Casanova's Homecoming Page 7

  CHAPTER SEVEN.

  When Casanova entered the hall with Olivo, cards had already begun. Heacknowledged with serene dignity the effusive greeting of the company,and took his place opposite the Marchese, who was banker. The windowsinto the garden were open. Casanova heard voices outside; Marcolinaand Amalia strolled by, glanced into the room for a moment, and thendisappeared.

  While the Marchese was dealing, Lorenzi turned to Casanova withceremonious politeness, saying: "My compliments, Chevalier. You werebetter informed than I. My regiment is under orders to march tomorrowafternoon."

  The Marchese looked surprised. "Why did you not tell us sooner,Lorenzi?"

  "The matter did not seem of such supreme importance."

  "It is of no great importance to me," said the Marchese. "But don'tyou think it is of considerable importance to my wife?" He laughedraucously. "As a matter of fact, I have some interest in the mattermyself. You won four hundred ducats from me yesterday, and there is notmuch time left in which to win them back."

  "The Lieutenant won money from us too," said the younger Ricardi. Theelder, silent as usual, looked over his shoulder at his brother, whostood behind the elder's chair as on the previous day.

  "Luck and women....." began the Abbate.

  The Marchese finished the sentence for him: ".....cannot beconstrained."

  Lorenzi carelessly scattered his gold on the table. "There you are. Iwill stake it all upon a single card, if you like, Marchese, so that youneed not wait for your money."

  Casanova suddenly became aware of a feeling of compassion for Lorenzi,a feeling he was puzzled to account for. But he believed himself to beendowed with second-sight, and he had a premonition that the Lieutenantwould fall in his first encounter.

  The Marchese did not accept the suggestion of high stakes, nor didLorenzi insist. They resumed the game, therefore, much as on theprevious night, everyone taking a hand at first, and only moderate sumsbeing ventured. A quarter of an hour later, however, the stakes beganto rise, and ere long Lorenzi had lost his four hundred ducats to theMarchese.

  Casanova had no constancy either in luck or ill-luck. He won, lost, andwon again, in an almost ludicrously regular alternation.

  Lorenzi drew a breath of relief when his last gold piece had gonethe way of the others. Rising from the table, he said: "I thank you,gentlemen. This," he hesitated for a moment, "this will prove to havebeen my last game for a long time in your hospitable house. If you willallow me, Signor Olivo, I will take leave of the ladies beforeriding into town. I must reach Mantua ere nightfall in order to makepreparations for to-morrow."

  "Shameless liar," thought Casanova. "You will return here to-night, toMarcolina's arms!" Rage flamed up in him anew.

  "What!" exclaimed the Marchese maliciously. "The evening will not comefor hours. Is the game to stop so early? If you like, Lorenzi, mycoachman shall drive home with a message to the Marchesa to let her knowthat you will be late."

  "I am going to ride to Mantua," rejoined Lorenzi impatiently. TheMarchese, ignoring this statement, went on: "There is still plenty oftime. Put up some of your own money, if it be but a single gold piece."He dealt Lorenzi a card.

  "I have not a single gold piece left," said Lorenzi wearily.

  "Really?"

  "Not one," asserted Lorenzi, as if tired of the whole matter.

  "Never mind," said the Marchese, with a sudden assumption of amiabilitywhich was far from congenial. "I will trust you as far as ten ducatsgoes, or even for a larger sum if needs must."

  "All right, a ducat, then," said Lorenzi, taking up the card dealt tohim.

  The Marchese won. Lorenzi went on with the game, as if this were now amatter of course, and was soon in the Marchese's debt to the amount ofone hundred ducats.

  At this stage Casanova became banker, and had even better luck than theMarchese. There remained only three players. To-day the brothersRicardi stood aside without complaint. Olivo and the Abbate were merelyinterested onlookers.

  No one uttered a syllable. Only the cards spoke, and they spoke inunmistakable terms. By the hazard of fortune all the cash found its wayto Casanova. In an hour he had won two thousand ducats; he had won themfrom Lorenzi, though they came out of the pockets of the Marchese, whoat length sat there without a soldo.

  Casanova offered him whatever gold pieces he might need. The Marcheseshook his head. "Thanks," he said, "I have had enough. The game is overas far as I am concerned."

  From the garden came the laughing voices of the girls. Casanova heardTeresina's voice in particular, but he was sitting with his back tothe window and did not turn round. He tried once more to persuade theMarchese to resume the game--for the sake of Lorenzi, though he hardlyknew what moved him. The Marchese refused with a yet more decisiveheadshake.

  Lorenzi rose, saying: "I shall have the honor, Signor Marchese, ofhanding the amount I owe you to you personally, before noon to-morrow."

  The Marchese laughed drily. "I am curious to know how you will managethat, Lieutenant Lorenzi. There is not a soul, in Mantua or elsewhere,who would lend you as much as ten ducats, not to speak of two thousand,especially to-day. For to-morrow you will be on the march, and who cantell whether you will ever return?"

  "I give you my word of honor, Signor Marchese, that you shall have themoney at eight o'clock to-morrow morning."

  "Your word of honor," said the Marchese, "is not worth a single ducat tome, let alone two thousand."

  The others held their breath. Lorenzi, apparently unmoved, merelyanswered: "You will give me satisfaction, Signor Marchese."

  "With pleasure, Signor Lieutenant," rejoined the Marchese, "as soon asyou have paid your debt."

  Olivo, who was profoundly distressed, here intervened, stammeringslightly: "I stand surety for the amount, Signor Marchese. UnfortunatelyI have not sufficient ready money on the spot; but there is the house,the estate....." He closed the sentence with an awkward wave of thehand.

  "I refuse to accept your surety, for your own sake," said the Marchese."You would lose your money."

  Casanova saw that all eyes were turned towards the gold that lay onthe table before him. "What if I were to stand surety for Lorenzi," hethought. "What if I were to pay the debt for him? The Marchese could notrefuse my offer. I almost think I ought to do it. It was the Marchese'smoney."

  But he said not a word. He felt that a plan was taking shape hi hismind, and that above all he needed time in which he might become clearas to its details.

  "You shall have the money this evening, before nightfall," said Lorenzi."I shall be in Mantua in an hour."

  "Your horse may break its neck," replied the Marchese. "You too;intentionally, perhaps."

  "Anyhow," said the Abbate indignantly, "the Lieutenant cannot get themoney here by magic."

  The two Ricardis laughed; but instantly restrained their mirth.

  Olivo once more addressed the Marchese. "It is plain that you must grantLieutenant Lorenzi leave to depart."

  "Yes, if he gives me a pledge," exclaimed the Marchese with flashingeyes, as if this idea gave him peculiar delight.

  "That seems rather a good plan," said Casanova, a littleabsent-mindedly, for his scheme was ripening.

  Lorenzi drew a ring from his finger and flicked it across the table.

  The Marchese took it up, saying: "That is good for a thousand."

  "What about this one?" Lorenzi threw down another ring in front of theMarchese.

  The latter nodded, saying: "That is good for the same amount."

  "Are you satisfied now, Signor Marchese?" enquired Lorenzi, moving as ifto go.

  "I am satisfied," answered the Marchese, with an evil chuckle; "all themore, seeing that the rings are stolen."

  Lorenzi turned sharply, clenching his fist as if about to strike theMarchese. Olivo and the Abbate seized Lorenzi's arm.

  "I know both the stones, though they have been reset," said the Marchesewithout moving from his place. "Look, gentlemen, the emerald is slightlyflawed, or it would be worth ten time
s the amount. The ruby is flawless,but it is not a large one. Both the stones come from a set of jewelswhich I once gave my wife. And, since it is quite impossible for meto suppose that the Marchesa had them reset in rings for LieutenantLorenzi, it is obvious that they have been stolen--that the whole sethas been stolen. Well, well, the pledge suffices, Signor Lieutenant, forthe nonce."

  "Lorenzi!" cried Olivo, "we all give you our word that no one shall everhear a syllable from us about what has just happened."

  "And whatever Signor Lorenzi may have done," said Casanova, "you, SignorMarchese, are the greater rascal of the two."

  "I hope so," replied the Marchese. "When anyone is as old as weare, Chevalier de Seingalt, assuredly he should not need lessons inrascality. Good-evening, gentlemen."

  He rose to his feet. No one responded to his farewell, and he went out.

  For a space the silence was so intense, that once again the girls'laughter was heard from the garden, now seeming unduly loud.

  Who would have ventured to utter the word that was searing Lorenzi'ssoul, as he stood at the table with his arm still raised? Casanova, theonly one of the company who had remained seated, derived an involuntaryartistic pleasure from the contemplation of this fine, threateninggesture, meaningless now, but seemingly petrified, as if the young manhad been transformed into a statue.

  At length Olivo turned to him with a soothing air; the Ricardis, too,drew near; and the Abbate appeared to be working himself up for aspeech. But a sort of shiver passed over Lorenzi's frame. Automaticallybut insistently he silently indicated his rejection of any offers atintervention. Then, with a polite inclination of the head, he quietlyleft the room.

  Casanova, who had meanwhile wrapped up the money in a silken kerchief,instantly followed. Without looking at the others' faces, he could feelthat they were convinced it was his instant intention to do what theyhad all the while been expecting, namely, to place his winnings atLorenzi's disposal.