-looking, and his manners are kind and polite;
but let us wait till to-morrow."

"Perhaps he will have nothing more to say to me; I am so stupid."

"I know very well that you think yourself very clever, and that's where
your fault lies; it's your self-conceit which makes you stupid, although
M. Casanova takes you for a wit."

"Perhaps he may know what he is talking about."

"My poor dear, he is only laughing at you."

"I have good reasons for thinking otherwise, aunt."

"There you go; you will never get any sense."

"Pardon me, madam, if I cannot be of your opinion. Mademoiselle is quite
right in saying that I do not laugh at her. I dare to say that to-morrow
she will shine in the conversation."

"You think so? I am glad to hear it. Now let us have a game at piquet,
and I will play against you and my niece, for she must learn the game."

Tiretta asked leave of his darling to go to the play, and we played on
till supper-time. On his return, Tiretta made us almost die of laughing
with his attempts to tell us in his broken French the plot of the play he
had seen.

I had been in my bedroom for a quarter of an hour, expecting to see my
sweetheart in some pretty kind of undress, when all of a sudden I saw her
come in with all her clothes on. I was surprised at this circumstance,
and it seemed to me of evil omen.

"You are astonished to see me thus," said she, "but I want to speak to
you for a moment, and then I will take off my clothes. Tell me plainly
whether I am to consent to this marriage or no?"

"How do you like him?"

"Fairly well."

"Consent, then!"

"Very good; farewell! From this moment our love ends, and our friendship
begins. Get you to bed, and I will go and do the same. Farewell!"

"No, stay, and let our friendship begin to-morrow."

"Not so, were my refusal to cost the lives of both of us. You know what
it must cost me to speak thus, but it is my irrevocable determination. If
I am to become another's wife, I must take care to be worthy of him;
perhaps I may be happy. Do not hold me, let me go. You know how well I
love you."

"At least, let us have one final embrace."

"Alas! no."

"You are weeping."

"No, I am not. In God's name let me go."

"Dear heart, you go but to weep in your chamber; stay here. I will marry
you."

"Nay, no more of that."

With these words she made an effort, escaped from my hands, and fled from
the room. I was covered with shame and regret, and could not sl