was certainly an elegant cavalier,
but rather dainty than manly. He was soon madly in love with Fraulein
Anna, and asked in due form for her hand. Her excellenza favored the
match, and the father said simply: 'You will take him!' He would listen
to no opposition. Other gentlemen don't consult their daughters when a
suitable lover appears. So the signorina became the marquis's betrothed
wife, but the padrona said firmly that her niece was too young to be
married. She induced Junker Van Hoogstraten, whom she held as firmly as
a farrier holds a filly, to defer the wedding until Easter. The outfit
was to be provided during the winter. The condition that he must wait
six months was imposed on the marquis, and he went back to France with
the ring on his finger. His betrothed bride did not shed a single tear
for him, and as soon as he had gone, flung the engagement ring into the
jewel-cup on her dressing-table, before the eyes of the camariera, from
whom I heard the story. She did not venture to oppose her father,
but did not hesitate to express her opinion of the marquis to her
excellenza, and her aunt, though she had favored the Frenchman's suit,
allowed it. Yet there had often been fierce quarrels between the old and
young lady, and if the padrona had had reason to clip the wild falcon's
wings and teach her what is fitting for noble ladies, the signorina
would have been justified in complaining of many an exaction, by which
the padrona had spoiled her pleasure in life. I am sorry to destroy the
confidence of your youth, but whoever grows grey, with his eyes open,
will meet persons who rejoice, nay to whom it is a necessity to injure
others. Yet it is a consolation, that no one is wicked simply for
the sake of wickedness, and I have often found--how shall I express
it?--that the worst impulses arise from the perversion, or even the
excess of the noblest virtues, whose reverse or caricature they become.
I have seen base envy proceed from beautiful ambition, contemptible
avarice from honest emulation, fierce hate from tender love. My
mistress, when she was young, knew how to love truly and faithfully, but
she was shamefully deceived, and now rancor, not against an individual,
but against life, has taken possession of her, and her noble loyalty has
become tenacious adherence to bad wishes. How this has happened you will
learn, if you will continue to listen.

"When winter came, I was ordered to go to Brussel, and establish the