After action and contemplation I left her as amorous as she had been
eighteen years before, but my passion found too many new objects to
remain constant long.

Countess A---- B---- began to be more polite. "I know where you have been,"
said she, with a pleased air; "but if you love that person, you will not
go and see her again, or else her lover will leave her."

"Then I would take his place, madam."

"You are right in amusing yourself with women who know how to earn your
presents. I am aware that you never give anything till you have received
evident proofs of their affection."

"That has always been my principle."

"It's an excellent way to avoid being duped. The lover of the person you
have been with kept a lady in society for some time in great splendour,
but all the rest of us despised her."

"Why so, if you please?"

"Because she lowered herself so terribly. Greppi is absolutely a man of
no family whatever."

Without expressing my surprise at the name of Greppi, I replied that a
man need not be well born to be an excellent lover.

"The only thing needful," said I, "is a fine physique and plenty of
money, and those ladies who despised their friend were either