156 Byron's Memoirs. [[FEB. 



men, and bid them get the gondola ready, and conduct her to her own house 

 again, seeing carefully that she did herself no mischief by the way. She 

 seemed quite quiet, and walked down stairs. I resumed my dinner. 



" We heard a great noise, and went out, and met them on the staircase car- 

 rying her up stairs. She had thrown herself into the canal. That she intended 

 to destroy herself I do not believe; but when we consider the fear women 

 and men, who cannot swim, have of deep or even of shallow water (and the 

 Venetians in particular, though they live on the waves), and that it was also 

 night, and dart and very cold, it shows that she had a devilish spirit of some 

 sort within her. They had got her out without much difficulty or damage, 

 except the salt water she had drank, and the wetting she had undergone. 



" I foresaw her intention to refix herself, and sent for a surgeon ; inquiring 

 how many hours it would require to restore her from her agitation, he named 

 the time. I then said, ' I give you that time, arid more if you require it ; but 

 at the expiration of this prescribed period, if she does not leave the house / 

 will.' 



" All my people were consternated. They had always been frightened at 

 her, and now were paralysed. They wanted me to apply to the police, to 

 guard myself, &c. &c. like a pack of snivelling, servile boobies as they were. 

 I did nothing of the kind, thinking that I might end that way as well as ano- 

 ther ; besides J had been used to deal with savage women, and knew their 

 ways. 



" I had her sent home quietly after her recovery ; and never saw her since, 

 except twice at the Opera, at a distance among the audience. She made 

 many attempts to return, but no more violent ones. And this is the story of 

 Margarita Cogni, as relates to me. 



" I forgot to mention that she was very devout, and would cross herself, if 

 she heard the prayer-time strike. * * * * 



" She was quick in reply, as for no instance ; one day, when she had made 

 me very angry with beating somebody or other, I called her a cow. (Cow in 

 Italian, is a sad affront). She turned round, curtseyed, and answered, ' Vacca 

 tua, excellenza.' (Your cow, please your excellency.) In short, she was, as 

 I said before, a very fine animal, of considerable beauty and energy, with 

 many good and several amusing qualities, but wild as a witch, and fierce as 

 a demon." 



This style of life, cheap as such living may be in the land of blue 

 skies and Margaritas, appears to have involved his lordship in pecuniary 

 difficulties, and he duns with great vigour. He writes to Murray : 



" I must trouble you to pay into my banker's immediately whatever sum, or 

 sums, you can make it convenient to do on our agreement, otherwise I shall 

 be put to the severest and most immediate inconvenience ; and this at a time 

 when, by every rational prospect, I ought to be in the receipt of considerable 

 sums. Pray do not neglect this. You have no idea to what inconvenience 

 you will otherwise put me." 



Another of his embarrassments was his quarrel with Southey, whom 

 he seems to have determined to exterminate, not only by the pen, but 

 by the pistol. Douglas Kinnaird was to be his second 



" I have written to request Mr. Kinnaird, when the foam of his politics is 



wiped away, to extract a positive answer from that , and not to keep 



me in a state of suspense upon the subject. I hope that Kinnaird, who has 

 my power of attorney, keeps a look-out upon the gentleman, which is the 

 more necessary, as 1 have a great dislike to the idea of coming over to look 

 after him myself." 



tn this passage the name is not mentioned, we allow ; but the same 

 request had been made before, openly relating to the doctor, and with 

 Kinnaird appointed for the second, as " knowing in matters of the 

 duello." Poor Kinnaird's own fate was a melancholy illustration of that 



