the memories of casanova 107

the memories of casanova 107

where she had been ever since. Her bed and her clothes had been brought

to her; she was well pleased with her room and with the nun to whom she

had been entrusted, and under whose supervision she was. It was by her

that she had been forbidden to receive either letters or visits, or to

write to anybody, under penalty of excommunication from the Holy Father,

of everlasting damnation, and of other similar trifles; yet the same nun

had supplied her with paper, ink and books, and it was at night that my

young friend transgressed the laws of the convent in order to write all

these particulars to me. She expressed her conviction respecting the

discretion and the faithfulness of the messenger, and she thought that

she would remain devoted, because, being poor, our sequins were a little

fortune for her.

 

She related to me in the most assuring manner that the handsomest of all

the nuns in the convent loved her to distraction, gave her a French

lesson twice a-day, and had amicably forbidden her to become acquainted

with the other boarders. That nun was only twenty-two years of age; she

was beautiful, rich and generous; all the other nuns shewed her great

respect. "When we are alone," wrote my friend, "she kisses me so

tenderly that you would be jealous if she were not a woman." As to our

project of running away, she did not think it would be very difficult to

carry it into execution, but that it would be better to wait until she

knew the locality better. She told me to remain faithful and constant,

and asked me to send her my portrait hidden in a ring by a secret spring

known only to us. She added that I might send it to her by her mother,

who had recovered her usual health, and was in the habit of attending

early mass at her parish church every day by herself. She assured me

that the excellent woman would be delighted to see me, and to do

anything I might ask her. "At all events," she concluded, "I hope to

find myself in a few months in a position which will scandalize the

convent if they are obstinately bent upon keeping me here."

 

I was just finishing my answer when Laura, the messenger, returned for

it. After I had paid the sequin I had promised her, I gave her a parcel

containing sealing-wax, paper, pens, and a tinder-box, which she

promised to deliver to C---- C----. My darling had told her that I was

her cousin, and Laura feigned to believe it.

 

Not knowing what to do in Venice, and believing that I ought for the

sake of my honour to shew myself in Padua, or else people might suppose

that I had received the same order as Croce, I hurried my breakfast, and

procured a 'bolletta' from the booking-office for Rome; because I

foresaw that the firing of my pistol and the lame horse might not have

improved the temper of the post-masters; but by shewing them what is

called in Italy a 'bolletta', I knew that they could not refuse to

supply me with horses whenever they had any in their stables. As far as

the pistol-shot was concerned I had no fear, for I had purposely missed

the insolent postillion; and even if I had killed him on the spot it

would not have been of much importance.

 

In Fusina I took a two-wheeled chaise, for I was so tired that I could

not have performed the journey on horseback, and I reached the Dolo,

where I was recognized and horses were refused me.

 

I made a good deal of noise, and the post-master, coming out, threatened

to have me arrested if I did not pay him for his dead horse. I answered

that if the horse were dead I would account for it to the postmaster in

Padua, but what I wanted was fresh horses without delay.

 

And I shewed him the dread 'bolletta', the sight of which made him lower

his tone; but he told me that, even if he supplied me with horses, I had

treated the postillion so badly that not one of his men would drive me.

"If that is the case," I answered, "you shall accompany me yourself."

The fellow laughed in my face, turned his back upon me, and went away. I

took two witnesses, and I called with them at the office of a public

notary, who drew up a properly-worded document, by which I gave notice

to the post-master that I should expect an indemnity of ten sequins for

each hour of delay until I had horses supplied to me.

 

As soon as he had been made acquainted with the contents of this, he

gave orders to bring out two restive horses. I saw at once that his

intention was to have me upset along the road, and perhaps thrown into

the river; but I calmly told the postillion that at the very moment my

chaise was upset I would blow his brains out with a pistol-shot; this

threat frightened the man; he took his horses back to the stables, and

declared to his master that he would not drive me. At that very moment a

courier arrived, who called for six carriage horses and two saddle ones.

I warned the post-master that no one should leave the place before me,

and that if he opposed my will there would be a sanguinary contest; in

order to prove that I was in earnest I took out my pistols. The fellow

began to swear, but, everyone saying that he was in the wrong, he

disappeared.

 

Five minutes afterwards whom should I see, arriving in a beautiful

berlin drawn by six horses, but Croce with his wife, a lady's maid, and

two lackeys in grand livery. He alighted, we embraced one another, and I

told him, assuming an air of sadness, that he could not leave before me.

I explained how the case stood; he said I was right, scolded loudly, as

if he had been a great lord, and made everybody tremble. The postmaster

had disappeared; his wife came and ordered the postillions to attend to

my wants. During that time Croce said to me that I was quite right in

going back to Padua, where the public rumour had spread the report of my

having left the city in consequence of an order from the police. He

informed me that the podesta had likewise expelled M. de Gondoin, a

colonel in the service of the Duke of Modena, because he held a faro

bank at his house. I promised him to pay him a visit in Venice in the

ensuing week. Croce, who had dropped from the sky to assist me in a

moment of great distress, had won ten thousand sequins in four evenings:

I had received five thousand for my share; and lost no time in paying my

debts and in redeeming all the articles which I had been compelled to

pledge. That scamp brought me back the smiles of Fortune, and from that

moment I got rid of the ill luck which had seemed to fasten on me.

 

I reached Padua in safety, and the postillion, who very likely out of

fear had driven me in good style, was well pleased with my liberality;

it was the best way of making peace with the tribe. My arrival caused

great joy to my three friends, whom my sudden departure had alarmed,

with the exception of M. de Bragadin, in whose hands I had placed my

cash-box the day before. His two friends had given credence to the

general report, stating that the podesta had ordered me to leave Padua.

They forgot that I was a citizen of Venice, and that the podesta could

not pass such a sentence upon me without exposing himself to legal

proceedings. I was tired, but instead of going to bed I dressed myself

in my best attire in order to go to the opera without a mask. I told my

friends that it was necessary for me to shew myself, so as to give the

lie to all that had been reported about me by slandering tongues. De la

Haye said to me,

 

"I shall be delighted if all those reports are false; but you have no

one to blame but yourself, for your hurried departure gave sufficient

cause for all sorts of surmises."

 

"And for slander."

 

"That may be; but people want to know everything, and they invent when

they cannot guess the truth."

 

"And evil-minded fools lose no time in repeating those inventions

everywhere."

 

"But there can be no doubt that you wanted to kill the postillion. Is

that a calumny likewise?"

 

"The greatest of all. Do you think that a good shot can miss a man when

he is firing in his very face, unless he does it purposely?"

 

"It seems difficult; but at all events it is certain that the horse is

dead, and you must pay for it."

 

"No, sir, not even if the horse belonged to you, for the postillion

preceded me. You know a great many things; do you happen to know the

posting regulations? Besides, I was in a great hurry because I had

promised a pretty woman to breakfast with her, and such engagements, as

you are well aware, cannot be broken."

 

Master de la Haye looked angry at the rather caustic irony with which I

had sprinkled the dialogue; but he was still more vexed when, taking

some gold out of my pocket, I returned to him the sum he had lent me in

Vienna. A man never argues well except when his purse is well filled;

then his spirits are pitched in a high key, unless he should happen to

be stupefied by some passion raging in his soul.

 

M. de Bragadin thought I was quite right to shew myself at the opera

without a mask.

 

The moment I made my appearance in the pit everybody seemed quite

astonished, and I was overwhelmed with compliments, sincere or not.

After the first ballet I went to the card-room, and in four deals I won

five hundred sequins. Starving, and almost dead for want of sleep, I

returned to my friends to boast of my victory. My friend Bavois was

there, and he seized the opportunity to borrow from me fifty sequins,

which he never returned; true, I never asked him for them.

 

My thoughts being constantly absorbed in my dear C---- C----, I spent

the whole of the next day in having my likeness painted in miniature by

a skilful Piedmontese, who had come for the Fair of Padua, and who in

after times made a great deal of money in Venice. When he had completed

my portrait he painted for me a beautiful St. Catherine of the same

size, and a clever Venetian jeweller made the ring, the bezel of which

shewed only the sainted virgin; but a blue spot, hardly visible on the

white enamel which surrounded it, corresponded with the secret spring

which brought out my portrait, and the change was obtained by pressing

on the blue spot with the point of a pin.

 

On the following Friday, as we were rising from the dinner-table, a

letter was handed to me. It was with great surprise that I recognized

the writing of P---- C----. He asked me to pay him a visit at the "Star

Hotel," where he would give me some interesting information. Thinking

that he might have something to say concerning his sister, I went to him

at once.

 

I found him with Madame C----, and after congratulating him upon his

release from prison I asked him for the news he had to communicate.

 

"I am certain," he said, "that my sister is in a convent, and I shall be

able to tell you the name of it when I return to Venice."

 

"You will oblige me," I answered, pretending not to know anything.

 

But his news had only been a pretext to make me come to him, and his

eagerness to communicate it had a very different object in view than the

gratification of my curiosity.

 

"I have sold," he said to me, "my privileged contract for three years

for a sum of fifteen thousand florins, and the man with whom I have made

the bargain took me out of prison by giving security for me, and

advanced me six thousand florins in four letters of exchange."

 

He shewed me the letters of exchange, endorsed by a name which I did not

know, but which he said was a very good one, and he continued,