London to Berlin | Page 7

The Englishman, in accordance
with the English custom, began by arresting his debtor; but Guerra was
released on bail, and brought the matter before the courts, which
condemned him to pay the twenty-five guineas. He appealed, lost again,
and was in the end obliged to pay. Guerra contented that he had ordered
a portrait, that a picture bearing no likeness to the lady in question was
not a portrait, and that he had therefore a right to refuse payment. The
painter replied that it was a portrait as it had been painted from life. The
judgment was that the painter must live by his trade, and that as Guerra
had given him painting to do he must therefore provide him with the
wherewithal to live, seeing that the artist swore he had done his best to
catch the likeness. Everybody thought this sentence just, and so did I;
but I confess it also seemed rather hard, especially to Guerra, who with
costs had to pay a hundred guineas for the miniature.
Malingan's daughter died just as her father received a public box on the
ear from a nobleman who liked piquet, but did not like players who
corrected the caprices of fortune. I gave the poor wretch the
wherewithal to bury his daughter and to leave England. He died soon
after at Liege, and his wife told me of the circumstance, saying that he
had expired regretting his inability to pay his debts.
M. M---- F---- came to London as the representative of the canton of
Berne, and I called, but was not received. I suspected that he had got

wind of the liberties I had taken with pretty Sara, and did not want me
to have an opportunity for renewing them. He was a somewhat
eccentric man, so I did not take offence, and had almost forgotten all
about it when chance led me to the Marylebone Theatre one evening.
The spectators sat at little tables, and the charge for admittance was
only a shilling, but everyone was expected to order something, were it
only a pot of ale.
On going into the theatre I chanced to sit down beside a girl whom I
did not notice at first, but soon after I came in she turned towards me,
and I beheld a ravishing profile which somehow seemed familiar; but I
attributed that to the idea of perfect beauty that was graven on my soul.
The more I looked at her the surer I felt that I had never seen her before,
though a smile of inexpressible slyness had begun to play about her lips.
One of her gloves fell, and I hastened to restore it to her, whereupon
she thanked me in a few well-chosen French sentences.
"Madam is not English, then?" said I, respectfully.
"No, sir, I am a Swiss, and a friend of yours."
At this I looked round, and on my right hand sat Madame M---- F----,
then her eldest daughter, then her husband. I got up, and after bowing
to the lady, for whom I had a great esteem, I saluted her husband, who
only replied by a slight movement of the head. I asked Madame M----
F---- what her husband had against me, and she said that Possano had
written to him telling some dreadful stories about me.
There was not time for me to explain and justify myself, so I devoted
all my energies to the task of winning the daughter's good graces. In
three years she had grown into a perfect beauty: she knew it, and by her
blushes as she spoke to me I knew she was thinking of what had passed
between us in the presence of my housekeeper. I was anxious to find
out whether she would acknowledge the fact, or deny it altogether. If
she had done so I should have despised her. When I had seen her before,
the blossom of her beauty was still in the bud, now it had opened out in
all its splendour.

"Charming Sara," I said, "you have so enchanted me that I cannot help
asking you a couple of questions, which if you value my peace of mind
you will answer. Do you remember what happened at Berne?"
"Yes."
"And do you repent of what you did?"
"No."
No man of any delicacy could ask the third question, which may be
understood. I felt sure that Sara would make me happy-nay, that she
was even longing for the moment, and gave reins to my passions,
determined to convince her that I was deserving of her love. The waiter
came to enquire if we had any orders, and I begged Madame M----
F---- to allow me to offer her some oysters. After the usual polite
refusals she gave in, and I profited by