trunk, and as to my wages you can send them to me at my aunt's at Laibach
if you haven't got any money now."

I pitied Strasoldo from the bottom of my heart; he prayed and entreated,
and finally wept like a child. However, Pittoni roused my choler by
saying that I ought to drive the slut out of my room.

"You are not the man to tell me what I ought and what I ought not to do,"
I replied, "and after I have received her in my apartments you ought to
moderate your expressions."

Seeing that I stood on my dignity he laughed, and asked me if I had
fallen in love with her in so short a time.

Strasoldo here broke in by saying he was sure she had not slept with me.

"That's where you are mistaken," said she, "for there's only one bed, and
I did not sleep on the floor."

They found prayers and reproaches alike useless and left us at noon.
Leuzica was profuse in her expressions of gratitude to me.

There was no longer any mystery, so I boldly ordered dinner for two, and
promised that she should remain with me till the count had left Trieste.

At three o'clock the Venetian consul came, saying that Count Strasoldo
had begged him to use his good offices with me to persuade me to deliver
up the fair Leuzica.

"You must speak to the girl herself," I replied; "she came here and stays
here of her own free will."

When the worthy man had heard the girl's story he went away, saying that
we had the right on our side.

In the evening a porter brought her trunk, and at this she seemed touched
but not repentant.

Leuzica supped with me and again shared my couch. The count left Trieste
at day-break.

As soon as I was sure that he was gone, I took a carriage and escorted
the fair Leuzica two stages on her way to Laibach. We dined together, and
I left her in the care of a friend of hers.

Everybody said I had acted properly, and even Pittoni confessed that in
my place he would have done the same.

Poor Strasoldo came to a bad end. He got into debt, committed peculation,
and had to escape into Turkey and embrace Islam to avoid the penalty of
death.

About this time the Venetian general, Palmanova, accompanied by the
procurator Erizzo, came to Trieste to visit the governor, Count
Wagensberg. In the afternoon the count presented me to the patricians who
seemed astonished to see me at Trieste.

The procurator asked me if I amused myself as well as I had done at Paris
sixteen years ago, and I told him that sixteen years more, a