Holland and Germany | Page 4

Father, M. D'O.--Esther Still Taken with the Cabala--
Piccolomini Forges a Bill of Exchange: Results I Am Fleeced, and in
Danger of Being Assassinated--Debauch with the Two Paduan Girls-- I
Reveal A Great Secret To Esther--I Bate the Rascally St. Germain; His
Flight--Manon Baletti Proves Faithless to Me; Her Letter Announcing
Her Marriage: My Despair--Esther Spends a Day With Me--My Portrait
and My Letters to Manon Get Into Esther's Hands--I Pass a Day with
Her--We Talk of Marrying Each Other
The so-called Countess Piccolomini was a fine example of the
adventurers. She was young, tall, well-made, had eyes full of fire, and
skin of a dazzling whiteness; not, however, that natural whiteness
which delights those who know the value of a satin skin and rose petals,
but rather that artificial fairness which is commonly to be seen at Rome
on the faces of courtezans, and which disgusts those who know how it
is produced. She had also splendid teeth, glorious hair as black as jet,
and arched eyebrows like ebony. To these advantages she added
attractive manners, and there was something intelligent about the way
she spoke; but through all I saw the adventuress peeping out, which
made me detest her.
As she did not speak anything but Italian the countess had to play the
part of a mute at table, except where an English officer named Walpole
was concerned, who, finding her to his taste, set himself to amuse her. I
felt friendly disposed towards this Englishman, though my feelings
were certainly not the result of sympathy. If I had been blind or deaf Sir
James Walpole would have been totally indifferent to me, as what I felt
for him was the result of my observation.
Although I did not care for the countess, for all that I went up to her
room after dinner with the greater part of the guests. The count
arranged a game of whist, and Walpole played at primero with the
countess, who cheated him in a masterly manner; but though he saw it
he laughed and paid, because it suited his purpose to do so. When he
had lost fifty Louis he called quarter, and the countess asked him to
take her to the theatre. This was what the good-natured Englishman
wanted; and he and the countess went off, leaving the husband playing

whist.
I, too, went to the play, and as chance would have it my neighbour in
the pit was Count Tot, brother to the count famous for his stay in
Constantinople.
We had some conversation together, and he told me he had been
obliged to leave France on account of a duel which he had had with a
man who had jested with him for not being present at the battle of
Minden, saying that he had absented himself in view of the battle. The
count had proved his courage with the sword on the other's body--a
rough kind of argument which was fashionable then as now. He told
me he had no money, and I immediately put my purse at his service;
but, as the saying goes, a kindness is never thrown away, and five years
later he did the same by me at St. Petersburg. Between the acts he
happened to notice the Countess Piccolomini, and asked me if I knew
her husband. "I know him very slightly," I answered, "but we happen to
be staying at the same hotel."
"He's a regular black sheep," said the count, "and his wife's no better
than he."
It seemed that they had already won a reputation in the town.
After the play I went back to the hotel by myself, and the head- waiter
told me that Piccolomini had set out hot-foot with his servant, his only
luggage being a light portmanteau. He did not know the reason of this
sudden departure, but a minute afterwards the countess came in, and
her maid having whispered something to her she told me that the count
had gone away because he had fought a duel but that often happened.
She asked me to sup with her and Walpole, and her appetite did not
seem to suffer from the absence of her spouse.
Just as we were finishing supper, an Englishman, who had been of the
whist party, came up and told Walpole that the Italian had been caught
cheating and had given the lie to their fellow Englishman, who had
detected him, and that they had gone out together. An hour afterwards
the Englishman returned with two wounds, one on the fore- arm and

one on the shoulder. It was a trifling affair altogether.
Next day, after I had had dinner with the Comte d'Afri, I found a letter
from Piccolomini, with an enclosure addressed to the countess, waiting
for me at the inn.