nued, and I thought my time had come when she read
the verses:

Io senza scale in su la rooca salto,
E to stendardo piantovi di botto,
E la nemica mia mi caccio sotto**

**I scaled the rock without a ladder, I planted my standard suddenly, and
held my enemy beneath me.

I wanted to give her a practical illustration of the lines, but with that
sensibility so natural to women, and which they can use so well as a goad
to passion, she said,--

"Dearest, you might make yourself worse; let us wait till your sprain is
cured."

"Are we to wait till I am cured for the consummation of our marriage?"

"I suppose so, for if I am not mistaken the thing can't be done without a
certain movement."

"You are wrong, dear Pauline, but it would make no difference to me even
if it were so. You may be sure I would not put it off till to-morrow,
even if it cost me my leg. Besides, you shall see that there are ways and
means of satisfying our passions without doing me any harm. Is that
enough for you?"

"Well, well, as it is written that a wife should obey her husband, you
will find me docile."

"When?"

"After supper."

"Then we will have no supper. We shall dine with all the better appetite
to-morrow. Let us begin now."

"No, for the suspicions of the servants might be aroused. Love has its
rules of decency like everything else."

"You talk as wisely as Cato, and I am obliged to confess that you are
right in all you say."

Supper was served as usual; it was delicate enough, but the thought of
approaching bliss had taken away our appetites, and we ate only for
form's sake. At ten o'clock we were at liberty, and could indulge our
passion without any fear of being disturbed.

But this delightful woman, who had so plainly told me a few hours before
that when I was cured we would live together as man and wife, was now
ashamed to undress before me. She could not make up her mind, and told me
so, laughing at herself. From this circumstance I gathered that the
decency of the body is more tenacious in its grasp than the purity of the
soul.

"But, sweetheart," said I, "you dressed and undressed for a fortnight
before your betrothed."

"Yes, but he was always lying in his hammock with his back towards me at
night, and in the morning he never turned round and wished me good day
till he knew I was dressed."

"What, he never turned?"

"I never let him take any liberties."

"Such virtue is incomprehensible to me."