netian spoken, and
thanked her for her kindness, and in three or four minutes they had
kissed and become friends.

It amused me to see the way in which Marcoline always fell in love with
pretty women, just as if she had been a man.

In the course of conversation I found that Irene's father and mother were
at the table d'hote below, and from sundry exclamations, such as "you
have been brought to Avignon out of God's goodness," I learned that they
were in distress. In spite of that Irene's mirthful countenance matched
Marcoline's sallies, and the latter was delighted to hear that Irene had
only called me papa because her mother had styled her my daughter at
Milan.

We had only got half-way through our supper when Rinaldi and his wife
came in. I asked them to sit down, but if it had not been for Irene I
should have given the old rascal a very warm reception. He began to chide
his daughter for troubling me with her presence when I had such fair
company already, but Marcoline hastened to say that Irene could only have
given me pleasure, for in my capacity of her uncle I was always glad when
she was able to enjoy the society of a sweet young girl.

"I hope," she added, "that if she doesn't mind she will sleep with me."

"Yes, yes," resounded on all sides, and though I should have preferred to
sleep with Marcoline by herself, I laughed and agreed; I have always been
able to accommodate myself to circumstances.

Irene shared Marcoline's desires, for when it was settled that they
should sleep together they seemed wild with joy, and I added fuel to the
fire by plying them with punch and champagne.

Rinaldi and his wife did not leave us till they were quite drunk. When we
had got rid of them, Irene told us how a Frenchman had fallen in love
with her at Genoa, and had persuaded her father to go to Nice where high
play was going on, but meeting with no luck there she had been obliged to
sell what she had to pay the inn-keeper. Her lover had assured her that
he would make it up to her at Aix, where there was some money owing to
him, and she persuaded her father to go there; but the persons who owed
the money having gone to Avignon, there had to be another sale of goods.

"When we got here the luck was no better, and the poor young man, whom my
father reproached bitterly, would have killed himself if I had not given
him the mantle you gave me that he might pawn it and go on his quest. He
got four louis for it, and sent me the