before he surprises us here. Your visit has been a trifle too long, I'm afraid.
Choisy agreed to go, but not before having obtained her promise that she would let him know when the next opportunity would take place.
He reflected that he was glad of Mrs. de Monprofit's favours because she was the recipient of many rumours and he did not forget the mission he had received from the Cardinal of Bouillon.
Besides, the hour he had so pleasantly passed with her had the gift of appeasing his taut nerves and now he felt clear-headed and ready for any intellectual problem.
As he was sitting with his eyes shut sometime later, the better to think about Rose, he was rudely awakened from his reverie by the old Cardinal of Retz who told him in a friendly tone:
— Are you asleep?
— No, Your Eminence, I was just shutting my eyes the better to listen.
The Cardinal of Retz had left temporarily his retreat which had been imposed upon him by Louis XlV's rancour, to take place in the Conclave as his dignity commanded him.
— It's a good recruit you've got here, the Cardinal of Retz said with a grin to his neighbour the Cardinal of Bouillon, alluding to Choisy.
— Yes, he's quite a favourite with the ladies, and that is often useful, said the Cardinal of Bouillon.
— Ad angusta per angusta, Retz said in Latin, with a grin.
Choisy couldn't help risking the pun:
— Per angusta!.. That poor d'Haucourt would find himself in a very narrow strait.
Retz guessed from Choisy's features that his thoughts were far from the election of the new Pope.
— What makes you smile, he asked, the merits of the “papabile”?
— No, Eminence, I'm sorry I wasn't thinking of the Pope-to-be, I'm afraid my thoughts were rather profane. Anyway, I don't take part in the votes.
— Profane thoughts in this place! Well, let's hear about them-they might be interesting.
Choisy complied.
— A lady whom I met yesterday told me a story that happened in Paris and which is rather daring, so that I really don't know if here — Go ahead! ordered Retz.
So Choisy told the story of Mrs. de Sancy, d'Haucourt and Zoe, and it had a huge success.
— And now, let's go and eat, said the venerable
Cardinal of Retz, we've done some good work.
And, into the ear of the Cardinal of Bouillon, he whispered:
— That little abbot will go far.
— He's already been far! Bouillon grinned.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Mr. de Montprofit did not seem to have discovered his wife's affair with Choisy, but Mrs. de Montprofit kept Choisy waiting. She had promised him she would let him know when he could come again to her house, but he waited in vain. One evening he met her in the salon of the signora Uppa, who was the widow of a high dignitary of the Vatican, and therefore very influential, that is why Choisy had been sent there by the Cardinal of Bouillon to collect useful information.
The signora Uppa greeted Choisy warmly, for she had travelled a lot herself and travellers were always welcome, particularly foreigners. She had even adopted the French name Lydie instead of her real name Lydia, and her guests often called her “Lady” Uppa for fun-a bad pun on her name. But she didn't take offence-which reminds us of the joke: what's the difference between a woman and a horse? Well, a horse, if you give him a fence he takes a jump, and a woman, if you give her the jump she takes offence.
— My husband heard that you had come to our house one morning, Mrs. de Montprofit told Choisy, but his suspicions were not aroused because I assured him that your visit was an obligation, a duty ordered by your Cardinal. But don't do it again!
— Yet, I feel very much like doing it again, Choisy confessed.
— Well, my dear, go on feeling like it, she answered, but, really, if you opened your eyes, you would see that you have a real seraglio here-you can pick and choose among all the beauties assembled here.
— We're not in Venice here, said Choisy.
— So you think the Roman girls are less warm than the Venetians or girls from other provinces of Italy?
— You see, the vicinity of the Vatican — There are priests galore to administrate the remission of sins.
— And our hostess? queried Choisy.
— She's a Neapolitan, which is still better-she would devour a man alive.
Choisy turned his head towards the woman in question, Lydie Uppa and observed her attentively. She was the incarnation of the lasciviousness of her native town, with her mat complexion, her jetblack eyes and her greedy mouth. Under her ample dress one could guess a voluptuous body and Choisy sensed that she was rarin' to give that body the sensual pleasure which had long been denied to it. But she had to keep, both in her attitude and in her talk, a reserve that was imposed on her by her rank and her widowhood.
The problem was how to get near her and talk to her. But that was solved easily when she herself came to Choisy to remove an empty cup from his hands and offer him another.
— I adore this beautiful kingdom of France, she told him, as well as everything coming from it.
She had spoken in French and in an accent that made her declaration like a passionate confession. But Choisy was no dupe, for he was familiar enough with Italy by now to know that the Italians have a tendency to exaggerate their gestures and statements and one must not put too much faith in them. Indeed, a few moments later, he heard her talk in the same tones to another guest. However, when he took his leave, the signora told him:
— They say that Versailles is a marvel. You must come and describe Versailles to me.
And she added:
— Before the other guests arrive.
Choisy, bowing, answered that it would be a pleasure.
On the way out, he came upon Rose de Montprofit who had observed the scene and told him:
— Well, Abbot, I see you've made progress.
— The signora Uppa is exquisitely courteous, Choisy said.
— Didn't I tell you?
Choisy noticed the somewhat cool tone in which Mrs. de Montprofit made her remark, and wondered if by any chance she would not be jealous. He concluded that the more attentionate he would be towards the signora Uppa, the more chances he would have of overcoming the scruples of the former dancer, who was more than ever desirable — like a dish that one relishes still more at the second helping.
But he let her simmer in her juice, knowing full well that in spite of her apprehension, she wanted very much to confide her warm senses to Choisy's skill and passion. And it was easy for him to lie low for a while for now all the cardinals were present in Rome and the Conclave was about to open, so that he was busier than ever.
He was present, of course, at the great reception given by one of the most prominent personalities of Rome, where the high prelates mixed with the ladies from the cream of society. Also there: Rose de Montprofit and her husband, and Lydie Uppa, both held in high esteem by the ecclesiastical dignitaries.
First, he bowed discreetly to signora Uppa, who was occupied with other guests, then he came near Rose de Montprofit.
— What are the latest previsions? he asked her.
— You should ask Lydie Uppa-she knows better than I do.
— They say it will be a long choice for there is some hard competition.
— That will give you more time to… amuse yourself.
Women have a way of speaking and looking at men that Choisy knew by heart, and this time there was no
