ing to the rest of my
fellow-countrymen, and Marcoline thought as much for she made a little
grimace accompanied by a knowing smile.

"I see that the young lady understands French," said our flattering
friend, "she laughs exactly in the right place."

"Yes, she understands it, and as for her laughter it was due to the fact
that she knows me to be like all other Venetians."

"Possibly, but it is easy to see that you have lived a long time in
France."

"Yes, madam," said Marcoline; and these words in her pretty Venetian
accent were a pleasure to hear.

The gentleman who had taken the lady to her room said that she found her
foot to be rather swollen, and had gone to bed hoping we would all come
upstairs.

We found her lying in a splendid bed, placed in an alcove which the thick
curtains of red satin made still darker. I could not see whether she was
young or old, pretty or ugly. I said that I was very sorry to be the
indirect cause of her mishap, and she replied in good Italian that it was
a matter of no consequence, and that she did not think she could pay too
dear for the privilege of entertaining such pleasant guests.

"Your ladyship must have lived in Venice to speak the language with so
much correctness."

"No, I have never been there, but I have associated a good deal with
Venetians."

A servant came and told me that the wheelwright had arrived, and that he
would take four hours to mend my carriage, so I went downstairs. The man
lived at a quarter of a league's distance, and by tying the carriage pole
with ropes, I could drive to his place, and wait there for the carriage
to be mended. I was about to do so, when the gentleman who did the
honours of the house came and asked me, on behalf of the lady, to sup and
pass the night at her house, as to go to the wheelwright's would be out
of my way; the man would have to work by night, I should be
uncomfortable, and the work would be ill done. I assented to the
countess's proposal, and having agreed with the man to come early the
next day and bring his tools with him, I told Clairmont to take my
belongings into the room which was assigned to me.

When I returned to the countess's room I found everyone laughing at
Marcoline's sallies, which the countess translated. I was not astonished
at seeing the way in which my fair Venetian caressed the countess, but I
was enraged at not being able to see her, for I knew Marcoline would not
treat any woman in that manner un