"Leoni avoided trouble very skilfully by carrying off his fiancée from before my eyes, that is to say, a million francs in diamonds which she had upon her person. He concealed you and your jewels, I don't know where. Amid all the tears shed over his daughter's fate, your father shed a few for his beautiful gems so beautifully mounted. One day he artlessly observed in my presence that the thing that grieved him most in regard to the theft was that the diamonds would be sold for half their value to some Jew, and that the beautiful settings, with all their artistic workmanship, would be broken up and melted by the receiver, to avoid compromising himself. 'It was hardly worth while to do such work!' he said, weeping; 'it was hardly worth while to have a daughter and love her so dearly!' "It would seem that your father was right, for with the proceeds of his robbery Leoni found means to cut a swath at Venice for only three months. The palace of his fathers had been sold and was now to let. He hired it and replaced his name, so they say, on the cornice of the inner courtyard, not daring to place it over the main gateway. As he is actually known to be a swindler by very few people, his house became once more the rendezvous of many honorable men, who doubtless were fleeced there by his confederates. But it may be that his fear of being detected deterred him from joining them, for he was speedily ruined anew. He contented himself, I presume, with winking at the brigandage those villains committed in his house; he is at their mercy and would not dare to get rid of those whom he detests most bitterly. Now he is, as you know, the Princess Zagarolo's titular lover: that lady, who has been very beautiful, is now, faded and doomed to die very soon of a disease of the lungs. It is supposed that she will leave all her property to Leoni, who pretends to be violently in love with her, and whom she loves passionately. He is waiting for her to make her will. Then you will be rich, Juliette. He has probably told you so; have patience a little longer and you will take the princess's box at the play, you will drive in her carriages, on which you will simply change the bearings; you will embrace your lover in the magnificent bed in which she will have died, you will even wear her gowns and diamonds." It may be that the pitiless Henryet said more than this, but I heard no more; I fell to the ground in terrible convulsions. XVII When I came to myself, I was alone with Leoni. I was lying on a sofa. He was looking at me fondly and anxiously. "Dear heart," he said, when he saw that I was recovering the use of my faculties, "tell me what has happened! Why did I find you in such a terrible condition? Where are you in pain? What new grief have you had?" "None," I replied, and I spoke the truth, for at that moment I remembered nothing.