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had just transcribed on my MS. the anecdote told with such glee
by Machiavelli about Zanobi del Pino, a sort of Admiral Byng of
the early fifteenth century, who was locked up and given nothing
to eat but paper painted with snakes, so that he died, fasting,
in a few days. I had an apt epigram on the subject of
Renaissance humour trembling on my penpoint, when Miss Griggs
came in with her foolish gossip. I am sure the platitude I wrote
afterwards is not that original flash of wit.
Carlotta entered and crossed the room to the side of my writing
chair, her great dark eyes fixed on me, and her hands dutifully
behind her back. She looked a Greuze picture of innocence. I
believed less than ever in the enormity of the offence.
Do you know what you're here for? I asked, magisterially.
She nodded.
Then you _have_ been making love to the young man from the
grocer's?
She nodded again. I began to conceive a violent dislike to the
grocer's young man. It was one of the most humiliating
sensations I have experienced. I think I have seen the
individuala thickset, redheaded, freckled nondescript.
What did you do it for? I asked.
He wanted to make love to me, replied Carlotta.
He is a young scamp, said I.
What is a scamp? she asked sweetly.
I am not giving you a lesson in philology, I remarked. Do you
know that you have been behaving in a shocking manner?
Now you are cross with me.
Yes, I said, infernally angry.
And I was. I expected to see her burst into tears. She did
nothing of the kind; only looked at me with irritating
demureness. She wore a red blouse and a grey skirt, and the
audacious highheeled red slippers. I began to feel the return
of my early prejudice against her. Nobody so alluring could
possess a spark of virtue.
You ought to be ashamed of yourself, said I. I make many
allowances for your lack of knowledge of our Western customs, but
for a young lady to flirt with an ugly redheaded varlet of the
lower orders is reprehensible all the world over.
He gave me dates and dried fruits with sugar all over them,
said Carlotta.
Stolen from his employer, I said. I will have that young man
locked up in prison, and if you go on receiving his feloniously
obtained presents they will put you in prison too, and I shall be
delighted.
Carlotta maintained her demure expression and extracted from her
skirt pocket a very dirty piece of paper.
He writes poetryabout me, she remarked, handing me what I

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