to repay them in a week, and three
weeks had gone by without my seeing the money. However, I did not ask for
it, and would have lent him as much more if he had requested me. But I
must tell the story as it happened.

Whenever I supped with the Duchess of Fiano I came in late, and Margarita
waited up for me. Her mother would go to bed. For the sake of amusement I
used to keep her for an hour or two without caring whether our
pleasantries disturbed the abbe, who could hear everything we said.

One evening I came home at midnight and was surprised to find the mother
waiting for me.

"Where is your daughter?" I enquired.

"She's asleep, and I really cannot allow you to pass the whole night with
her any longer."

"But she only stays with me till I get into bed. This new whim wounds my
feelings. I object to such unworthy suspicions. What has Margarita been
telling you? If she has made any complaints of me, she has lied, and I
shall leave your house to-morrow."

"You are wrong; Margarita has made no complaints; on the contrary she
says that you have done nothing to her."

"Very good. Do you think there is any harm in a little joking?"

"No, but you might be better employed."

"And these are your grounds for a suspicion of which you should be
ashamed, if you are a good Christian."

"God save me from thinking evil of my neighbour, but I have been informed
that your laughter and your jests are of such a nature as to be offensive
to people of morality."

"Then it is my neighbour the abbe who has been foolish enough to give you
this information?"

"I cannot tell you how I heard it, but I have heard it."

"Very good. To-morrow I shall seek another lodging, so as to afford your
tender conscience some relief."

"Can't I attend on you as well as my daughter?"

"No; your daughter makes me laugh, and laughing is beneficial to me,
whereas you would not make me laugh at all. You have insulted me, and I
leave your house to-morrow."

"I shall have to tell my husband the reason of your departure, and I do
not want to do that."

"You can do as you like; that's no business of mine. Go away; I want to
get into bed."

"Allow me to wait on you."

"Certainly not; if you want anybody to wait on me, send Margarita."

"She's asleep."

"Then wake her up."

The good woman went her way, and two minutes later, the girl came in with
little on but her chemise. She had not had time to put in her false eye,
and her expression was