anied by a
servant, left the theatre, and after looking anxiously around, to be
sure that she was unobserved, entered the carriage. The valet got up
behind, and the postillion, who had not left the saddle, whipped up his
horses and left in a gallop. I mounted my horse and followed the
carriage, keeping just two hundred yards behind it. The carriage was
driven towards Rome, and at every post-house the horses were changed, on
which occasions I kept out of sight, and then resumed my pursuit. Thus
we travelled about fifteen leagues; when, however, we reached the eighth
post-house, the carriage spring became broken and the body was thrown
into a ditch. I rushed towards it, opened the door, and, in a fainting
condition, received the person it contained. I bore her to the road,
and, to give her air, threw aside her veil. I uttered a cry of rage and
agony. The woman in my arms was not La Felina. The sound of my voice
aroused the stranger's attention, and she looked at me as if she were
afraid. 'Who are you?' said she, trembling. 'What do you wish?' 'To save
La Felina, whom I thought was here.' 'La Felina! You were in search of
La Felina!' 'Certainly.' 'And you are the horseman whom Giuseppe, the
courier, told me at the last relay, followed us, are you?' 'Certainly I
am.' The woman examined her arms, etc., to see that she was not hurt,
looked at me most ironically, and then bursting into laughter, said:
'Well, after all, the trick was well played.' 'What trick?' 'The one La
Felina has played on all her lovers, the most ardent of whom you are.' I
looked at the woman so earnestly, and sorrow seemed so deeply marked on
my countenance, that I saw an expression of pity steal over her face.
'Poor young man!' said she, 'then you really loved her?' 'I did, and if
I lose her I shall die.' 'Come,' said she, 'you will not die. If all who
have told me the same thing died, Naples would be like the catacombs of
Rome. Come with me,' she continued, 'to the post-house, for now I feel
by the pain I suffer that my arm is out of place. There I will tell you
all.' I went with the woman to the post-house, when a few drops of
cordial soon invigorated her. 'This is the explanation of what is a
matter of so much surprise to you. Perhaps I should be silent; but you
seem to love La Felina so truly, and a young man who really loves is so
interesting that I will tell you all.' The circumlocution of this woman
almost ran me mad! She finally said: 'My mistress