other. Her stay with us was much prolonged, for at
the time she was about to leave us she proved to be with child by me.
In due course of time she was safely delivered of a daughter.

Her father, who came over to take her home after the advent, ceded the
dear little object of my connection with her mother to my wife's
prayers.

We had no children of our own, and she would adopt her. The Count, who
in his heart was delighted at the proposition, left her with us. He
afterwards had a son by this beautiful and charming daughter and
granddaughter of his at one and the same time.

It is now long years ago, and that son legally adopted is now Count in
succession after his father's death.

We paid many visits during these years to each other, during which the
Count related to us some of the episodes in his life, which I give in
his own words--

"You ask me to relate my first experiences. My earliest initiation into
the secret mysteries of love's recess was rather a curious one, and one
which ended very disagreeably for the fair nun who sought to teach me
the gentle art of love.

"You must know that after Bonaparte's first conquest of Northern Italy,
when he had turned the Alps by the Savona depression, and by the
battles of Montenotte and others in that neighbourhood, gained the
interior plains and carried all before him, Piedmont was annexed, and
after the then French fashion, all church property was seized. Monks
and nuns were turned loose in the world, with a promise of small
pensions which never were paid. A nun of a convent in our neighbourhood
was one thus thrown on the world. To sustain life she opened a little
school for boys and girls of tender age. The neighbouring gentry,
willing to assist a worthy creature reduced to poverty by no fault of
her own, sent their children to her for primary instruction; my mother
had taken a great fancy to Sister Bridget, as she was called, and I was
sent to her school. I had just entered into my twelfth year, but was a
fine grown boy of my age, and I can remember that my prick when
standing in the morning had already shown proofs of fair development,
which gave promise of its future prominence I think I was the biggest
boy in the school, all the others being two or three years my juniors.
I was in perfect ignorance as to the relation between the different
sexes. The nun seemed to have taken a fancy to me, she used to embrace
me with her arms, and kiss me with very pouting lips,