Accordingly the banker came to visit me at the hotel; I expected him, and I took care to set out in my room all my jewels, which had a great effect upon him. He was especially struck with my gold chain, the workmanship of which he praised much, and offered to sell it for me at a third more than it cost; I took him at his word and let him have it, as I had done with the diamonds, without a note. His joy was extreme; he made me a thousand protestations of friendship, and beginning already to act the part of a father-in-law, gave me advice how to put out my ready money to the best advantage. A few days after, he brought me the sum he had promised me for my gold chain. This increased the confidence I had placed in him, and induced me to acknowledge his trouble by a present suitable for a young lady, which I sent to his daughter, after he had granted me leave to do so. This present having been received favourably, made me bold enough to discover my passion after the custom of the country, that is to say by signs and looks, and it seemed she did not disapprove of it. As for the father, whom I saw every day, I talked with him of nothing else but trade and business, waiting for the first good opportunity to declare my sentiments. This new amour cooled me very much with respect to my last intrigue. My neighbours perceived but too well the alteration, for there was an end to feasts and presents. I seldom stopped at home, and when I returned in the evening I went directly to bed, or when I could not avoid the conversation of the ladies, it was so cold, that they soon guessed I had shaken off their yoke. Helena, finding that her kindness to me, far from increasing my ardour, had diminished it, shed tears out of spite. She held a grand consultation with her mother and the hostess, on my change, which they did not fail to attribute to some new intrigue; they resolved to try my generosity, and if they had no occasion to be satisfied with me, to have recourse to some of their tricks to be avenged for my inconstancy. An opportunity soon offered for the execution of their design. Two young lords who had plenty of ready money came to live at the hotel; they asked me to play with them, and at two or three sittings I won two hundred and fifty pistoles of them. The ladies were no sooner informed of this, than they prevailed upon me to take a walk with them, which I could not refuse, and in coming back we passed before a shop where they sold silks and gold stuffs. Our landlady, who was with us, was very anxious that I should go in and buy a new gown for Donna Helena, saying that I had won enough to make her that little present. I suffered the hostess to talk as much as she pleased, and laughing at her entreaties, I baffled the expectation of the ladies, who fully expected to have completely drained my purse. This last action sufficiently convinced them that I was no longer in their snares.