Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 13, 2025
They said that this made the chances more equal; but I laughed at this opinion, as there is nothing more difficult to establish than equality between players. The Duke de Matalone sat down, drew out his purse and his pocket-book, and put two thousand ducats in the bank, begging pardon of the others for doubling the usual sum in favour of the stranger. The bank never exceeded a thousand ducats.
The marquis was discreet enough not to reveal his chief reason. Donna Lucrezia did not know that the Duke of Matalone had told him that Leonilda was my daughter. An excess of gratitude lessened my high spirits for the rest of the day, and Anastasia did not spend a very lively night with me. I went off at eight o'clock the next morning. I was sad, and the whole house was in tears.
The first news I heard was the death of the Duke of Matalone and the marriage of his widow with Prince Caramanica. This circumstance put an end to some of my hopes, and I only thought of amusing myself with my friends, as if I had never been at Naples before. Lord Baltimore had been there several times, but his mistress, Betty, and Sir B M , were strangers, and wanted to see everything.
We were alone together, and he began by saying that the Duke of Matalone had told him the reason which had prevented me marrying Leonilda, and that he had always admired my generosity in making her a present of five thousand ducats, though I was far from rich.
He revered the minister Marco, he had the greatest respect for the memory of Lelio Caraffa, and of the Dukes of Matalone, and he had provided handsomely for a nephew of the famous man of letters Genovesi, in consideration of his uncle's merits. Games of chance were forbidden; and one day he surprised a number of the officers of his guard playing at faro.
I even succeeded in dissipating the melancholy of the Duke de Matalone, who was in despair at having won such a sum from his friend and guest. He was afraid he had half ruined me, and also that people might say he had only welcomed me for the sake of my money.
I returned, feeling tired with my researches, dressed with care, and drove to the Matalone Palace, where they told me that the duke was at table. I did not care for that but had my name sent in, and the duke came out and did me the honour of embracing me and thouing me, and then presented me to his wife, a daughter of the Duke de Bovino, and to the numerous company at table.
"It strikes me," said I, "that you were much smaller in those days." "Yes, I was only twelve or thirteen. You have changed also." "Yes, I have aged." We began talking about the late Duke of Matalone, and Anastasia left us. We sat down in a charming grotto, and began styling each other papa and daughter, and allowing ourselves liberties which threatened to lead to danger.
The first news I heard was the death of the Duke of Matalone and the marriage of his widow with Prince Caramanica. This circumstance put an end to some of my hopes, and I only thought of amusing myself with my friends, as if I had never been at Naples before. Lord Baltimore had been there several times, but his mistress, Betty, and Sir B M , were strangers, and wanted to see everything.
I longed to see her face once more, and I thought of the joy with which we should recall old times that I could never forget. But Castelli had been dead for some years, and his widow lived at a distance of twenty miles from Naples. I resolved not to return to Rome without embracing her. As to Lelio Caraffa, he was still alive and residing at the Matalone Palace.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking