pleasant ending of the adventure of the false nun — m. m. finds out that i have d mistress — she is avenged on the wretch capsucefalo — i ruin myself at play, and at the suggestion of m. m. i sell all her diamonds, one after another — i hand over tonine to murray, who makes provision for her — her sister barberine takes her place.

how did you make this nice acquaintance?” i asked the ambassador.

“six months ago,” he replied, “while standing at the convent gate with mr. smith, our consul, in whose company i had been to see some ceremony or other, i remarked to him, as we were talking over some nuns we had noticed, ‘i would gladly give five hundred sequins for a few hours of sister m—— m——s company.’ count capsucefalo heard what i said, but made no remark. mr. smith answered that one could only see her at the grating as did the ambassador of france, who often came to visit her. capsucefalo called on me the next morning, and said that if i had spoken in good faith he was sure he could get me a night with the nun in whatever place i liked, if she could count on my secrecy. ‘i have just been speaking to her,’ said he, ‘and on my mentioning your name she said she had noticed you with mr. smith, and vowed she would sup with you more for love than money. ‘i,’ said the rascal, ‘am the only man she trusts, and i take her to the french ambassador’s casino in venice whenever she wants to go there. you need not be afraid of being cheated, as you will give the money to her personally when you have possessed yourself of her.’ with this he took her portrait from his pocket and shewed it me; and here it is. i bought it of him two days after i believed myself to have spent a night with the charming nun, and a fortnight after our conversation. this beauty here came masked in a nun’s habit, and i was fool enough to think i had got a treasure. i am vexed with myself for not having suspected the cheat — at all events, when i saw her hair, as i know that nuns’ hair should be cut short. but when i said something about it to the hussy, she told me they were allowed to keep their hair under their caps, and i was weak enough to believe her.”

i knew that on this particular murray had not been deceived, but i did not feel compelled to tell him so then and there.

i held the portrait murray had given me in my hand, and compared it with the face before me. in the portrait the breast was bare, and as i was remarking that painters did those parts as best they could, the impudent wench seized the opportunity to shew me that the miniature was faithful to nature. i turned my back upon her with an expression of contempt which would have mortified her, if these creatures were ever capable of shame. as we talked things over, i could not help laughing at the axiom, things which are equal to the same thing are equal to one another, for the miniature was like m. m. and like the courtezan, and yet the two women were not like each other. murray agreed with me, and we spent an hour in a philosophical discussion on the matter. as the false m. m. was named innocente, we expressed a wish to know how her name agreed with her profession, and how the knave had induced her to play the part she had taken; and she told us the following story:

“i have known count capsucefalo for two years, and have found him useful, for, though he has given me no money, he has made me profit largely through the people he has introduced to me. about the end of last autumn he came to me one day, and said that if i could make up as a nun with some clothes he would get me, and in that character pass a night with an englishman, i should be the better by five hundred sequins. ‘you need not be afraid of anything,’ said he, ‘as i myself will take you to the casino where the dupe will be awaiting you, and i will come and take you back to your imaginary convent towards the end of the night. he shewed me how i must behave, and told me what to reply if my lover asked any questions about the discipline of the convent.

“i liked the plot, gentlemen, and i told him i was ready to carry it out. and be pleased to consider that there are not many women of my profession who would hesitate over a chance of getting five hundred sequins. finding the scheme both agreeable and profitable, i promised to play my part with the greatest skill. the bargain was struck, and he gave me full instructions as to my dialogue. he told me that the englishman could only talk about my convent and any lovers i might have had; that on the latter point i was to cut him short, and to answer with a laugh that i did not know what he was talking about, and even to tell him that i was a nun in appearance only, and that in the course of toying i might let him see my hair. ‘that,’ said capsucefalo, ‘won’t prevent him from thinking you a nun — yes! and the very nun he is amorous of, for he will have made up his mind that you cannot possibly be anyone else.’ seizing the point of the jest, i did not take the trouble to find out the name of the nun i was to represent, nor the convent whence i was to come; the only thing in my head was the five hundred sequins. so little have i troubled about aught else that, though i passed a delicious night with you, and found you rather worthy of being paid for than paying, i have not ascertained who and what you are, and i don’t know at this moment to whom i am speaking. you know what a night i had; i have told you it was delicious, and i was happy in the idea that i was going to have another. you have found everything out. i am sorry, but i am not afraid of anything, since i can put on any disguise i like, and can’t prevent my lovers taking me for a saint if they like to do so. you have found weapons in my possession, but everyone is allowed to bear arms in self-defence. i plead not guilty on all counts.”

“do you know me?” said i.

“no, but i have often seen you passing under my window. i live at st. roch, near the bridge.”

the way in which the woman told her yarn convinced us that she was an adept in the science of prostitution, but we thought capsucefalo, in spite of the count, worthy of the pillory. the girl was about ten years older than m. m., she was pretty, but light-complexioned, while my beautiful nun had fine dark brown hair and was at least three inches taller.

after twelve o’clock we sat down to supper, and did honour to the excellent meal which my dear antoinette had prepared for us. we were cruel enough to leave the poor wretch without offering her so much as a glass of wine, but we thought it our duty.

while we were talking, the jolly englishman made some witty comments on my eagerness to convince him that he had not enjoyed m. m.‘s favours.

“i can’t believe,” said he, “that you have shewn so much interest without being in love with the divine nun.”

i answered by saying that if i were her lover i was much to be pitied in being condemned to go to the parlour, and no farther.

“i would gladly give a hundred guineas a month,” said he, “to have the privilege of visiting her at the grating.”

so saying he gave me my hundred sequins, complimenting me on my success, and i slipped them forthwith into my pocket.

at two o’clock in the morning we heard a soft knock on the street door.

“here is our friend,” i said, “be discreet, and you will see that he will make a full confession.”

he came in and saw murray and the lady, but did not discover that a third party was present till he heard the ante-room door being locked. he turned round and saw me, and as he knew me, merely said, without losing countenance:

“ah, you are here; you know, of course, that the secret must be kept?”

murray laughed and calmly asked him to be seated, and he enquired, with the lady’s pistols in his hands, where he was going to take her before day-break.

“home.”

“i think you may be mistaken, as it is very possible that when you leave this place you will both of you be provided with a bed in prison.”

“no, i am not afraid of that happening; the thing would make too much noise, and the laugh would not be on your side. come,” said he to his mate, “put on your cloak and let us be off.”

the ambassador, who like an englishman kept quite cool the whole time, poured him out a glass of chambertin, and the blackguard drank his health. murray seeing he had on a fine ring set with brilliants, praised it, and shewing some curiosity to see it more closely he drew it off the fellow’s finger, examined it, found it without flaw, and asked how much it was worth. capsucefalo, a little taken aback, said it cost him four hundred sequins.

“i will hold it as a pledge for that sum,” said the ambassador, putting the ring into his pocket. the other looked chop-fallen, and murray laughing at his retiring manners told the girl to put on her cloak and to pack off with her worthy acolyte. she did so directly, and with a low bow they disappeared.

“farewell, nun procurer!” said the ambassador, but the count made no answer.

as soon as they were gone i thanked murray warmly for the moderation he had shewn, as a scandal would have only injured three innocent people.

“be sure,” said he, “that the guilty parties shall be punished without anyone’s knowing the reason”

i then made tonine come upstairs, and my english friend offered her a glass of wine, which she declined with much modesty and politeness. murray looked at her with flaming glances, and left after giving me his heartiest thanks.

poor little tonine had been resigned, and obedient for many hours, and she had good cause to think i had been unfaithful to her; however, i gave her the most unmistakable proofs of my fidelity. we stayed in bed for six hours, and rose happy in the morning.

after dinner i hurried off to my noble m—— m— — and told her the whole story. she listened eagerly, her various feelings flitting across her face. fear, anger, wrath, approval of my method of clearing up my natural suspicions, joy at discovering me still her lover — all were depicted in succession in her glance, and in the play of her features, and in the red and white which followed one another on her cheeks and forehead. she was delighted to hear that the masker who was with me in the parlour was the english ambassador, but she became nobly disdainful when i told her that he would gladly give a hundred guineas a month for the pleasure of visiting her in the parlour. she was angry with him for fancying that she had been in his power, and for finding a likeness between her and a portrait, when, so she said, there was no likeness at all; i had given her the portrait. she added, with a shrewd smile, that she was sure i had not let my little maid see the false nun, as she might have been mistaken.

“you know, do you, that i have a young servant?”

“yes, and a pretty one, too. she is laura’s daughter, and if you love her i am very glad, and so is c—— c——. i hope you will let me have a sight of her. c—— c—— has seen her before.”

as i saw that she knew too much for me to be able to deceive her, i took my cue directly and told her in detail the history of my amours. she shewed her satisfaction too openly not to be sincere. before i left her she said her honour obliged her to get capsucefalo assassinated, for the wretch had wronged her beyond pardon. by way of quieting her i promised that if the ambassador did not rid us of him within the week i would charge myself with the execution of our common vengeance.

about this time died bragadin the procurator, brother of my patron, leaving m. de bragadin sufficiently well off. however, as the family threatened to become extinct, he desired a woman who had been his mistress, and of whom he had had a natural son, to become his wife. by this marriage the son would have become legitimate, and the family renewed again. the college of cardinals would have recognized the wife for a small fee, and all would have gone admirably.

the woman wrote to me, asking me to call on her; and i was going to, curious to know what a woman, whom i did not know from adam, could want with me, when i received a summons from m. de bragadin. he begged me to ask paralis if he ought to follow de la haye’s advice in a matter he had promised not to confide to me, but of which the oracle must be informed. the oracle, naturally opposed to the jesuit, told him to consult his own feelings and nothing else. after this i went to the lady.

she began by telling me the whole story. she introduced her son to me, and told me that if the marriage could be performed, a deed would be delivered in my favour by which, at the death of m. de bragadin, i should become entitled to an estate worth five thousand crowns per annum.

as i guessed without much trouble that this was the same matter which de la haye had proposed to m. de bragadin, i answered without hesitation that since de la haye was before me i could do nothing, and thereupon made her my bow.

i could not help wondering at this jesuit’s continually intriguing to marry my old friends without my knowledge. two years ago, if i had not set my face against it, he would have married m. dandolo. i cared not a whit whether the family of bragadin became extinct or not, but i did care for the life of my benefactor, and was quite sure that marriage would shorten it by many years; he was already sixty- three, and had recovered from a serious apoplectic stroke.

i went to dine with lady murray (english-women who are daughters of lords keep the title), and after dinner the ambassador told me that he had told m. cavalli the whole story of the false nun, and that the secretary had informed him, the evening before, that everything had been done to his liking. count capsucefalo had been sent to cephalonia, his native country, with the order never to return to venice, and the courtezan had disappeared.

the fine part, or rather the fearful part, about these sentences is that no one ever knows the reason why or wherefore, and that the lot may fall on the innocent as well as the guilty. m. m. was delighted with the event, and i was more pleased than she, for i should have been sorry to have been obliged to soil my hands with the blood of that rascally count.

there are seasons in the life of men which may be called ‘fasti’ and ‘nefasti’; i have proved this often in my long career, and on the strength of the rubs and struggles i have had to encounter. i am able, as well as any man, to verify the truth of this axiom. i had just experienced a run of luck. fortune had befriended me at play, i had been happy in the society of men, and from love i had nothing to ask; but now the reverse of the medal began to appear. love was still kind, but fortune had quite left me, and you will soon see, reader, that men used me no better than the blind goddess. nevertheless, since one’s fate has phases as well as the moon, good follows evil as disasters succeed to happiness.

i still played on the martingale, but with such bad luck that i was soon left without a sequin. as i shared my property with m. m. i was obliged to tell her of my losses, and it was at her request that i sold all her diamonds, losing what i got for them; she had now only five hundred sequins by her. there was no more talk of her escaping from the convent, for we had nothing to live on! i still gamed, but for small stakes, waiting for the slow return of good luck.

one day the english ambassador, after giving me a supper at his casino with the celebrated fanny murray, asked me to let him sup at my casino at muran, which i now only kept up for the sake of tonine. i granted him the favour, but did not imitate his generosity. he found my little mistress smiling and polite, but always keeping within the bounds of decency, from which he would have very willingly excused her. the next morning he wrote to me as follows:

“i am madly in love with tonine. if you like to hand her over to me i will make the following provision for her: i will set her up in a suitable lodging which i will furnish throughout, and which i will give to her with all its contents, provided that i may visit her whenever i please, and that she gives me all the rights of a fortunate lover. i will give her a maid, a cook, and thirty sequins a month as provision for two people, without reckoning the wine, which i will procure myself. besides this i will give her a life income of two hundred crowns per annum, over which she will have full control after living with me for a year. i give you a week to send your answer.”

i replied immediately that i would let him know in three days whether his proposal were accepted, for tonine had a mother of whom she was fond, and she would possibly not care to do anything without her consent. i also informed him that in all appearance the girl was with child.

the business was an important one for tonine. i loved her, but i knew perfectly well that we could not pass the rest of our lives together, and i saw no prospect of being able to make her as good a provision as that offered by the ambassador. consequently i had no doubts on the question, and the very same day i went to muran and told her all.

“you wish to leave me, then,” said she, in tears.

“i love you, dearest, and what i propose ought to convince you of my love.”

“not so; i cannot serve two masters.”

“you will only serve your new lover, sweetheart. i beg of you to reflect that you will have a fine dowry, on the strength of which you may marry well; and that however much i love you i cannot possibly make so good a provision for you.”

“leave me to-day for tears and reflection, and come to supper with me to-morrow.”

i did not fail to keep the appointment.

“i think your english friend is a very pretty man,” she said, “and when he speaks in the venetian dialect it makes me die with laughter. if my mother agrees, i might, perhaps, force myself to love him. supposing we did not agree we could part at the end of a year, and i should be the richer by an income of two hundred crowns.”

“i am charmed with the sense of your arguments; speak about it to your mother.”

“i daren’t, sweetheart; this kind of thing is too delicate to be discussed between a mother and her daughter speak to her yourself.”

“i will, indeed.”

laura, whom i had not seen since she had given me her daughter, asked for no time to think it over, but full of glee told me that now her daughter would be able to soothe her declining years, and that she would leave muran of which she was tired. she shewed me a hundred and thirty sequins which tonine had gained in my service, and which she had placed in her hands.

barberine, tonine’s younger sister, came to kiss my hand. i thought her charming, and i gave her all the silver in my pocket. i then left, telling laura that i should expect her at my house. she soon followed me, and gave her child a mother’s blessing, telling her that she and her family could go and live in venice for sixty sous a day. tonine embraced her, and told her that she should have it.

this important affair having been managed to everybody’s satisfaction, i went to see m—— m— — who came into the parlour with c—— c— — whom i found looking sad, though prettier than ever. she was melancholy, but none the less tender. she could not stay for more than a quarter of an hour for fear of being seen, as she was forbidden ever to go into the parlour. i told m. m. the story of tonine, who was going to live with murray in venice; she was sorry to hear it, “for,” said she, “now that you have no longer any attraction at muran, i shall see you less than ever.” i promised to come and see her often, but vain promises! the time was near which parted us for ever.

the same evening i went to tell the good news to my friend murray. he was in a transport of joy, and begged me to come and sup with him at his casino the day after next, and to bring the girl with me, that the surrender might be made in form. i did not fail him, for once the matter was decided, i longed to bring it to an end. in my presence he assigned to her the yearly income for her life of two hundred venetian ducats, and by a second deed he gave her all the contents of the house with which he was going to provide her, provided always that she lived with him for a year. he allowed her to receive me as a friend, also to receive her mother and sisters, and she was free to go and see them when she would. tonine threw her arms about his neck, and assured him that she would endeavour to please him to the utmost of her ability. “i will see him,” said she, pointing to me, “but as his friend he shall have nothing more from me.” throughout this truly affecting scene she kept back her tears, but i could not conceal mine. murray was happy, but i was not long a witness of his good fortune, the reason of which i will explain a little later.

three days afterwards laura came to me, told me that she was living in venice, and asked me to take her to her daughter’s. i owed this woman too much to refuse her, and i took her there forthwith. tonine gave thanks to god, and also to me, and her mother took up the song, for they were not quite sure whether they were more indebted to god or to me. tonine was eloquent in her praise of murray, and made no complaint at my not having come to see her, at which i was glad. as i was going laura asked me to take her back in my gondola, and as we had to pass by the house in which she lived she begged me to come in for a moment, and i could not hurt her feelings by refusing. i owe it to my honour to remark here that i was thus polite without thinking that i should see barberine again.

this girl, as pretty as her sister, though in another style, began by awakening my curiosity — a weakness which usually renders the profligate man inconstant. if all women were to have the same features, the same disposition, and the same manners, men would not only never be inconstant, but would never be in love. under that state of things one would choose a wife by instinct and keep to her till death, but our world would then be under a different system to the present. novelty is the master of the soul. we know that what we do not see is very nearly the same as what we have seen, but we are curious, we like to be quite sure, and to attain our ends we give ourselves as much trouble as if we were certain of finding some prize beyond compare.

barberine, who looked upon me as an old friend — for her mother had accustomed her to kiss my hand whenever i went there, who had undressed more than once in my presence without troubling about me, who knew i had made her sister’s fortune and the family fortune as well, and thought herself prettier than tonine because her skin was fairer, and because she had fine black eyes, desiring to take her sister’s place, knew that to succeed she must take me by storm. her common sense told her that as i hardly ever came to the house, i should not be likely to become amorous of her unless she won me by storm; and to this end she shewed the utmost complaisance when she had the chance, so that i won her without any difficulty. all this reasoning came from her own head, for i am sure her mother gave her no instructions. laura was a mother of a kind common the world over, but especially in italy. she was willing to take advantage of the earnings of her daughters, but she would never have induced them to take the path of evil. there her virtue stopped short.

after i had inspected her two rooms and her little kitchen, and had admired the cleanness which shone all around, barberine asked me if i would like to see their small garden.

“with pleasure,” i replied, “for a garden is a rarity in venice.”

her mother told her to give me some figs if there were any ripe ones. the garden consisted of about thirty square feet, and grew only salad herbs and a fine fig tree. it had not a good crop, and i told her that i could not see any figs.

“i can see some at the top,” said barberine, “and i will gather them if you will hold me the ladder.”

“yes, climb away; i will hold it quite firmly.”

she stepped up lightly, and stretching out an arm to get at some figs to one side of her, she put her body off its balance, holding on to the ladder with the other hand.

“my dear barberine, what do you think i can see?”

“what you have often seen with my sister.”

“that’s true! but you are prettier than she is.”

the girl made no reply, but, as if she could not reach the fruit, she put her foot on a high branch, and spewed me the most seductive picture. i was in an ecstasy, and barberine, who saw it, did not hurry herself. at last i helped her to come down, and letting my hand wander indiscreetly, i asked her if the fruit i held had been plucked, and she kept me a long time telling me it was quite fresh. i took her within my arms, and already her captive, i pressed her amorously to my heart, printing on her lips a fiery kiss, which she gave me back with as much ardour.

“will you give me what i have caught, dearest?”

“my mother is going to muran to-morrow, and she will stay there all the day; if you come, there is nothing i will refuse you.”

when speech like this proceeds from a mouth still innocent, the man to whom it is addressed ought to be happy, for desires are but pain and torment, and enjoyment is sweet because it delivers us from them. this shews that those who prefer a little resistance to an easy conquest are in the wrong; but a too easy conquest often points to a depraved nature, and this men do not like, however depraved they themselves may be.

we returned to the house, and i gave barberine a tender kiss before laura’s eyes, telling her that she had a very jewel in her daughter — a compliment which made her face light up with pleasure. i gave the dear girl ten sequins, and i went away congratulating myself, but cursing my luck at not being able to make as good provision for barberine as murray had made for her sister.

tonine had told me that for manners’ sake i should sup once with her. i went the same evening and found righelini and murray there. the supper was delicious, and i was delighted with the excellent understanding the two lovers had already come to. i complimented the ambassador on the loss of one of his tastes, and he told me he should be very sorry at such a loss, as it would warn him of his declining powers.

“but,” said i, “you used to like to perform the mysterious sacrifice of love without a veil.”

“it was not i but ancilla who liked it, and as i preferred pleasing her to pleasing myself, i gave in to her taste without any difficulty.”

“i am delighted with your answer, as i confess it would cost me something to be the witness of your exploits with tonine.”

having casually remarked that i had no longer a house in muran, righelini told me that if i liked he could get me a delightful house at a low rent on the tondamente nuovo.

as this quarter facing north, and as agreeable in summer as disagreeable in winter, was opposite to muran, where i should have to go twice a week, i told the doctor i should be glad to look at the house.

i took leave of the rich and fortunate ambassador at midnight, and before passing the day with my new prize i went to sleep so as to be fresh and capable of running a good course.

i went to barberine at an early hour, and as soon as she saw me she said,

“my mother will not be back till the evening, and my brother will take his dinner at the school. here is a fowl, a ham, some cheese, and two bottles of scopolo wine. we will take our mess whenever you like:”

“you astonish me, sweetheart, for how did you manage to get such a good dinner?”

“we owe it to my mother, so to her be the praise.”

“you have told her, then, what we are going to do?”

“no, not i, for i know nothing about it; but i told her you were coming to see me, and at the same time i gave her the ten sequins.”

“and what did your mother say?”

“she said she wouldn’t be sorry if you were to love me as you loved my sister.”

“i love you better, though i love her well.”

“you love her? why have you left her, then?”

“i have not left her, for we supped together yesterday evening; but we no longer live together as lovers, that is all. i have yielded her up to a rich friend of mine, who has made her fortune.”

“that is well, though i don’t understand much about these affairs. i hope you will tell tonine that i have taken her place, and i should be very pleased if you would let her know that you are quite sure you are my first lover.”

“and supposing the news vexes her?”

“so much the better. will you do it for me? it’s the first favour i have asked of you.”

“i promise to do so.”

after this rapid dialogue we took breakfast, and then, perfectly agreed, we went to bed, rather as if we were about to sacrifice to hymen than to love.

the game was new to barberine, and her transports, her green notions- -which she told me openly — her inexperience, or rather her awkwardness, enchanted me. i seemed for the first time to pluck the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and never had i tasted fruit so delicious. my little maid would have been ashamed to let me see how the first thorn hurt her, and to convince me that she only smelt the rose, she strove to make me think she experienced more pleasure than is possible in a first trial, always more or less painful. she was not yet a big girl, the roses on her swelling breasts were as yet but buds, and she was a woman only in her heart.

after more than one assault delivered and sustained with spirit, we got up for dinner, and after we had refreshed ourselves we mounted once more the altar of love, where we remained till the evening. laura found us dressed and well pleased with each other on her return. i made barberine another present of twenty sequins, i swore to love her always, and went on my way. at the time i certainly meant to keep to my oath, but that which destiny had in store for me could not be reconciled with these promises which welled forth from my soul in a moment of excitement.

the next morning righelini took me to see the lodging he had spoken to me about. i liked it and took it on the spot, paying the first quarter in advance. the house belonged to a widow with two daughters, the elder of whom had just been blooded. righelini was her doctor, and had treated her for nine months without success. as he was going to pay her a visit i went in with him, and found myself in the presence of a fine waxen statue. surprise drew from me these words:

“she is pretty, but the sculptor should give her some colour.”

on which the statue smiled in a manner which would have been charming if her lips had but been red.

“her pallor,” said righelini, “will not astonish you when i tell you she has just been blooded for the hundred and fourth time.”

i gave a very natural gesture of surprise.

this fine girl had attained the age of eighteen years without experiencing the monthly relief afforded by nature, the result being that she felt a deathly faintness three or four times a week, and the only relief was to open the vein.

“i want to send her to the country,” said the doctor, “where pure and wholesome air, and, above all, more exercise, will do her more good than all the drugs in the world.”

after i had been told that my bed should be made ready by the evening, i went away with righelini, who told me that the only cure for the girl would be a good strong lover.

“but my dear doctor,” said i, “can’t you make your own prescription?”

“that would be too risky a game, for i might find myself compelled to marry her, and i hate marriage like the devil.”

though i was no better inclined towards marriage than the doctor, i was too near the fire not to get burnt, and the reader will see in the next chapter how i performed the miraculous cure of bringing the colours of health into the cheeks of this pallid beauty.