could all sup together the day after.

"The law business will be all done by then, and we shall be able to go to
the little church at Portici, and the priest will marry you. Then we will
take your mother to St. Agatha and dine with her, and you can go your way
with her maternal blessing."

This conclusion gave me an involuntary shudder, and Leonilda fell
fainting in the duke's arms. He called her dear child, cared for her
tenderly, and brought her to herself.

We all had to wipe our eyes, as we were all equally affected.

I considered myself as a married man and under obligation to alter my way
of living, and I stopped playing. I had won more than fifteen thousand
ducats, and this sum added to what I had before and Leonilda's dowry
should have sufficed for an honest livelihood.

Next day, as I was at supper with the duke and Leonilda, she said,--

"What will my mother say to-morrow evening, when she sees you?"

"She will say that you are silly to marry a stranger whom you have only
known for a week. Have you told her my name, my nation, my condition, and
my age?"

"I wrote to her as follows:

"'Dear mamma, come directly and sign my marriage contract with a
gentleman introduced to me by the duke, with whom I shall be leaving for