dly go
after you there, I suppose."

"That is a very good plan, but flight is a difficult matter."

"Difficult? Not at all. Do you promise to do what I tell you, and I will
arrange everything quite comfortably. Your mistress will not know
anything about it till she misses you at supper."

"I will do whatever you tell me, and I shall never forget your kindness;
but Brigida will go mad with grief."

"Well my first order to you is not to give her grief a single thought.
You have only to leave everything to me. Would you like to start
to-morrow?"

"To-morrow?"

"Yes. Have you any debts?"

"No."

"Do you want any money?"

"I have sufficient. But the idea of leaving tomorrow has taken my breath
away. I must have three days delay."

"Why so?"

"I expect some letters the day after to-morrow, and I must write to my
relations to tell them where I am going."

"I will take charge of your letters and send them on to you."

"Where shall I be?"

"I will tell you at the moment of your departure; trust in me. I will
send you at once where you will be comfortable. All you have to do is to
leave your trunk in the hands of your landlord, with orders not to give
it up to anyone but myself."

"Very good. I am to go without my trunk, then."

"Yes. You must dine with me every day till you go, and mind not to tell
anyone whatsoever that you intend leaving Bologna."

"I will take care not to do so."

The worthy young fellow looked quite radiant. I embraced him and thanked
him for putting so much trust in me.

I felt proud at the good work I was about to perform, and smiled at the
thought of Brigida's anger when she found that her lover had escaped. I
wrote to my good friend Dandolo that in five or six days a young abbe
would present himself before him bearing a letter from myself. I begged
Dandolo to get him a comfortable and cheap lodging, as my friend was so
unfortunate as to be indifferently provided with money, though an
excellent man. I then wrote the letter of which the abbe was to be the
bearer.

Next day Bolini told me that Brigida was far from suspecting his flight,
as owing to his gaiety at the thought of freedom he had contented her so
well during the night she had passed with him that she thought him as
much in love as she was.

"She has all my linen," he added, "but I hope to get a good part of it
back under one pretext or another, and she is welcome to the rest."

On the day appointed he called on me