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lottery still open?" I asked the Abbe Momolo.
"Till midnight," he replied, "and if you like I will go and get the
number for you."
"Here are fifty crowns," said I, "put twenty-five crowns on 27- this for
these five young ladies; and the other twenty-five on 27 coming out the
fifth number, and this I will keep for myself."

He went out directly and returned with the two tickets.
My pretty neighbour thanked me and said she was sure of winning, but
that she did not think I should succeed as it was not probable that 27
would come out fifth.
"I am sure of it," I answered, "for you are the fifth young lady I saw in
this house." This made everybody laugh. Momolo's wife told me I
would have done much better if I had given the money to the poor, but
her husband told her to be quiet, as she did not know my intent. My
brother laughed, and told me I had done a foolish thing. "I do,
sometimes," said I, "but we shall see how it turns out, and when one
plays one is obliged either to win or lose."
I managed to squeeze my fair neighbour's hand, and she returned the
pressure with all her strength. From that time I knew that my fate with
Mariuccia was sealed. I left them at midnight, begging the worthy
Momolo to ask me again in two days' time, that we might rejoice
together over our gains. On our way home my brother said I had either
become as rich as Croesus or had gone mad. I told him that both
suppositions were incorrect, but that Mariuccia was as handsome as an
angel, and he agreed.
Next day Mengs returned to Rome, and I supped with him and his
family. He had an exceedingly ugly sister, who for all that, was a good
and talented woman. She had fallen deeply in love with my brother,
and it was easy to see that the flame was not yet extinguished, but
whenever she spoke to him, which she did whenever she could get an
opportunity, he looked another way.
She was an exquisite painter of miniatures, and a capital hand at
catching a likeness. To the best of my belief she is still living at Rome
with Maroni her husband. She often used to speak of my brother to me,
and one day she said that he must be the most thankless of men or he
would not despise her so. I was not curious enough to enquire what
claim she had to his gratitude.
Mengs's wife was a good and pretty woman, attentive to her household

duties and very submissive to her husband, though she could not have
loved him, for he was anything but amiable. He was obstinate and
fierce in his manner, and when he dined at home he made a point of not
leaving the table before he was drunk; out of his own house he was
temperate to the extent of not drinking anything but water. His wife
carried her obedience so far as to serve as his model for all the nude
figures he painted. I spoke to her one day about this unpleasant
obligation, and she said that her confessor had charged her to fulfil it,
"for," said he, "if your husband has another woman for a model he will
be sure to enjoy her before painting her, and that sin would be laid to
your charge."
After supper, Winckelmann, who was as far gone as all the other male
guests, played with Mengs's children. There was nothing of the pedant
about this philosopher; he loved children and young people, and his
cheerful disposition made him delight in all kinds of enjoyment.
Next day, as I was going to pay my court to the Pope, I saw Momolo in
the first ante-chamber, and I took care to remind him of the polenta for
the evening.
As soon as the Pope saw me, he said,--
"The Venetian ambassador has informed us that if you wish to return to
your native land, you must go and present yourself before the secretary
of the Tribunal."
"Most Holy Father, I am quite ready to take this step, if Your Holiness
will grant me a letter of commendation written with your own hand.
Without this powerful protection I should never dream of exposing
myself to the risk of being again shut up in a place from which I
escaped by a miracle and the help of the Almighty."
"You are gaily dressed; you do not look as if you were going to
church."
"True, most Holy Father, but neither am I going to a ball."

"We have heard all about the presents being sent back. Confess that
you did so