Feeling sure that the poor devil would hand over Irene to me, and having
no apartment in which I could enjoy her in freedom, I stopped to read a
bill in a pastrycook's window. It announced a room to let. I went in, and
the pastrycook told me that the house belonged to him, and his pretty
wife, who was suckling a baby, begged me to come upstairs and see the
room. The street was a lonely one, and had a pleasing air of mystery
about it. I climbed to the third floor, but the rooms there were wretched
garrets of no use to me.

"The first floor," said the woman, "consists of a suite of four nice
rooms, but we only let them together."

"Let us go and see them. Good! they will do. What is the rent?"

"You must settle that with my husband."

"And can't I settle anything with you, my dear?"

So saying I gave her a kiss which she took very kindly, but she smelt of
nursing, which I detested, so I did not go any farther despite her
radiant beauty.

I made my bargain with the landlord, and paid a month's rent in advance
for which he gave me a receipt. It was agreed that I should come and go
as I pleased, and that he should provide me with food. I gave him a name
so common as to tell him nothing whatever about me, but he seemed to care
very little about that.

As I had agreed with Barbaro to visit the fair marchionesses, I dressed