er of the
room.

"What do you mean by pestering Marcoline at the theatre yesterday?"

"I went to remind her of her duty, and to warn her that I would not be
her complaisant lover."

"You have insulted me and her too, fool that you are! You owe all to
Marcoline, for if it had not been for her, I should never have given you
a second glance; and yet you behave in this disgraceful manner."

"I have ruined myself for her sake, and I can never shew my face in
Venice again. What right have you to take her from me?"

"The right of love, blockhead, and the right of luck, and the right of
the strongest! How is it that she is happy with me, and does not wish to
leave me?"

"You have dazzled her."

"Another reason is that with you she was dying of misery and hunger."

"Yes, but the end of it will be that you will abandon her as you have
done with many others, whereas I should have married her."

"Married her! You renegade, you seem to forget that you are a priest. I
do not propose to part with her, but if I do I will send her away rich."

"Well, well, do as you please; but still I have the right to speak to her
whenever I like."

"I have forbidden you to do so, and you may trust me when I tell you that
you have spoken to her for the last time."

So saying I went out and called on an advocate. I asked him if I could
have a foreign abbe, who was indebted to me, arrested, although I had no
proof of the debt.

"You can do so, as he is a foreigner, but you will have to pay
caution-money. You can have him put under arrest at his inn, and you can
make him pay unless he is able to prove that he owes you nothing. Is the
sum a large one?"

"Twelve louis."

"You must come with me before the magistrate and deposit twelve louis,
and from that moment you will be able to have him arrested. Where is he
staying?"

"In the same hotel as I am, but I do not wish to have him arrested there,
so I will get him to the 'Ste. Baume,' and put him under arrest. Here are
the twelve louis caution-money, so you can get the magistrate's order,
and we will meet again to-morrow."

"Give me his name, and yours also."

I returned in haste to the "Treize Cantons," and met the abbe, dressed up
to the nines, and just about to go out.

"Follow me," said I, "I am going to take you to Marcoline, and you shall
have an explanation in her presence."

"With pleasure."

He got into a carriage with me, and I told the coachman to take us to the
"Ste.