am sure that she would make my godson an excellent wife, I was determined
that both of you should make his acquaintance, for Rosalie herself knows
very little of him. I confess that the means I employed were
dishonourable, but you will pardon the means for the sake of the
excellent end I had in view. I hope you will have a pleasant journey, and
that you may live for a long time in uninterrupted happiness with your
charming mistress. I hope you will write to me, and always reckon on my
standing your friend, and doing everything in my power for you. Before I
go, I will tell you something which will give you an idea of the
excellent disposition of young Petri, to whose happiness Rosalie seems
essential.

"He only told me the following, after I had absolutely refused to take
charge of a letter he had written to Rosalie, despairing of being able to
send it any other way. After assuring me that Rosalie had loved him, and
that consequently she could not have any fixed aversion for him, he added
that if the fear of being with child was the reason why she would not
marry him he would agree to put off the marriage till after the child was
born, provided that she would agree to stay in Genoa in hiding, her
presence to be unknown to all save himself. He offers to pay all the
expenses of her stay. He made a remarkably wise reflection when we were
talking it over.

"'If she gave birth to a child too soon after our marriage,' said he,
'both her honour and mine would suffer hurt; she might also lose the
liking of my relations, and if Rosalie is to be my wife I want her to be
happy in everything."'

At this Rosalie, who had no doubt been listening at the door after the
manner of her sex, burst into the room, and astonished me by the