Besides, I knew the extent of her cleverness, and it was very natural to lend her a wish to deceive me; how could I help thinking that her visit to me was prompted only by her self-love being too deeply wounded to let me enjoy a victory so humiliating to herself?
Therefore, unshaken in my preconceived opinion, I told her that I placed implicit confidence in all she had just said respecting the state of her heart previous to the playful nonsense which had been the origin of my love for her, and that I promised never in the future to allude again to my accusation of seduction.

"But," I continued, "confess that the fire at that time burning in your bosom was only of short duration, and that the slightest breath of wind had been enough to extinguish it.

Your virtue, which went astray for only one instant, and which has so suddenly recovered its mastery over your senses, deserves some praise.

You, with all your deep adoring love for me, became all at once blind to my sorrow, whatever care I took to make it clear to your sight.

It remains for me to learn how that virtue could be so very dear to you, at the very time that Cordiani took care to wreck it every night." Bettina eyed me with the air of triumph which perfect confidence in victory gives to a person, and said: "You have just reached the point where I wished you to be.