where I think of going
to-morrow if I can get a good guide."

"If you would do me the honour of accepting me, I should be delighted. My
name is Dolci, I am son of the captain of the vice-legate's guard."

"I feel the honour you do me, and I accept your obliging offer. I will
put off my start till your arrival."

"I will be with you at seven."

I was astonished at the easy grace of this young Adonis, who might have
been a pretty girl if the tone of his voice had not announced his
manhood. I laughed at the false Astrodi, whose acting was as poor as her
face, and who kept staring at me all the time. While she sang she
regarded me with a smile and gave me signs of an understanding, which
must have made the audience notice me, and doubtless pity my bad taste.
The voice and eyes of one actress pleased me; she was young and tall, but
hunchbacked to an extraordinary degree. She was tall in spite of her
enormous humps, and if it had not been for this malformation she would
have been six feet high. Besides her pleasing eyes and very tolerable
voice I fancied that, like all hunchbacks, she was intelligent. I found
her at the door with the ugly Astrodi when I was leaving the theatre. The
latter was waiting to thank me, and the other was selling tickets for her
benefit.

After the Astrodi had thanked me, the hunchbacked girl turned towards me,
and with a smile that stretched from ear to ear and displayed at least
twenty-four exquisite teeth, she said that she hoped I would honour her
by being present at her benefit.

"If I don't leave before it comes off, I will," I replied.

At this the impudent Astrodi laughed, and in the hearing of several
ladies waiting for their carriages told me that her friend might be sure
of my presence, as she would not let me go before the benefit night.
"Give him sixteen tickets," she added. I was ashamed to refuse, and gave
her two louis. Then in a lower voice the Astrodi said, "After the show we
will come and sup with you, but on the condition that you ask nobody
else, as we want to be alone."

In spite of a feeling of anger, I thought that such a supper-party would
be amusing, and as no one in the town knew me I resolved to stay in the
hope of enjoying a hearty laugh.

I was having my supper when Stuard and his wife went to their room. This
night I heard no sobs nor reproaches, but early next morning I was
surprised to see the chevalier who said, as if we had been old friends,
that he had