and looking at her with an expression of polite
interest. I often pretended to forget to kiss her hand, while I kissed
Emilie's and told her that if I felt certain of receiving positive marks
of her affection I should stay at Civita Vecchia for some weeks after she
was married. I would not see Armelline's horror, who could not bear me to
take a fancy to Emilie.

Emilie said that she would be more at liberty when she was married, while
Armelline, vexed at her giving me any hopes, told her sharply that a
married woman had stricter duties to perform than a girl.

I agreed with her in my heart, but as it would not have suited my purpose
to say so openly I insinuated the false doctrine that a married woman's
chief duty is to keep her husband's descent intact, and that everything
else is of trifling importance.

With the idea of driving Emilie to an extremity I told Emilie that if she
wanted me to exert myself to my utmost for her she must give me good
hopes of obtaining her favours not only after but before marriage.

"I will give you no other favours." she replied, "than those which
Armelline may give you. You ought to try to get her married also."

In spite of her grief at these proposals, gentle Armelline replied,----

"You are the only man I have ever seen; and as I have no hopes of getting
married I will give you no pledges at all, though I do not know what you
mean by the word."

Though I saw how pure and angelic she was, I had the cruelty to go away,
leaving her to her distress.

It was hard for me to torment her thus, but I thought it was the only way
to overcome her prejudices.

Calling on the Venetian ambassador's steward I saw some peculiarly fine
oysters, and I got him to let me have a hundred. I then took a box at the
Capronica Theatre, and ordered a good suppe