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Updated: June 28, 2025
In a mirthful moment Canano said he had known me for seventeen years, his acquaintance dating from the time I had juggled a professional gamester, calling himself Count Celi, out of a pretty ballet-girl whom I had taken to Mantua.
The three mendicants bowed gratefully to me and left the room. The Marquis Triulzi who sat near Canano, said, "The beggar in the straw-coloured dress is certainly Casanova." "I recognized him directly," replied the banker, "but who are the others?" "We shall find out in due time." "A dearer costume could not be imagined; all the dresses are quite new."
Canano introduced me to two handsome women, one of whom was his mistress, and to five or six marquises; for at Milan no noble who is not a marquis is thought anything of, just as in the same way they are all counts at Vicenza. The dinner was magnificent and the conversation highly intellectual.
I confessed the deed and amused the company by the story of what had happened at Mantua with Oreilan, and how I had found Count Celi at Cesena metamorphosed into Count Alfani. Somebody mentioned the ball which was to be held the next day, and when I said I was not going they laughed. "I bet I know you," said Canano, "if you come to the bank." "I am not going to play any more," said I.
Countess A B had sent me a note asking me to sup with her, her husband, and the Marquis Triulzi, and other friends. This engagement prevented my paying a visit to Canano, who had won a thousand sequins of me since my great victory as Pierrot. I knew that he boasted that he was sure of me, but in my own mind I had determined to gain the mastery. At supper the countess waged war on me.
Canano studied me, but I saw he could not make me out. I heard whispers running round the table. "It isn't Seingalt; he doesn't play like that; besides, he is at the ball." The luck turned; three deals were in my favour, and brought me back more than I had lost.
I was touched with compassion, and I borrowed twenty sequins from Canano, and gave them to the poor wretch, telling him to write to me. This alms-giving did me good; it made me forget my losses, and I spent a delightful evening with the marchioness. The next day we supped together at my rooms, and spent the rest of the night in amorous pleasures.
I then put fifty sequins on one card, going paroli and paix de paroli, and at daybreak I had broken the bank. Canano said politely that if I liked to be spared the trouble of carrying all that gold he would have it weighed and give me a cheque. A pair of scales was brought, and it was found that I had thirty-four pounds weight in gold, amounting to two thousand eight hundred and fifty-six sequins.
"Canano knew you," said the marquis, "by the way you opened your snuff-box, and he hopes to see us to dinner before long. He says he hopes you will win a hundred pounds weight of gold; he has a fancy for you." "Canano," said I, "has keen eyes, and plays faro admirably. I have not the slightest wish to win his money from him."
On leaving this charming conversationalist I went to the theatre and then to the faro-table, where I saw the masquer who had won three hundred sequins the evening before. This night he was very unlucky. He had lost two thousand sequins, and in the course of the next hour his losses had doubled. Canano threw down his cards and rose, saying, "That will do." The masquer left the table.
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