VENICE - Chapter XII
Progress of My Intrigue with the Beautiful C. C.
The next morning P---- C---- called on me with an air of triumph; he
told me that his sister had confessed to her mother that we loved one
another, and that if she was ever to be married she would be unhappy
with any other husband.
"I adore your sister," I said to him; "but do you think that your
father will be willing to give her to me?"
"I think not; but he is old. In the mean time, love one another. My
mother has given her permission to go to the opera this evening with
us."
"Very well, my dear friend, we must go."
"I find myself under the necessity of claiming a slight service at
your hands."
"Dispose of me."
"There is some excellent Cyprus wine to be sold very cheap, and I can
obtain a cask of it against my bill at six months. I am certain of
selling it again immediately with a good profit; but the merchant
requires a guarantee, and he is disposed to accept yours, if you will
give it. Will you be kind enough to endorse my note of hand?"
"With pleasure."
I signed my name without hesitation, for where is the man in love who
in such a case would have refused that service to a person who to
revenge himself might have made him miserable? We made an
appointment for the evening, and parted highly pleased with each
other.
After I had dressed myself, I went out and bought a dozen pairs of
gloves, as many pairs of silk stockings, and a pair of garters
embroidered in gold and with gold clasps, promising myself much
pleasure in offering that first present to my young friend.
I need not say that I was exact in reaching the appointed place, but
they were there already, waiting for me. Had I not suspected the
intentions of P---- C----, their coming so early would have been very
flattering to my vanity. The moment I had joined them, P---- C----
told me that, having other engagements to fulfil, he would leave his
sister with me, and meet us at the theatre in the evening. When he
had gone, I told C---- C---- that we would sail in a gondola until
the opening of the theatre.
"No," she answered, "let us rather go to the Zuecca Garden."
"With all my heart."
I hired a gondola and we went to St. Blaze, where I knew a very
pretty garden which, for one sequin, was placed at my disposal for
the remainder of the day, with the express condition that no one else
would be allowed admittance. We had not had any dinner, and after I
had ordered a good meal we went up to a room where we took off our
disguises and masks, after which we went to the garden.
My lovely C---- C---- had nothing on but a bodice made of light silk
and a skirt of the same description, but she was charming in that
simple costume! My amorous looks went through those light veils, and
in my imagination I saw her entirely naked! I sighed with burning
desires, with a mixture of discreet reserve and voluptuous love.
The moment we had reached the long avenue, my young companion, as
lively as a fawn, finding herself at liberty on the green sward, and
enjoying that happy freedom for the first time in her life, began to
run about and to give way to the spirit of cheerfulness which was
natural to her. When she was compelled to stop for want of breath,
she burst out laughing at seeing me gazing at her in a sort of
ecstatic silence. She then challenged me to run a race; the game was
very agreeable to me. I accepted, but I proposed to make it
interesting by a wager.
"Whoever loses the race," I said, "shall have to do whatever the
winner asks."
"Agreed!"
We marked the winning-post, and made a fair start. I was certain to
win, but I lost on purpose, so as to see what she would ask me to do.
At first she ran with all her might while I reserved my strength, and
she was the first to reach the goal. As she was trying to recover
her breath, she thought of sentencing me to a good penance: she hid
herself behind a tree and told me, a minute afterwards, that I had to
find her ring. She had concealed it about her, and that was putting
me in possession of all her person. I thought it was a delightful
forfeit, for I could easily see that she had chosen it with
intentional mischief; but I felt that I ought not to take too much
advantage of her, because her artless confidence required to be
encouraged. We sat on the grass, I visited her pockets, the folds of
her stays, of her petticoat; then I looked in her shoes, and even at
her garters which were fastened below the knees. Not finding
anything, I kept on my search, and as the ring was about her, I was
of course bound to discover it. My reader has most likely guessed
that I had some suspicion of the charming hiding-place in which the
young beauty had concealed the ring, but before coming to it I wanted
to enjoy myself. The ring was at last found between the two most
beautiful keepers that nature had ever rounded, but I felt such
emotion as I drew it out that my hand was trembling.
"What are you trembling for?" she asked.
"Only for joy at having found the ring; you had concealed it so well!
But you owe me a revenge, and this time you shall not beat me."
"We shall see."
We began a new race, and seeing that she was not running very fast, I
thought I could easily distance her whenever I liked. I was
mistaken. She had husbanded her strength, and when we had run about
two-thirds of the race she suddenly sprang forward at full speed,
left me behind, and I saw that I had lost. I then thought of a
trick, the effect of which never fails; I feigned a heavy fall, and I
uttered a shriek of pain. The poor child stopped at once, ran back
to me in great fright, and, pitying me, she assisted me to raise
myself from the ground. The moment I was on my feet again, I laughed
heartily and, taking a spring forward, I had reached the goal long
before her.
The charming runner, thoroughly amazed, said to me,
"Then you did not hurt yourself?"
"No, for I fell purposely."
"Purposely? Oh, to deceive me! I would never have believed you
capable of that. It is not fair to win by fraud; therefore I have
not lost the race."
"Oh! yes, you have, for I reached the goal before you.
Trick for trick; confess that you tried to deceive me at the start."
"But that is fair, and your trick is a very different thing."
"Yet it has given me the victory, and
Vincasi per fortund o per ingano,
Il vincer sempre fu laudabil cosa"...
"I have often heard those words from my brother, but never from my
father. Well, never mind, I have lost. Give your judgment now, I
will obey."
"Wait a little. Let me see. Ah! my sentence is that you shall
exchange your garters for mine."
"Exchange our garters! But you have seen mine, they are ugly and
worth nothing."
"Never mind. Twice every day I shall think of the person I love, and
as nearly as possible at the same hours you will have to think of
me."
"It is a very pretty idea, and I like it. Now I forgive you for
having deceived me. Here are my ugly garters! Ah! my dear deceiver,
how beautiful yours are! What a handsome present! How they will
please my mother! They must be a present which you have just
received, for they are quite new."
"No, they have not been given to me. I bought them for you, and I
have been racking my brain to find how I could make you accept them.
Love suggested to me the idea of making them the prize of the race.
You may now imagine my sorrow when I saw that you would win.
Vexation inspired me with a deceitful stratagem which arose from a
feeling you had caused yourself, and which turned entirely to your
honour, for you must admit that you would have shewn a very hard
heart if you had not come to my assistance."
"And I feel certain that you would not have had recourse to that
stratagem, if you could have guessed how deeply it would pain me."
"Do you then feel much interest in me?"
"I would do anything in the world to convince you of it. I like my
pretty garters exceedingly; I will never have another pair, and I
promise you that my brother shall not steal them from me."
"Can you suppose him capable of such an action?"
"Oh! certainly, especially if the fastenings are in gold."
"Yes, they are in gold; but let him believe that they are in gilt
brass."
"Will you teach me how to fasten my beautiful garters?"
"Of course I will."
We went upstairs, and after our dinner which we both enjoyed with a
good appetite, she became more lively and I more excited by love, but
at the same time more to be pitied in consequence of the restraint to
which I had condemned myself. Very anxious to try her garters, she
begged me to help her, and that request was made in good faith,
without mischievous coquetry. An innocent young girl, who, in spite
of her fifteen years, has not loved yet, who has not frequented the
society of other girls, does not know the violence of amorous desires
or what is likely to excite them. She has no idea of the danger of a
tete-a-tete. When a natural instinct makes her love for the first
time, she believes the object of her love worthy of her confidence,
and she thinks that to be loved herself she must shew the most
boundless trust.
Seeing that her stockings were too short to fasten the garter above
the knee, she told me that she would in future use longer ones, and I
immediately offered her those that I had purchased. Full of
gratitude she sat on my knees, and in the effusion of her
satisfaction she bestowed upon me all the kisses that she would have
given to her father if he had made her such a present. I returned
her kisses, forcibly keeping down the violence of my feelings. I
only told her that one of her kisses was worth a kingdom. My
charming C---- C---- took off her shoes and stockings, and put on one
of the pairs I had given her, which went halfway up her thigh. The
more innocent I found her to be, the less I could make up my mind to
possess myself of that ravishing prey.
We returned to the garden, and after walking about until the evening
we went to the opera, taking care to keep on our masks, because, the
theatre being small, we might easily have been recognized, and my
lovely friend was certain that her father would not allow her to come
out again, if he found out that she had gone to the opera.
We were rather surprised not to see her brother. On our left we had
the Marquis of Montalegre, the Spanish ambassador, with his
acknowledged mistress, Mdlle. Bola, and in the box on our right a man
and a woman who had not taken off their masks. Those two persons
kept their eyes constantly fixed upon us, but my young friend did not
remark it as her back was turned towards them. During the ballet,
C---- C---- having left the libretto of the opera on the ledge of the
box, the man with the mask stretched forth his hand and took it.
That proved to me that we were known to him, and I said so to my
companion, who turned round and recognized her brother. The lady who
was with him could be no other than Madame C----. As P---- C----
knew the number of our box, he had taken the next one; he could not
have done so without some intention, and I foresaw that he meant to
make his sister have supper with that woman. I was much annoyed, but
I could not prevent it without breaking off with him, altogether, and
I was in love.
After the second ballet, he came into our box with his lady, and
after the usual exchange of compliments the acquaintance was made,
and we had to accept supper at his casino. As soon as the two ladies
had thrown off their masks, they embraced one another, and the
mistress of P---- C---- overwhelmed my young friend with compliments
and attentions. At table she affected to treat her with extreme
affability, and C---- C---- not having any experience of the world
behaved towards her with the greatest respect. I could, however, see
that C----, in spite of all her art, could hardly hide the vexation
she felt at the sight of the superior beauty which I had preferred to
her own charms. P---- C----, who was of an extravagant gaiety,
launched forth in stupid jokes at which his mistress alone laughed;
in my anger, I shrugged my shoulders, and his sister, not
understanding his jests, took no notice of them. Altogether our
'partie caree' was not formed of congenial spirits, and was rather a
dull affair.
As the dessert was placed on the table, P---- C----, somewhat excited
by the wine he had drunk, kissed his lady-love, and challenged me to
follow his example with his sister. I told him that I loved Mdlle.
C---- C---- truly, and that I would not take such liberties with her
until I should have acquired a legal right to her favours. P----
C---- began to scoff at what I had said, but C---- stopped him.
Grateful for that mark of propriety, I took out of my pocket the
twelve pairs of gloves which I had bought in the morning, and after I
had begged her acceptance of half a dozen pairs I gave the other six
to my young friend. P---- C---- rose from the table with a sneer,
dragging along with him his mistress, who had likewise drunk rather
freely, and he threw himself on a sofa with her. The scene taking a
lewd turn, I placed myself in such a manner as to hide them from the
view of my young friend, whom I led into the recess of a window. But
I had not been able to prevent C---- C---- from seeing in a looking-
glass the position of the two impudent wretches, and her face was
suffused with blushes; I, however, spoke to her quietly of
indifferent things, and recovering her composure she answered me,
speaking of her gloves, which she was folding on the pier-table.
After his brutal exploit, P---- C---- came impudently to me and
embraced me; his dissolute companion, imitating his example, kissed
my young friend, saying she was certain that she had seen nothing.
C---- C---- answered modestly that she did not know what she could
have seen, but the look she cast towards me made me understand all
she felt. If the reader has any knowledge of the human heart, he
must guess what my feelings were. How was it possible to endure such
a scene going on in the presence of an innocent girl whom I adored,
when I had to fight hard myself with my own burning desires so as not
to abuse her innocence! I was on a bed of thorns! Anger and
indignation, restrained by the reserve I was compelled to adopt for
fear of losing the object of my ardent love, made me tremble all
over. The inventors of hell would not have failed to place that
suffering among its torments, if they had known it. The lustful P---
C---- had thought of giving me a great proof of his friendship by the
disgusting action he had been guilty of, and he had reckoned as
nothing the dishonour of his mistress, and the delicacy of his sister
whom he had thus exposed to prostitution. I do not know how I
contrived not to strangle him. The next day, when he called on me,
I overwhelmed him with the most bitter reproaches, and he tried to
excuse himself by saying that he never would have acted in that
manner if he had not felt satisfied that I had already treated his
sister in the tete-a-tete in the same way that he treated his
mistress before us.
My love for C---- C---- became every instant more intense, and I had
made up my mind to undertake everything necessary to save her from
the fearful position in which her unworthy brother might throw her by
selling her for his own profit to some man less scrupulous than I
was. It seemed to me urgent. What a disgusting state of things!
What an unheard-of species of seduction! What a strange way to gain
my friendship! And I found myself under the dire necessity of
dissembling with the man whom I despised most in the world! I had
been told that he was deeply in debt, that he had been a bankrupt in
Vienna, where he had a wife and a family of children, that in Venice
he had compromised his father who had been obliged to turn him out of
his house, and who, out of pity, pretended not to know that he had
kept his room in it. He had seduced his wife, or rather his
mistress, who had been driven away by her husband, and after he had
squandered everything she possessed, and he found himself at the end
of his wits, he had tried to turn her prostitution to advantage. His
poor mother who idolized him had given him everything she had, even
her own clothes, and I expected him to plague me again for some loan
or security, but I was firmly resolved on refusing. I could not bear
the idea of C---- C---- being the innocent cause of my ruin, and used
as a tool by her brother to keep up his disgusting life.
Moved by an irresistible feeling, by what is called perfect love, I
called upon P---- C---- on the following day, and, after I had told
him that I adored his sister with the most honourable intentions, I
tried to make him realize how deeply he had grieved me by forgetting
all respect, and that modesty which the most inveterate libertine
ought never to insult if he has any pretension to be worthy of
respectable society.
"Even if I had to give up," I added, "the pleasure of seeing your
angelic sister, I have taken the firm resolution of not keeping
company with you; but I candidly warn you that I will do everything
in my power to prevent her from going out with you, and from being
the victim of some infamous bargain in your hands."
He excused himself again by saying that he had drunk too much, and
that he did not believe that my love for his sister was such as to
despise the gratification of my senses. He begged my pardon, he
embraced me with tears in his eyes, and I would, perhaps have given
way to my own emotion, when his mother and sister entered the room.
They offered me their heart-felt thanks for the handsome present I
had given to the young lady. I told the mother that I loved her
daughter, and that my fondest hope was to obtain her for my wife.
"In the hope of securing that happiness, madam," I added, "I shall
get a friend to speak to your husband as soon as I shall have secured
a position giving me sufficient means to keep her comfortably, and to
assure her happiness."
So saying I kissed her hand, and I felt so deeply moved that the
tears ran down my cheeks. Those tears were sympathetic, and the
excellent woman was soon crying like me. She thanked me
affectionately, and left me with her daughter and her son, who looked
as if he had been changed into a statue.
There are a great many mothers of that kind in the world, and very
often they are women who have led a virtuous life; they do not
suppose that deceit can exist, because their own nature understands
only what is upright and true; but they are almost always the victims
of their good faith, and of their trust in those who seem to them to
be patterns of honesty. What I had told the mother surprised the
daughter, but her astonishment was much greater when she heard of
what I had said to her brother. After one moment of consideration,
she told him that, with any other man but me, she would have been
ruined; and that, if she had been in the place of Madame C----, she
would never have forgiven him, because the way he had treated her was
as debasing for her as for himself. P---- C---- was weeping, but the
traitor could command tears whenever he pleased.
It was Whit Sunday, and as the theatres were closed he told me that,
if I would be at the same place of Appointment as before, the next
day, he would leave his sister with me, and go by himself with Madame
C----, whom he could not honourably leave alone.
"I will give you my key," he added, "and you can bring back my sister
here as soon as you have supper together wherever you like."
And he handed me his key, which I had not the courage to refuse.
After that he left us. I went away myself a few minutes afterwards,
having previously agreed with C---- C---- that we would go to the
Zuecca Garden on the following day.
I was punctual, and love exciting me to the highest degree I foresaw
what would happen on that day. I had engaged a box at the opera, and
we went to our garden until the evening. As it was a holiday there
were several small parties of friends sitting at various tables, and
being unwilling to mix with other people we made up our minds to
remain in the apartment which was given to us, and to go to the opera
only towards the end of the performance. I therefore ordered a good
supper. We had seven hours to spend together, and my charming young
friend remarked that the time would certainly not seem long to us.
She threw off her disguise and sat on my knees, telling me that I had
completed the conquest of her heart by my reserve towards her during
the supper with her brother; but all our conversation was accompanied
by kisses which, little by little, were becoming more and more
ardent.
"Did you see," she said to me, "what my brother did to Madame C----
when she placed herself astride on his knees? I only saw it in the
looking-glass, but I could guess what it was."
"Were you not afraid of my treating you in the same manner?"
"No, I can assure you. How could I possibly fear such a thing,
knowing how much you love me? You would have humiliated me so deeply
that I should no longer have loved you. We will wait until we are
married, will we not, dear? You cannot realize the extent of the joy
I felt when I heard you speak to my mother as you did! We will love
each other for ever. But will you explain to me, dearest, the
meaning of the words embroidered upon my garters?"
"Is there any motto upon them? I was not aware of it."
"Oh, yes! it is in French; pray read it."
Seated on my knees, she took off one of her garters while I was
unclasping the other, and here are the two lines which I found
embroidered on them, and which I ought to have read before offering
them to her:
'En voyant chaque jour le bijou de ma belle,
Vous lui direz qu'Amour veut qu'il lui soit fidele.'
Those verses, rather free I must confess, struck me as very comic.
I burst out laughing, and my mirth increased when, to please her, I
had to translate their meaning. As it was an idea entirely new to
her, I found it necessary to enter into particulars which lighted an
ardent fire in our veins.
"Now," she observed, "I shall not dare to shew my garters to anybody,
and I am very sorry for it."
As I was rather thoughtful, she added,
"Tell me what you are thinking of?"
"I am thinking that those lucky garters have a privilege which
perhaps I shall never enjoy. How I wish myself in their place: I may
die of that wish, and die miserable."
"No, dearest, for I am in the same position as you, and I am certain
to live. Besides, we can hasten our marriage. As far as I am
concerned, I am ready to become your wife to-morrow if you wish it.
We are both free, and my father cannot refuse his consent."
"You are right, for he would be bound to consent for the sake of his
honour. But I wish to give him a mark of my respect by asking for
your hand, and after that everything will soon be ready. It might be
in a week or ten days."
"So soon? You will see that my father will say that I am too young."
"Perhaps he is right."
"No; I am young, but not too young, and I am certain that I can be
your wife."
I was on burning coals, and I felt that it was impossible for me to
resist any longer the ardent fire which was consuming me.
"Oh, my best beloved!" I exclaimed, "do you feel certain of my love?
Do you think me capable of deceiving you? Are you sure that you will
never repent being my wife?"
"More than certain, darling; for you could not wish to make me
unhappy."
"Well, then, let our marriage take place now. Let God alone receive
our mutual pledges; we cannot have a better witness, for He knows the
purity of our intentions. Let us mutually engage our faith, let us
unite our destinies and be happy. We will afterwards legalize our
tender love with your father's consent and with the ceremonies of the
Church; in the mean time be mine, entirely mine."
"Dispose of me, dearest. I promise to God, I promise to you that,
from this very moment and for ever, I will be your faithful wife; I
will say the same to my father, to the priest who will bless our
union--in fact, to everybody."
"I take the same oath towards you, darling, and I can assure you that
we are now truly married. Come to my arms! Oh, dearest, complete my
felicity!"
"Oh, dear! am I indeed so near happiness!"
After kissing her tenderly, I went down to tell the mistress of the
house not to disturb us, and not to bring up our dinner until we
called for it. During my short absence, my charming C---- C---- had
thrown herself dressed on the bed, but I told her that the god of
love disapproved of unnecessary veils, and in less than a minute I
made of her a new Eve, beautiful in her nakedness as if she had just
come out of the hands of the Supreme Artist. Her skin, as soft as
satin, was dazzlingly white, and seemed still more so beside her
splendid black hair which I had spread over her alabaster shoulders.
Her slender figure, her prominent hips, her beautifully-modelled
bosom, her large eyes, from which flashed the sparkle of amorous
desire, everything about her was strikingly beautiful, and presented
to my hungry looks the perfection of the mother of love, adorned by
all the charms which modesty throws over the attractions of a lovely
woman.
Beside myself, I almost feared lest my felicity should not prove
real, or lest it should not be made perfect by complete enjoyment,
when mischievous love contrived, in so serious a moment, to supply me
with a reason for mirth.
"Is there by any chance a law to prevent the husband from undressing
himself?" enquired beautiful C---- C----.
"No, darling angel, no; and even if there were such a barbarous law,
I would not submit to it."
In one instant, I had thrown off all my garments, and my mistress, in
her turn, gave herself up to all the impulse of natural instinct and
curiosity, for every part of my body was an entirely new thing to
her. At last, as if she had had enough of the pleasure her eyes were
enjoying, she pressed me against her bosom, and exclaimed,
"Oh! dearest, what a difference between you and my pillow!"
"Your pillow, darling? You are laughing; what do you mean?"
"Oh! it is nothing but a childish fancy; I am afraid you will be
angry."
"Angry! How could I be angry with you, my love, in the happiest
moment of my life?"
"Well, for several days past, I could not go to sleep without holding
my pillow in my arms; I caressed it, I called it my dear husband; I
fancied it was you, and when a delightful enjoyment had left me
without movement, I would go to sleep, and in the morning find my
pillow still between my arms."
My dear C---- C---- became my wife with the courage of a true
heroine, for her intense love caused her to delight even in bodily
pain. After three hours spent in delicious enjoyment, I got up and
called for our supper. The repast was simple, but very good. We
looked at one another without speaking, for how could we find words
to express our feelings? We thought that our felicity was extreme,
and we enjoyed it with the certainty that we could renew it at will.
The hostess came up to enquire whether we wanted anything, and she
asked if we were not going to the opera, which everybody said was so
beautiful.
"Have you never been to the opera?"
"Never, because it is too dear for people in our position. My
daughter has such a wish to go, that, God forgive me for saying it!
she would give herself, I truly believe, to the man who would take
her there once."
"That would be paying very dear for it," said my little wife,
laughing. "Dearest, we could make her happy at less cost, for that
hurts very much."
"I was thinking of it, my love. Here is the key of the box, you can
make them a present of it."
"Here is the key of a box at the St. Moses Theatre," she said to the
hostess; "it costs two sequins; go instead of us, and tell your
daughter to keep her rose-bud for something better."
"To enable you to amuse yourself, my good woman; take these two
sequins," I added. "Let your daughter enjoy herself well."
The good hostess, thoroughly amazed at the generosity of her guests,
ran in a great hurry to her daughter, while we were delighted at
having laid ourselves under the pleasant necessity of again going to
bed. She came up with her daughter, a handsome, tempting blonde, who
insisted upon kissing the hands of her benefactors.
"She is going this minute with her lover," said the mother. "He is
waiting for her; but I will not let her go alone with him, for he is
not to be trusted; I am going with them."
"That is right, my good woman; but when you come back this evening,
let the gondola wait for us; it will take us to Venice."
"What! Do you mean to remain here until we return?"
"Yes, for this is our wedding-day."
"To-day? God bless you!"
She then went to the bed, to put it to rights, and seeing the marks
of my wife's virginity she came to my dear C---- C---- and, in her
joy, kissed her, and immediately began a sermon for the special
benefit of her daughter, shewing her those marks which, in her
opinion, did infinite honour to the young bride: respectable marks,
she said, which in our days the god of Hymen sees but seldom on his
altar.
The daughter, casting down her beautiful blue eyes, answered that the
same would certainly be seen on her wedding-day.
"I am certain of it," said the mother, "for I never lose sight of
thee. Go and get some water in this basin, and bring it here. This
charming bride must be in need of it."
The girl obeyed. The two women having left us, we went to bed, and
four hours of ecstatic delights passed off with wonderful rapidity.
Our last engagement would have lasted longer, if my charming
sweetheart had not taken a fancy to take my place and to reverse the
position. Worn out with happiness and enjoyment, we were going to
sleep, when the hostess came to tell us that the gondola was waiting
for us. I immediately got up to open the door, in the hope that she
would amuse us with her description of the opera; but she left that
task to her daughter, who had come up with her, and she went down
again to prepare some coffee for us. The young girl assisted my
sweetheart to dress, but now and then she would wink at me in a
manner which made me think that she had more experience than her
mother imagined.
Nothing could be more indiscreet than the eyes of my beloved
mistress; they wore the irrefutable marks of her first exploits. It
is true that she had just been fighting a battle which had positively
made her a different being to what she was before the engagement.
We took some hot coffee, and I told our hostess to get us a nice
dinner for the next day; we then left in the gondola. The dawn of
day was breaking when we landed at St. Sophia's Square, in order to
set the curiosity of the gondoliers at fault, and we parted happy,
delighted, and certain that we were thoroughly married. I went to
bed, having made up my mind to compel M. de Bragadin, through the
power of the oracle, to obtain legally for me the hand of my beloved
C---- C----. I remained in bed until noon, and spent the rest of the
day in playing with ill luck, as if Dame Fortune had wished to warn
me that she did not approve of my love.
