at which pleases me most is that, if your
second is really a dancer, he can be no other than M. Baletti, who is
engaged with me for the Mantua Theatre."

I stored all my valuables in my trunk again, and went to the opera, where
I saw Baletti, who recognized me, and pointed me out to all his friends,
to whom he was relating the adventure. He joined me after the
performance, and accompanied me to the inn. Marina, who had already
returned, came to my room as soon as she heard my voice, and I was amused
at the surprise of the amiable Frenchman, when he saw the young artist
with whom he had engaged to dance the comic parts. Marina, although an
excellent dancer, did not like the serious style. Those two handsome
adepts of Terpsichore had never met before, and they began an amorous
warfare which made me enjoy my supper immensely, because, as he was a
fellow artist, Marina assumed towards Baletti a tone well adapted to the
circumstances, and very different to her usual manner with other men. She
shone with wit and beauty that evening, and was in an excellent temper,
for she had been much applauded by the public, the true version of the
Celi business being already well known.

The theatre was to be open only for ten more nights, and as Marina wished
to leave Milan immediately after the last performance, we decided on
travelling together. In the mean time, I invited Baletti (it was an
Italian name which he had adopted for the stage) to be our guest during
the remainder of our stay in Milan. The friendship between us had a great
influence upon all the subsequent events of my life, as the reader will
see in these Memoirs. He had great talent as a dancer, but that was the
least of his excellent qualities. He was honest, his feelings were noble,
he had studied much, and he had received the best education that could be
given in those days in France to a nobleman.

On the third day I saw plainly that Marina wished to make a conquest of
her colleague, and feeling what great advantage might accrue to her from
it I resolved on helping her. She had a post-chaise for two persons, and
I easily persuaded her to take Baletti with her, saying that I wished to
arrive alone in Mantua for several reasons which I could not confide to
her. The fact was that if I had arrived with her, people would have
naturally supposed that I was her lover, and I wished to avoid that.
Baletti was delighted with the proposal; he insisted upon paying his
share of t