Milan and Mantua | Page 9

to have done so, but tell me truly who and what he is."
"He is a gambler by profession, and gives himself out as Count Celi. I
made his acquaintance here. He courted me, invited me to supper,
played after supper, and, having won a large sum from an Englishman
whom he had decoyed to his supper by telling him that I would be
present, he gave me fifty guineas, saying that he had given me an
interest in his bank. As soon as I had become his mistress, he insisted
upon my being compliant with all the men he wanted to make his dupes,
and at last he took up his quarters at my lodgings. The welcome I gave
you very likely vexed him, and you know the rest. Here I am, and here
I will remain until my departure for Mantua where I have an
engagement as first dancer. My servant will bring me all I need for
to-night, and I will give him orders to move all my luggage to-morrow.
I will not see that scoundrel any more. I will be only yours, if you are
free as in Corfu, and if you love me still."
"Yes, my dear Marina, I do love you, but if you wish to be my mistress,

you must be only mine."
"Oh! of course. I have three hundred sequins, and I will give them to
you to-morrow if you will take me as your mistress."
"I do not want any money; all I want is yourself. Well, it is all arranged;
to-morrow evening we shall feel more comfortable."
"Perhaps you are thinking of a duel for to-morrow? But do not imagine
such a thing, dearest. I know that man; he is an arrant coward."
"I must keep my engagement with him."
"I know that, but he will not keep his, and I am very glad of it."
Changing the conversation and speaking of our old acquaintances, she
informed me that she had quarreled with her brother Petronio, that her
sister was primadonna in Genoa, and that Bellino Therese was still in
Naples, where she continued to ruin dukes. She concluded by saying;
"I am the most unhappy of the family."
"How so? You are beautiful, and you have become an excellent dancer.
Do not be so prodigal of your favours, and you cannot fail to meet with
a man who will take care of your fortune."
"To be sparing of my favours is very difficult; when I love, I am no
longer mine, but when I do not love, I cannot be amiable. Well, dearest,
I could be very happy with you."
"Dear Marina, I am not wealthy, and my honour would not allow
me...."
"Hold your tongue; I understand you."
"Why have you not a lady's maid with you instead of a male servant?"
"You are right. A maid would look more respectable, but my servant is
so clever and so faithful!"

"I can guess all his qualities, but he is not a fit servant for you."
The next day after dinner I left Marina getting ready for the theatre, and
having put everything of value I possessed in my pocket, I took a
carriage and proceeded to the Casino of Pomi. I felt confident of
disabling the false count, and sent the carriage away. I was conscious of
being guilty of great folly in exposing my life with such an adversary. I
might have broken my engagement with him without implicating my
honour, but, the fact is that I felt well disposed for a fight, and as I was
certainly in the right I thought the prospect of a duel very delightful. A
visit to a dancer, a brute professing to be a nobleman, who insults her in
my presence, who wants to kill her, who allows her to be carried off in
his very teeth, and whose only opposition is to give me an appointment!
It seemed to me that if I had failed to come, I should have given him
the right to call me a coward.
The count had not yet arrived. I entered the coffee-room to wait for him.
I met a good-looking Frenchman there, and I addressed him. Being
pleased with his conversation, I told him that I expected the arrival of a
man, and that as my honour required that he should find me alone I
would feel grateful if he would go away as soon as I saw the man
approaching. A short time afterwards I saw my adversary coming along,
but with a second. I then told the Frenchman that he would oblige me
by remaining, and he accepted as readily as if I had invited him to a
party of pleasure. The count came in with his follower, who was
sporting a