"It is a thousand wonders to me that a man of spirit and talent should have dared unjustly to boast of such things against an honest girl, which might make her lose the esteem which all profess for her, not to say the love of a respectable husband and her peace and tranquillity in the arms of her family and her daughter. "I am immeasurably indignant with this author for exposing me in this way in a public book and for taking so great a liberty as to mention my name every moment. "And yet he took care to put the name of Tremerello in place of that of Mandricardo, which is the name of him who so well carried his messages. And this one I could have made known to him for certain, because I knew how unfaithful he was to him and how much interested: for the sake of eating and drinking, he would have sacrificed any-body; he was perfidious towards all those who, to their misfortune, came to him poor and were unable to make him eat as much as he liked: he treated those unfortunates worse than beasts. But, when I saw him, I reproached him and told my father, my heart not being able to endure such treatment of my fellow-creatures. He was good only to those who gave him _una buona mancia_[230] and gave him plenty to eat: Heaven forgive him! But he will have to account for his evil actions towards his fellow-creatures and for the hatred which he bore me because of the remonstrances which I made him. For so wicked a man Silvio showed a regard, and for me, who did not deserve to be exposed, he did not show the slightest regard. "But I shall surely know where to go to find real justice, for I will not, nor do I intend to be mentioned in public. "I am happy in the arms of a husband who loves me so well and who is truly and virtuously repaid, well-knowing not only my conduct but my sentiments: and then, because of a man who thinks fit to exploit me in the interest of his ill-founded writings, which are full of falsehoods...! "Silvio will forgive my anger: but he must surely have expected it when I came clearly to realize his conduct towards me. "This is the reward for all that my family has done, having treated him with the humanity which every creature deserves that has fallen into such misfortune, and not having treated him according to orders. "I however take oath that all that has been said in respect of me is false. Perhaps Silvio was misinformed about me; but he cannot say such things, which are untrue, in order to tell the truth, but only to have a stronger motive on which to base his novel.