“No, but I may well look so, for the expectation of happiness wears me out.  I have lost sleep and appetite, and if my felicity were to be deferred my life would be the forfeit.”

“There shall be no delay, dearest; but how impatient you are!  Let us sit down.  Here is the key of my casino.  You will find some persons in it, because we must be served; but nobody will speak to you, and you need not speak to anyone.  You must be masked, and you must not go there till two hours after sunset; mind, not before.  Then go up the stairs opposite the street-door, and at the top of those stairs you will see, by the light of a lamp, a green door which you will open to enter the apartment which you will find lighted.  You will find me in the second room, and in case I should not be there you will wait for me a few minutes; you may rely upon my being punctual.  You can take off your mask in that room, and make yourself comfortable; you will find some books and a good fire.”

The description could not be clearer; I kissed the hand which was giving me the key of that mysterious temple, and I enquired from the charming woman whether I should see her in her conventual garb.

“I always leave the convent with it,” she said, “but I have at the casino a complete wardrobe to transform myself into an elegant woman of the world, and even to disguise myself.”

“I hope you will do me the favour to remain in the dress of a nun.”

“Why so, I beg?”

“I love to see you in that dress.”

“Ah! ah!  I understand.  You fancy that my head is shaved, and you are afraid.  But comfort yourself, dear friend, my wig is so beautifully made that it defies detection; it is nature itself.”

“Oh, dear! what are you saying?  The very name of wig is awful.  But no, you may be certain that I will find you lovely under all circumstances.  I only entreat you not to put on that cruel wig in my presence.  Do I offend you?  Forgive me; I am very sorry to have mentioned that subject.  Are you sure that no one can see you leave the convent?”

“You will be sure of it yourself when you have gone round the island and seen the small door on the shore.  I have the key of a room opening on the shore, and I have every confidence in the sister who serves me.”

“And the gondola?”

“My lover himself answers for the fidelity of the gondoliers.”

“What a man that lover is!  I fancy he must be an old man.”

“You are mistaken; if he were old, I should be ashamed.  He is not forty, and he has everything necessary to be loved—­beauty, wit, sweet temper, and noble behaviour.”

“And he forgives your amorous caprices?”

“What do you mean by caprices?  A year ago he obtained possession of me, and before him I had never belonged to a man; you are the first who inspired me with a fancy.  When I confessed it to him he was rather surprised, then he laughed, and read me a short lecture upon the risk I was running in trusting a man who might prove indiscreet.  He wanted me to know at least who you were before going any further, but it was too late.  I answered for your discretion, and of course I made him laugh by my being so positively the guarantee of a man whom I did not know.”