place.

Next morning the duke told me that he had some business to do, and that I
had better go and see Leonilda, and that he would call for me later on. I
went to Leonilda, but as the duke did not put in an appearance we could
not settle anything about our marriage. I spent several hours with her,
but I was obliged to obey her commands, and could only shew myself
amorous in words. Before leaving I repeated that it only rested with her
to unite our lives by indissoluble ties, and to leave Naples almost
immediately.

When I saw the duke he said,--

"Well, Don Giacomo, you have spent all the morning with my mistress; do
you still wish to marry her?"

"More than ever; what do you mean?"

"Nothing; and as you have passed this trial to which I purposely
subjected you, we will discuss your union tomorrow, and I hope you will
make this charming woman happy, for she will be an excellent wife."

"I agree with you."

When we went to Monte Leone's in the evening, we saw a banker with a good
deal of gold before him. The duke told me he was Don Marco Ottoboni. He
was a fine-looking man, but he held the cards so closely together in his
left hand that I could not see them. This did not inspire me with
confidence, so I only punted a ducat at a time. I was persistently
unlucky, but I only lost a score of ducats. After five or six deals the