e obtained the decree? When you speak before the council, if you take
my advice, you will fix a date after which you are not to be held
responsible--that is to say, after which you will have nothing more to do
with it. Unless you do so, you will be certain to encounter trifling and
procrastination which will defer your plan to the Greek Kalends. On the
other hand, I can assure you that M. du Vernai would be very glad to see
us join hands:"

Very much inclined to take these gentlemen into partnership, for the good
reason that I could not do without them, but taking care that they should
suspect nothing, I went down with the younger brother, who introduced me
to his wife before dinner. I found present an old lady well known at
Paris under the name of General La Mothe, famous for her former beauty
and her gout, another lady somewhat advanced in years, who was called
Baroness Blanche, and was still the mistress of M. de Vaux, another
styled the President's lady, and a fourth, fair as the dawn, Madame
Razzetti, from Piedmont, the wife of one of the violin players at the
opera, and said to be courted by M. de Fondpertuis, the superintendent of
the opera.

We sat down to dinner, but I was silent and absorbed, all my thoughts
being monopolized by the lottery. In the evening, at Silvia's, I was
pronounced absent and pensive, and so I was in spite of the sentiment
with which Mademoiselle Baletti inspired me--a sentiment which every day
grew in strength.

I set out for Versailles next morning two hours before day-break, and was
welcomed by M. de Bernis, who said he would bet that but for him I should
never have discovered my talent for finance.

"M. de Boulogne tells me you astonished M. du Vernai, who is generally
esteemed one of the acutest men in France. If you will take my advice,
Casanova, you will keep up that acquaintance and pay him assiduous court.
I may tell you that the lottery is certain to be established, that it
will be your doing, and that you ought to make something considerable out
of it. As soon as the king goes out to hunt, be at hand in the private
apartments, and I will seize a favourable moment for introducing you to
the famous marquise. Afterwards go to the Office for Foreign Affairs, and
introduce yourself in my name to the Abbe de la Ville. He is the chief
official there, and will give you a good reception."

M. de Boulogne told me that, as soon as the council of the military
school had given their co