fancy to me, which I encouraged to further my views. I
became his confidant, he informed me of his amour with his cousin,
adding that he was tired of the business, and wished to break with her;
also, as an excellent joke, the punishment which he had inflicted upon
the friar Anselmo.

He was a great proficient with the small sword, an accomplishment which,
of course, had been neglected in my education, and which I accounted for
by stating, that until the death of my elder brother I had been intended
for the church. I accepted his offer to be my instructor, and my first
rudiments in the science were received from him. Afterwards I applied
to a professor, and constantly practising, in the course of a few months
I knew, from occasional trials of skill with the officer, that I was his
superior. My revenge, which hitherto had been controlled, was now ripe.

But in narrating my adventures abroad, it must not be supposed that I
neglected every thing that prudence or caution could suggest to avoid
discovery. On the contrary, now that I had the means of enjoying
myself, I was more careful that I did not by any indiscretion excite
surmises. I generally devoted four days out of the seven in the week to
the convent and to my professional occupation as music-master. To
increase the difficulty of identification, I became more serious in my
manner, more dirty in my person, as the brother Anselmo. I pretended to
have imbibed a fancy for snuff, with which I soiled my face and monastic
attire, and seldom if ever spoke, or if I did, in a very solemn voice.
So far from suspicion, I every day gained more and more the good will of
the superior. My absence in the day-time was not noticed, as it was
known that I gave lessons in music, and my irregularity during the night
was a secret between the porter and myself.

I hardly need observe that, as Don Pedro, I always lamented not having
been gifted with a voice, and have even in the presence of my
companions, sent a billet to brother Anselmo to serenade a lady whom I
courted as Don Pedro. I do not believe until ulterior circumstances,
that there was ever in the mind of any the slightest idea that, under my
dissimilar habits, I was one and the same person.

But to continue: one day the young officer, whose name was Don Lopez,
informed me that he did not know how to act; he was so pestered with the
jealousy and reproaches of his mistress, and requested my advice as to
how to proceed.