I had carefully taken the spur away it was not known to what order I
belonged. Those who might be curious did not dare to ask me, for one can
no more enquire of a knight what order he belongs to, than one can say to
a lady how old are you? I wore it till 1785, when the Prince Palatine of
Russia told me in private that I would do well to get rid of the thing.

"It only serves to dazzle fools," said he, "and here you have none such
to deal with."

I followed his advice, for he was a man of profound intelligence.
Nevertheless, he removed the corner-stone of the kingdom of Poland. He
ruined it by the same means by which he had made it greater.

The old man to whom Barbaro presented me was a marquis. He told me that
he knew Venice, and as I was not a patrician I could live as pleasantly
anywhere else. He told me to consider his house and all he possessed as
mine.

The two young marchionesses had enchanted me; they were almost ideal
beauties. I longed to enquire about them of some good authority, for I
did not put much faith in Barbaro.

In half an hour the visitors commenced to come on foot and in carriages.
Among the arrivals were several pretty and well-dressed girls, and
numerous smart young men all vying with each other in their eagerness to
pay court to the two cousins. There were twenty of us in all. We sat
round a large table, and began to play a game called bankruptcy. After
amusing myself for a couple of hours in losing sequins, I went out with
Barbaro to the opera.