ement,
Therese told him Cesarino was her brother. This stupefied the worthy man
still more. At last he asked me if I had known Therese's mother pretty
well, and on my answering in the affirmative he seemed more at ease.

The meal was excellent, but all my attention went to my son. He had all
the advantages of a good disposition and an excellent education. He had
grown a great deal since I had seen him at Florence, and his mental
powers had developed proportionately. His presence made the party grave,
but sweet. The innocence of youth throws around it an ineffable charm; it
demands respect and restraint. An hour after midnight we left Therese,
and I went to bed, well pleased with my day's work, for the loss of two
hundred sequins did not trouble me much.

When I got up I received a note from Irene, begging me to call on her.
Her father had given her permission to go to the next ball with me, and
she had a domino, but she wanted to speak to me. I wrote and told her I
would see her in the course of the day. I had written to tell the Marquis
Triulzi that I was going to dine with Canano, and he replied that he
would be there.

We found this skilled gamester in a fine house, richly furnished, and
shewing traces on every side of the wealth and taste of its owner. Canano
introduced me to two handsome women, one of whom was his mistress, and to
five or six marquises; for at Milan no noble who is not a marquis is
thought anything of, just as in the same way they are all counts at
Vicenza. The dinner was magnificent and the conversation highly
intellectual. In a mirthful moment Canano said he had known me for
seventeen years, his acquaintance dating from the time I had juggled a
professional gamester, calling himself Count Celi, out of a pretty
ballet-girl whom I had taken to Mantua. I confessed the deed and amused
the company by the story of what had happened at Mantua with Oreilan, and
how I had found Count Celi at Cesena metamorphosed into Count Alfani.
Somebody mentioned the ball which was to be held the next day, and when I
said I was not going they laughed.

"I bet I know you," said Canano, "if you come to the bank."

"I am not going to play any more," said I.

"All the better for me," answered Canano; "for though your punting is
unlucky, you don't leave off till you have won my money. But that's only
my joke; try again, and I protest I would see you win half my fortune
gladly."

Count Canano had a ring on his finger