influence upon all the subsequent events of my life, as the reader will
see in these Memoirs. He had great talent as a dancer, but that was the
least of his excellent qualities. He was honest, his feelings were noble,
he had studied much, and he had received the best education that could be
given in those days in France to a nobleman.

On the third day I saw plainly that Marina wished to make a conquest of
her colleague, and feeling what great advantage might accrue to her from
it I resolved on helping her. She had a post-chaise for two persons, and
I easily persuaded her to take Baletti with her, saying that I wished to
arrive alone in Mantua for several reasons which I could not confide to
her. The fact was that if I had arrived with her, people would have
naturally supposed that I was her lover, and I wished to avoid that.
Baletti was delighted with the proposal; he insisted upon paying his
share of the expenses, but Marina would not hear of it. The reasons
alleged by the young man for paying his own expenses were excellent ones,
and it was with great difficulty that I prevailed upon him to accept
Marina's offer, but I ultimately succeeded. I promised to wait for them
on the road, so as to take dinner and supper together, and on the day
appointed for our departure I left Milan one hour before them.

Reaching the city of Cremona very early, where we intended to sleep, I
took a walk about the streets, and, finding a coffee-house, I went in. I
made there the acquaintance of a French officer, and we left the
coffee-room together to take a short ramble. A very pretty woman happened
to pass in a carriage, and my companion stopped her to say a few words.
Their conversation was soon over, and the officer joined me again.

"Who is that lovely lady?" I enquired.