not want me to be her lover, though she made use of the ascendancy which
my passion gave her. In the code of feminine coquetry such cases are
numerous.

Possano came uninvited to see me, and congratulated me on my victory of
the evening before.

"Who told you about it?"

"I have just been at the coffee-house, where everybody is talking of it.
It was a wonderful victory, for those biribanti are knaves of the first
water. Your adventure is making a great noise, for everyone says that you
could not have broken their bank unless you had made an agreement with
the man that kept the bag."

"My dear fellow, I am tired of you. Here, take this piece of money for
your wife and be off."

The piece of money I had given him was a gold coin worth a hundred
Genoese livres, which the Government had struck for internal commerce;
there were also pieces of fifty and twenty-five livres.

I was going on with my calculations when Clairmont brought me a note. It
was from Irene, and contained a tender invitation to breakfast with her.
I did not know that she was in Genoa, and the news gave me very great
pleasure. I locked up my money, dressed in haste, and started out to see
her. I found her in good and well-furnished rooms, and her old father,
Count Rinaldi, embraced me with tears of joy.

After the ordinary compliments had been passed, the old man proceeded to