ificed her virtue, trusting that the man she loves will keep the
secret of her fault; nor do I believe that such honourable reticence can
be wounding to a friend." We argued a little on this point, I
maintaining my position, he treating it with ridicule, and twitting me
with holding the opinions of a musty Spanish romance.

Meanwhile he was always on the watch to catch sight of my goddess, and
to exchange conversation with her at the window. He drenched her with
fulsome compliments upon her beauty, her elegance and her discretion,
artfully interweaving his flatteries with references to the close
friendship which had united himself and me for many years. To hear him,
one would have thought that we were more than brothers. She soon began
to listen with pleasure, entering deeper and deeper into the spirit of
these dialogues. Though ready to die of irritation, I forced myself to
appear indifferent. I knew the man to be an honourable and a cordial
friend; but with regard to women, I knew that he was one of the most
redoubtable pirates, the most energetic, the most fertile in resources,
who ever ploughed the seas of Venus. He was older than I; a fine man,
however, eloquent, sharp-witted, lively, resolute and expeditious.

Some days went by in these preliminaries, and the date of his departure
was approaching. In other circumstances I should have been sorry at the
prospect of parting from him. Now I looked forward to it with
impatience. One morning I heard him telling her that he had taken a box
at the theatre of San Luca, and that he was going there that evening
with his beloved friend. He added that it would cheer her up to join
our party, breathe the air, and divert her spirits at the play. She
declined the invitation with civility. He insisted, and called on me to
back him up. She looked me in the face, as though to say: "What do you
think of the project?" My friend kept his eyes firmly fixed on mine,
waiting to detect any sign which might suggest a _No_. I did not like to
betray my uneasiness, and felt embarrassed. I thought it sufficient to
remark that the lady knew her own mind best; she had refused; therefore
she must have good reasons for refusing; I could only approve her
decision. "How!" cried my friend, "are you so barbarous as not to give
this lady courage to escape for once from her sad solitude? Do you mean
to say that we are not persons of honour, to whose protection she can
safely confide herself? Answer me th