gan to dress.

When they were nearly clothed I softly returned to my room and looked out
of a window commanding the house-door. I had not to wait long before I
saw the fortunate lover going out.

I went to bed indignant with Leah; I felt myself degraded. She was no
longer virtuous, but a villainous prostitute in my eyes; and I fell to
sleep with the firm resolve of driving her from my room the next morning,
after shaming her with the story of the scene I had witnessed. But, alas,
hasty and angry resolves can seldom withstand a few hours' sleep. As soon
as I saw Leah coming in with my chocolate, smiling and gay as usual, I
told her quite coolly all the exploits I had seen her executing, laying
particular stress on the Straight Tree, and the curious liquid she had
swallowed. I ended by saying that I hoped she would give me the next
night, both to crown my love and insure my secrecy.

She answered with perfect calm that I had nothing to expect from her as
she did not love me, and as for keeping the secret she defied me to
disclose it.

"I am sure you would not be guilty of such a disgraceful action," said
she.

With these words she turned her back on me and went out.

I could not help confessing to myself that she was in the right; I could
not bring myself to commit such a baseness. She had made me reasonable in
a few words:

"I don't love you." There was no reply to this, and I felt I had no claim
on her.

Rather it was she who might complain of me; what right had I to spy over
her? I could not accuse her of deceiving me; she was free to do what she
liked with herself. My best course was clearly to be silent.

I dressed myself hastily, and went to the Exchange, where I heard that a
vessel was sailing for Fiume the same day.

Fiume is just opposite Ancona on the other side of the gulf. From Fiume
to Trieste the distance is forty miles, and I decided to go by that
route.

I went aboard the ship and took the best place, said good-bye to the
consul, paid Mardocheus, and packed my trunks.

Leah heard that I was going the same day, and came and told me that she
could not give me back my lace and my silk stockings that day, but that I
could have them by the next day.

"Your father," I replied coolly, "will hand them all over to the Venetian
consul, who will send them to me at Trieste."

Just as I was sitting down to dinner, the captain of the boat came for my
luggage with a sailor. I told him he could have my t