He loved Latin poetry even better than Italian, and Horace, whom I knew by heart, was his favourite poet.

After dinner, we repaired to his study, and he handed me one hundred Roman crowns, and Don Antonio's present, and assured me that I would be most welcome whenever I would call to take a cup of chocolate with him.
After I had taken leave of Don Gaspar, I proceeded towards the Minerva, for I longed to enjoy the surprise of my dear Lucrezia and of her sister; I inquired for Donna Cecilia Monti, their mother, and I saw, to my great astonishment, a young widow who looked like the sister of her two charming daughters.

There was no need for me to give her my name; I had been announced, and she expected me.

Her daughters soon came in, and their greeting caused me some amusement, for I did not appear to them to be the same individual.

Donna Lucrezia presented me to her youngest sister, only eleven years of age, and to her brother, an abbe of fifteen, of charming appearance.