you will be here like a queen, and he will give you another apartment with a fine garden, and many young ladies shall come to visit you. So I advise you to send a civil answer to him, and desire a visit from him, or else you will soon begin to repent yourself.’ ‘O dear me!’ said I, ‘must I abandon my honour without any remedy? If I oppose his desire, he will obtain it by force;’ and, full of confusion, I bid Mary to give him what answer she thought fit. She was very glad of my humble submission, and went to give Don Francisco my answer. She came back, in a few minutes after, all overjoyed to tell me that his lordship would honour me with his company at supper, and that he could not come sooner on account of business that called him abroad; but, in the meantime, he desired me to divert myself, and to give Mary my measure for a suit of new clothes, and order her to bring me everything that I could wish for. Mary added to this, ‘Madam, I may now call you _my mistress_; and must tell you, that I have been in the Holy Office these fourteen years, and I know the customs of it very well; but because silence is imposed upon me under pain of death, I cannot tell you anything but what concerns your person. So, in the _first_ place, do not oppose the holy father’s will and pleasure; _secondly_, if you see some young ladies here, never ask them the occasion of their being here, nor anything of their business; neither will they ask you anything of this nature; and take care not to tell them anything of your being here. You may come and divert yourself with them, at such hours as are appointed; you shall have music and all sorts of recreations. Three days hence you shall dine with them; they are all ladies of quality, young and merry, and this is the best of lives. You will not long for going abroad, you will be so well diverted at home; and when your time is expired, then the holy fathers will marry you to some nobleman. Never mention the name of Don Francisco, nor your name, to any one. If you see here some young ladies of your acquaintance in the city, they will never take notice of your formerly knowing each other, though they will talk with you of indifferent matters; so take care not to speak anything of your family.’