ish for the friendship of robbers, and I will not play a
single farthing."

At this they tried threats, but I kept cool and said,--

"Gentlemen, your menaces will not intimidate me, and, as far as I can
see, you have only two ways of getting paid; either by way of the law, in
which case I do not think I shall find it difficult to get a barrister to
take up my case, or, secondly, you can pay yourselves on my body,
honourably, with sword in hand."

As I had expected, they replied that if I wished they would do me the
honour of killing me after I had paid them. They went off cursing,
telling me that I would be sorry for what I had said.

Soon after I went out and spent the day with the Toscani in gaiety which,
situated as I was, was not far off madness. At the time I placed it to
the daughter's charms, and to the need my spirits were in of recovering
their elasticity.

However, the mother having witnessed the rage of the three robbers was
the first to urge me to fortify myself against their villainy by an
appeal to the law.

"If you give them the start," said she, "they may possibly gain a great
advantage over you in spite of the right being on your side."

And whilst I toyed with her charming daughter, she sent for a barrister.
After hearing my case the counsel told me that my best way would be to
tell the whole story to the sovereign as soon as possible.

"They took you to the house of ill-fame; they poured out the drugged wine
which deprived you of your reason; they made you play in spite of their
prince's prohibition (for gaming is strictly forbidden); in this company
you were robbed of your jewels after they had made you lose an enormous
sum. It's a hanging matter, and the duke's interest will be to do you
justice, for an act of scoundrelism like this committed by his officers
would dishonour him all over Europe."

I felt some repugnance to this course, for though the duke was a
shameless libertine I did not like telling him such a disgraceful story.
However, the case was a serious one, and after giving it due reflection I
determined to wait on the dike on the following morning.

"As the duke gives audience to the first comer," I said to myself, "why
should I not have as good a reception as a labouring man?" In this way I
concluded that it would be no use to write to him, and I was on my way to
the Court, when, at about twenty paces from the gate of the castle, I met
my three gentlemen who accosted me rudel