he Corticelli said,
with the utmost simplicity,

"May I come, too?"

"Certainty; you too."

After dinner the Abbe Gama asked me to breakfast with him, or to have him
to breakfast the next morning, as he was longing for a good talk with me.

"Come and breakfast with me," said I, "I shall be delighted to see you."

When the guests had gone Don Cesarino, as the pretended brother of
Therese was called, asked me if I would walk with him. I kissed him, and
replied that my carriage was at his service, and that he and his
brother-in-law could drive in it, but that I had resolved not to leave
his sister that day. Palesi seemed quite satisfied with the arrangement,
and they both went away.

When we were alone, I gave Therese an ardent embrace, and congratulated
her on having such a brother.

"My dear, he is the fruit of our amours; he is your son. He makes me
happy, and is happy himself, and indeed he has everything to make him
so."

"And I, too, am happy, dear Therese. You must have seen that I recognized
him at once."

"But do you want to give him a brother? How ardent you are!"

"Remember, beloved one, that to-morrow we are to be friends, and nothing
more."

By this my efforts were crowned with success, but the thought that it was
the last time was a bitter drop in the cup of happiness.

When we had regained our composure, Therese said,--

"The duke who took me from Rimini brought up our child; as soon as I knew
that I was pregnant I confided my secret to him. No one knew of my
delivery, and the child was sent to nurse at Sorrento, and the duke had
him baptized under the name of Caesar Philip Land. He remained at
Sorrento till he was nine, and then he was boarded with a worthy man, who
superintended his education and taught him music. From his earliest
childhood he has known me as his sister, and you cannot think how happy I
was when I saw him growing so like you. I have always considered him as a
sure pledge of our final union. I was ever thinking what would happen
when we met, for I knew that he would have the same influence over you as
he has over me. I was sure you would marry me and make him legitimate."

"And you have rendered all this, which would have made me happy, an
impossibility."

"The fates decided so; we will say no more about it. On the death of the
duke I left Naples, leaving Cesarino at the same boarding school, under
the protection of the Prince de la Riccia, who has always looked upon him