登陆注册
4606300000715

第715章

expected to see dear Mariuccia for the last time. Supper passed off in almost a similar manner to the supper of last Sunday; but there was an interesting novelty for me--namely, the sight of my beloved mistress in her character of bride. Her husband seemed to be much more reserved with respect to me than at our first meeting. I was puzzled by his behaviour, and sat down by Mariuccia and proceeded to question her. She told me all the circumstances which had passed on the first night, and she spoke highly of her husband's good qualities. He was kind, amorous, good-tempered, and delicate. No doubt he must have noticed that the casket had been opened, but he had said nothing about it. As he had spoken about me, she had not been able to resist the pleasure of telling him that I was her sole benefactor, at which, so far from being offended, he seemed to trust in her more than ever.

"But has he not questioned you indirectly as to the connection between us?"

"Not at all. I told him that you went to my confessor after having spoken to me once only in the church, where I told you what a good chance I had of being married to him."

"Do you think he believed you?"

"I am not sure; however, even if it were otherwise, it is enough that he pretends to, for I am determined to win his esteem."

"You are right, and I think all the better of him for his suspicions, for it is better to marry a man with some sense in his head than to marry a fool."

I was so pleased with what she told me that when I took leave of the company I embraced the hairdresser, and drawing a handsome gold watch from my fob I begged him to accept it as a souvenir of me. He received it with the utmost gratitude. From my pocket I

took a ring, worth at least six hundred francs, and put it on his wife's finger, wishing them a fair posterity and all manner of happiness, and I then went home to bed, telling Le Duc and Costa that we must begin to pack up next day.

I was just getting up when they brought me a note from Lord Lismore, begging me to come and speak to him at noon at the Villa Borghese.

I had some suspicion of what he might want, and kept the appointment. I felt in a mood to give him some good advice.

Indeed, considering the friendship between his mother and myself, it was my duty to do so.

He came up to me and gave me a letter he had received the evening before from his mother. She told him that Paris de Monmartel had just informed her that he was in possession of a bill for two hundred thousand francs drawn by her son, and that he would honour it if she would furnish him with the funds. She had replied that she would let him know in two or three days if she could do so;

but she warned her son that she had only asked for this delay to give him time to escape, as the bill would certainly be protested and returned, it being absolutely out of the question for her to get the money.

"You had better make yourself scarce as soon as you can," said I, returning him the letter.

"Buy this ring, and so furnish me with the means for my escape.

You would not know that it was not my property if I had not told you so in confidence."

I made an appointment with him, and had the stone taken out and valued by one of the best jewellers in Rome.

"I know this stone," said he, "it is worth two thousand Roman crowns."

At four o'clock I took the earl five hundred crowns in gold and fifteen hundred crowns in paper, which he would have to take to a banker, who would give him a bill of exchange in Amsterdam.

"I will be off at nightfall," said he, "and travel by myself to Amsterdam, only taking such effects as are absolutely necessary, and my beloved blue ribbon."

"A pleasant journey to you," said I, and left him. In ten days I

had the stone mounted at Bologna.

I got a letter of introduction from Cardinal Albani for Onorati, the nuncio at Florence, and another letter from M. Mengs to Sir Mann, whom he begged to receive me in his house. I was going to Florence for the sake of the Corticelli and my dear Therese, and I

同类推荐
  • 栋亭书目

    栋亭书目

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 窑器说

    窑器说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说弥勒来时经

    佛说弥勒来时经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 无量寿经

    无量寿经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 无量义经

    无量义经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 我扶着四川歌唱

    我扶着四川歌唱

    感谢一条北纬30。线,把浙江与四川的诗情画意联系在了一起,把“天堂”与“天府”联系在了一起,把诗人的炽热的心与我们四川的昨天、今天与明天联系在了一起!旋律之一:蜀地遐思,栈道,剑门关,西昌发射基地参观记,冰川野浴,高山杜鹃,康定,折多山,折多河,塔公寺,丹巴县,藏羌古碉,雪山感觉,三星堆遗址断想,第几场雨下在昭化古城,金沙遗址,成都“辛亥秋保路死事纪念碑”,都江堰的李冰,夜宿“九寨天堂”等。
  • 豪少的甜心妻

    豪少的甜心妻

    戚铭轩,在戚氏集团工作,对于自己的婚姻和事业有着自己的主见,不喜欢被别人掌控。但是他的爷爷却暗中为了家族的事业希望他商业联姻,希望他与苏家的千金小姐苏婉沫好好相处,戚铭轩心想还是逃不过老爷子的算计,依旧免不了做一颗棋子。但是他有喜欢的人,女孩叫叶薇,叶薇好像不明白他的心,还想着要逃离他的身边,对于戚铭轩喜欢的女孩老爷子横加阻拦,不管怎么样都不同意,而叶薇也是一直在逃避,他会怎么面对这件事情呢?
  • 别让借口害了你

    别让借口害了你

    有人说,一个借口就是一个缺口,这个借口足以毁了一件事、一个人。但也有人说,一个借口能补一个缺口,这个借口能让你摆脱尴尬,避免伤害他人。的确,借口具有正反两方面的作用。工作不能完成是因为“难度太大了,事情太多了,自己太忙了……”;人生没有成功是因为“没有人帮忙,缺乏资金……”最无厘头的借口是“命运不太好”。借口是可怕的敌人,是成功人生的窃贼。它会损坏人的性格,消磨人的意志,从而让人变得变得慵懒,让人最终一事无成。在很多人的眼里,借口是一种推辞,更多是对责任的推脱。很少有人意识到借口的作用是多元化的,因为不是所有的借口只会给人产生消极的暗示,有些借口的使用也会给我带来便利。
  • 第四者

    第四者

    工作是嘉兴市中级法院的一名法官。已发表小说100万余字,散见于《小说选刊》、《中篇小说选刊》、《中国作家》、《江南》、《山花》、《百花洲》等期刊。
  • 琴音仙路

    琴音仙路

    穿越剧越来越火热,周围的同事每天都在幻想穿越的奇迹,作为宅女一枚的顾轻羽没想到这样的奇迹降临到自己身上,而且还是一本仙侠文中的炮灰,跟着剧情走?等死?可死了之后还会穿越回去吗?象其它女配文一样跟女主男主斗?斗死了女主谁来开启飞升通道啊?而且还不一定斗得死女主。这可肿么办?好纠结啊……
  • 我的经济适用女

    我的经济适用女

    脾气不适合她这样的普通人,只有钻石才有资格棱角分明,其他的,早就被生活磨得圆润而平滑,成为沙滩上万千同样卵石中的一颗——就像梅优优。宽大明亮的厨房不是她的,逼仄的弄堂阁楼间是她的。跑车中永远的恒温不是她的,公交里的闷热是她的。紧握不放的手不是她的,冷漠的背影是她的。那些都是梦,而梦都是要醒的,无论它们多像是真的。
  • 新瓦岗

    新瓦岗

    新瓦岗四猛:罗士信,来护儿,新文礼,王伯当四绝:罗春,尚师徒,侯君集,程咬金十三杰:李元霸,宇文成都,裴元庆,雄阔海,伍云召,东方伯,伍天锡,罗成,杨林,魏文通,梁师泰,杨义臣,秦琼【每个人的心里都有自己的四猛四绝和十三杰人选,这是甜城心中的选择,希望大家能喜欢,《新瓦岗》这是一个不一样的隋唐英雄传!
  • 再见亨特

    再见亨特

    无为,原名赵亮。甘肃平凉人,定居广西北海。出版有中短篇小说集《周家情事》。广西作家协会会员!
  • 皓展文集

    皓展文集

    用文字记录生活,回忆青春。我的作品或许不能够让大家所认同、所喜欢。但它记录着我的青春也记录着我的一些见闻。或许它对大家有一些帮助,在人生的道路上多一点明悟。如果没有就当作笑话来看,为生活增添点乐趣。
  • Our Village

    Our Village

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。