ence in Palermo several times; and while absent on his last journey,
Antonelli made arrangements calculated, by degrees, to banish him entirely
from her house. On his return, he found she had taken another house at a
considerable distance from his own; the Marquess de S., who, at that time,
had great influence on plays and public diversions, visited her daily, and
to all appearance, with great familiarity. This mortified him severely,
and a serious illness was the consequence. When the news of his sickness
reached his friend, she hastened to him, was anxious to see him
comfortable, and discovering that he was in great pecuniary difficulties,
on going away she left him a sum of money sufficient to relieve his wants.

Her friend had once presumed to encroach on her freedom; this attempt was
with her an unpardonable offence, and the discovery of his having acted so
indiscreetly in his own affairs, had not given her the most favourable
opinion of his understanding and his character; notwithstanding the
decrease of her affection, her assiduity for him had redoubled. He did not,
however, remark the great change which had really taken place; her anxiety
for his recovery, her watching for hours at his bedside, appeared to him
rather proofs of friendship and love, than the effects of compassion, and
he hoped, on his recovery, to be re-instated in all his former rights.

But how greatly was he mistaken! In proportion as his health and strength
returned, all tenderness and affection for him vanished; nay, her aversion
for him now was equal to the pleasure with which she formerly regarded him.
He had also, in consequence of these multiplied reverses, contracted a
habit of ill-humour, of which he was himself not aware, and which greatly
contributed to alienate Antonelli. His own bad management in business he
attributed to others; so that, in his opinion, he was perfectly justified.
He looked upon himself as an unfortunate man, persecuted by the world, and
hoped for an equivalent to all his sufferings and misfortunes in the
undivided affection of his mistress.

This concession he insisted on, the first day he was able to leave his
chamber, and visit her. He demanded nothing less than that she should
resign herself up to him entirely, dismiss her other friends and
acquaintances, leave the stage, and live solely with him, and for him. She
showed him the impossibility of granting his demands, at first mildly, but
was at last obliged to