408 grimaldl 



gether, he procured a magnificent houfe and a couple 

 of eftates, and made over the reft of his money to a mer- 

 chant at ten per cent. 



He now kept two footmen, two maid fervants, and, 

 according to the prevailing mode of the times, two 

 faddle horfes, one for himfelf, and the other for his wife. 

 In this manner they enjoyed the pleafure of knowing 

 themfelves to be rich ; a pleafure that is far more fenfi- 

 bly felt by fuch as have formerly been in want. Va- 

 lentina, who was now a woman of too much confidera* 

 tion to look after the affairs of the houfe herfelf, took 

 home to her, with the approbation of her hulband, an 

 old and very ugly relation, with her young and beau- 

 tiful daughter. 



For living to the top of the grand fryle (probably it 

 was then the fafhion at Pifa, as it is now with us in ca- 

 pital towns) Fazio refolved to keep a miftrefs. Fie 

 call his eyes on the daughter of the aged relation, who, 

 as was faid above, was extremely handfome. She was 

 called Adelaide, and was in the age of love and co- 

 quetry, either of which alone is fufficient to lead a 

 man into folly. Adelaide lent a very willing ear to 

 the overtures made by Fazio, and foon entered into fo 

 intimate a correfpondence with him, as to occafion a 

 difagreement with his wife. But ere Valentina had 

 time to penetrate the fecret, or to convince herfelf of 

 her hufband's infidelity, Fazio had already fpent a con- 

 fiderable fum of money on his dear Adelaide. 



Valentina was jealous of her rights to the laft punc- 

 tilio, and it grieved her much to fee herfelf under the 

 authority of an ufurper. Difcord broke in upon their 

 conjugal union. Valentina, according to the ordinary 



courfe 



