ening, we saw a banker with a good
deal of gold before him. The duke told me he was Don Marco Ottoboni. He
was a fine-looking man, but he held the cards so closely together in his
left hand that I could not see them. This did not inspire me with
confidence, so I only punted a ducat at a time. I was persistently
unlucky, but I only lost a score of ducats. After five or six deals the
banker, asked me politely why I staked such small sums against him.

"Because I can't see half the pack," I replied, "and I am afraid of
losing."

Some of the company laughed at my answer.

Next night I broke the bank held by the Prince the Cassaro, a pleasant
and rich nobleman, who asked me to give him revenge, and invited me to
supper at his pretty house at Posilipo, where he lived with a virtuosa of
whom he had become amorous at Palermo. He also invited the Duke de
Matalone and three or four other gentlemen. This was the only occasion on
which I held the bank while I was at Naples, and I staked six thousand
ducats after warning the prince that as it was the eve of my departure I
should only play for ready money.

He lost ten thousand ducats, and only rose from the table because he had
no more money. Everybody left the room, and I should have done the same
if the prince's mistress had not owed me a hundred ducats. I continued to
deal in the hope that she would get her money back, but seeing that she
still lost I put down the cards, and told her that she must pay me at
Rome. She was a handsome and agreeable woman, but she did not inspire me
with any passions, no doubt because my mind was occupied with another,
otherwise I should have drawn a bill on sight, and paid myself without
meddling with her purse. It was two o'clock in the morning when I got to
bed.

Both Leonilda and myself wished to see Caserta before leaving Naples, and
the duke sent us there in a carriage drawn by six mules, which went
faster than most horses. Leonilda's governess accompanied us.

The day after, we settled the particulars of our marriage in a
conversation which lasted for two hours.

"Leonilda," began the duke, "has a mother, who lives at a short distance
from here, on an income of six hundred ducats, which I have given her for
life, in return for an estate belonging to her husband; but Leonilda does
not depend on her. She gave her up to me seven years ago, and I have
given her an annuity of five hundred ducats, which she will bring to you,
with all her di