ing, and
Gilenspetz alone lost two thousand sequins; the Jew Mendez lost about one
thousand. Sunday was sanctified by rest, but on Monday the bank won four
thousand sequins. On the Tuesday we all dined together, and the play was
resumed; but we had scarcely begun when an officer of the podesta made
his appearance and informed Croce that he wanted a little private
conversation with him. They left the room together, and after a short
absence Croce came back rather crestfallen; he announced that by superior
orders he was forbidden to hold a bank at his house. Madame fainted away,
the punters hurried out, and I followed their example, as soon as I had
secured one-half of the gold which was on the table. I was glad enough it
was not worse. As I left, Croce told me that we would meet again in
Venice, for he had been ordered to quit Padua within twenty-four hours. I
expected it would be so, because he was to well known; but his greatest
crime, in the opinion of the podesta, was that he attracted the players
to his own house, whilst the authorities wanted all the lovers of play to
lose their money at the opera, where the bankers were mostly noblemen
from Venice.

I left the city on horseback in the evening and in very bad weather, but
nothing could have kept me back, because early the next morning I
expected a letter from my dear prisoner. I had only travelled six miles
from Padua when my horse fell, and I found my left leg caught under it.
My boots were soft ones, and I feared I had hurt myself. The postillion
was ahead of me, but hearing the noise made by the fall he came up and
disengaged me; I was not hurt, but my horse was lame. I immediately took
the horse of the postillion, to which I was entitled, but the insolent
fellow getting hold of the bit refused to let me proceed. I tried to make
him understand that he was wrong; but, far from giving way to my
arguments, he persisted in stopping me, and being in a great hurry to
continue my journey I fired one of my pistols in his face, but without
touching him. Frightened out of his wits, the man let go, and I galloped
off. When I reached the Dolo, I went straight to the stables, and I
myself saddled a horse which a postillion, to whom I gave a crown,
pointed out to me as being excellent. No one thought of being astonished
at my other postillion having remained behind, and we started at full
speed. It was then one o'clock in the morning; the storm had broken up
the road, and the