had formed a design to go to Padua for the express purpose of killing
him.

All these accusations had a certain foundation in fact which gave them an
air of truth, but in reality they were all wholly false. I cared too
little for religion to trouble myself to found a new one. The sons of
Madame Memmo were full of wit, and more likely to seduce than to be
seduced; and Master Condulmer would have had too much on his hands if he
had imprisoned all those who hissed the Abbe Chiari; and as for this
abbe, once a Jesuit, I had forgiven him, as the famous Father Origo,
himself formerly a Jesuit, had taught me to take my revenge by praising
him everywhere, which incited the malicious to vent their satire on the
abbe; and thus I was avenged without any trouble to myself.

In the evening they brought a good bed, fine linen, perfumes, an
excellent supper, and choice wines. The abbe ate nothing, but I supped
for two. When Lawrence had wished us good night and had shut us up till
the next day, I got out my lamp, which I found to be empty, the napkin
having sucked up all the oil. This made me laugh, for as the napkin might
very well have caught and set the room on fire, the idea of the confusion
which would have ensued excited my hilarity. I imparted the cause of my
mirth to my companion, who laughed himself, and then, lighting the lamp,
we spent the night in pleasant talk. The history of his imprisonment was
as follows:

"Yesterday, at three o'clock in the afternoon, Madame Alessandria, Count
Martinengo, and myself, got into a gondola. We went to Padua to see the
opera, intending to return to Venice afterwards. In the second act my
evil genius led me to the gaming-table, where I unfortunately saw Count
Rosenberg, the Austrian ambassador, without his mask, and about ten paces