who never uttered a word with
any meaning, but whenever I opened my lips people would pretend not to
hear me. I invited a lady to dance a minuet; she accepted, but she looked
constantly to the right or to the left, and seemed to consider me as a
mere dancing machine. A quadrille was formed, but the thing was contrived
in such a manner as to leave me out of it, and the very lady who had
refused me as a partner danced with another gentleman. Had I been in good
spirits I should certainly have resented such conduct, but I preferred to
leave the ball-room. I went to bed, unable to understand why the nobility
of Vicenza treated me in such a way. Perhaps they neglected me because I
was not named in the letters of introduction given to P---- C----, but I
thought that they might have known the laws of common politeness. I bore
the evil patiently, however, as we were to leave the city the next day.

On Monday, the worthy pair being tired, they slept until noon, and after
dinner P---- C---- went out to pay for the goods.

We were to go away early on the Tuesday, and I instinctively longed for
that moment. The counts whom P---- C---- had invited were delighted with
his mistress, and they came to supper; but I avoided meeting them.

On the Tuesday morning I was duly informed that breakfast was ready, but
as I did not answer the summons quickly enough the servant came up again,
and told me that my wife requested me to make haste. Scarcely had the
word "wife" escaped his lips than I visited the cheek of the poor fellow
with a tremendous smack, and in my rage kicked him downstairs, the bottom
of which he reached in four springs, to the imminent risk of his neck.
Maddened with rage I entered the breakfast-room, and addressing myself to
P---- C----, I asked him who was the scoundrel who had announced me in the
hotel as the husband of Madame C----. He answered that he did not know;
but at the same moment the landlord came into the room with a big knife
in his hand, and asked me why I had kicked his servant down the stairs. I
quickly drew a pistol, and threatening him with it I demanded
imperatively from him the name of the person who had represented me as
the husband of that woman.

"Captain P---- C----," answered the landlord, "gave the names, profession,
etc., of your party."

At this I seized the impudent villain by the throat, and pinning him
against the wall with a strong hand I would have broken his head with the
butt of my pis