Produced by David Widger
MEMOIRS OF JACQUES CASANOVA de SEINGALT 1725-1798
THE ETERNAL QUEST, Volume 3c—HOLLAND AND GERMANY
Portrait of the Pretended Countess Piccolomini—Quarrel and Duel—Esther
and Her Father, M. D'O.—Esther Still Taken with the Cabala—Piccolomini
Forges a Bill of Exchange: Results I Am Fleeced, and in Danger of Being
Assassinated—Debauch with the Two Paduan Girls—I Reveal A Great Secret
To Esther—I Bate the Rascally St. Germain; His Flight—Manon Baletti
Proves Faithless to Me; Her Letter Announcing Her Marriage: My
Despair—Esther Spends a Day With Me—My Portrait and My Letters to Manon
Get Into Esther's Hands—I Pass a Day with Her—We Talk of Marrying Each
Other
The so-called Countess Piccolomini was a fine example of the adventurers.She was young, tall, well-made, had eyes full of fire, and skin of adazzling whiteness; not, however, that natural whiteness which delightsthose who know the value of a satin skin and rose petals, but rather thatartificial fairness which is commonly to be seen at Rome on the faces ofcourtezans, and which disgusts those who know how it is produced. She hadalso splendid teeth, glorious hair as black as jet, and arched eyebrowslike ebony. To these advantages she added attractive manners, and therewas something intelligent about the way she spoke; but through all I sawthe adventuress peeping out, which made me detest her.
As she did not speak anything but Italian the countess had to play thepart of a mute at table, except where an English officer named Walpolewas concerned, who, finding her to his taste, set himself to amuse her. Ifelt friendly disposed towards this Englishman, though my feelings werecertainly not the result of sympathy. If I had been blind or deaf SirJames Walpole would have been totally indifferent to me, as what I feltfor him was the result of my observation.
Although I did not care for the countess, for all that I went up to herroom after dinner with the greater part of the guests. The count arrangeda game of whist, and Walpole played at primero with the countess, whocheated him in a masterly manner; but though he saw it he laughed andpaid, because it suited his purpose to do so. When he had lost fiftyLouis he called quarter, and the countess asked him to take her to thetheatre. This was what the good-natured Englishman wanted; and he and thecountess went off, leaving the husband playing whist.
I, too, went to the play, and as chance would have it my neighbour in thepit was Count Tot, brother to the count famous for his stay inConstantinople.
We had some conversation together, and he told me he had been obliged toleave France on account of a duel which he had had with a man who hadjested with him for not being present at the battle of Minden, sayingthat he had absented himself in view of the battle. The count had provedhis courage with the sword on the other's body—a rough kind of argumentwhich was fashionable then as now. He told me he had no money, and Iimmediately put my purse at his service; but, as the saying goes, akindness is never thrown away, and five years later he did the same by meat St. Petersburg. Between the acts he happened to notice the CountessPiccolomini, and asked me if I knew her husband. "I know him veryslightly," I answered, "but we happen to