o his own house, where, giving his horse to be led round to
the stable by the servant that accompanied him, he opened his door with
the _passe-partout_ key, and proceeded to his chamber, without meeting
anybody, where he found his beloved spouse asleep on the bed with her
gallant. The opening of the door waked them: the young fellow
immediately leaped out of the window, which looked into the garden, and
was open, it being summer, and escaped over the fields, leaving his
breeches on a chair by the bedside--very striking circumstance. In
short, the case was such, I do not think the queen of fairies herself
could have found an excuse, though Chaucer tells us she has made a
solemn promise to leave none of her sex unfurnished with one, to all
eternity. As to the poor criminal, she had nothing to say for herself
but what I dare swear you will hear from your youngest daughter, if ever
you catch her stealing of sweetmeats--"Pray, pray, she would do so no
more, and indeed it was the first time." This last article found no
credit with me: I cannot be persuaded that any woman who had lived
virtuous till forty (for such is her age) could suddenly be endowed with
such consummate impudence, to solicit a youth at first sight, there
being no probability, his age and station considered, that he would have
made any attempt of that kind. I must confess I was wicked enough to
think the unblemished reputation she had hitherto maintained, and did
not fail to put us in mind of, was owing to a series of such frolics;
and to say truth, they are the only amours that can reasonably hope to
remain undiscovered. Ladies that can resolve to make love thus
_extempore_, may pass unobserved, especially if they can content
themselves with low life, where fear may oblige their favourites to
secrecy: there wants only a very lewd constitution, a very bad heart,
and a moderate understanding, to make this conduct easy: and I do not
doubt it has been practised by many prudes beside her I am now speaking
of. You may be sure I did not communicate these reflections. The first
word I spoke was to desire Signer Carlo to sheathe his poniard, not
being pleased with its glittering! He did so very readily, begging my
pardon for not having done it on my first appearance, saying he did not
know what he did, and indeed he had the countenance and gesture of a man
distracted. I did not endeavour a defence; that seemed to me impossible;
but represented to him, as well as I cou