But among this crowd of cold-blooded critics, it was pleasant to hear of
one or two pursy old fellows who railed at me for winning the affections
of a sweet Italian girl, and then leaving her to pine in discontent! Yet
in the face of this, an old companion of mine in Rome, with whom I
accidentally met the other day, wondered how on earth I could have made
so tempting a story out of the matronly and black-haired spinster with
whom I happened to be quartered in the Eternal City!
I shall leave my critics to settle such differences between themselves;
and consider it far better to bear with slanders from both sides of the
house, than to bewray the pretty tenderness of the pursy old gentlemen,
or to cast a doubt upon the practical testimony of my quondam companion.
Both give me high and judicious compliment,--all the more grateful
because only half deserved. For I never yet was conscious--alas, that
the confession should be forced from me!--of winning the heart of any
maiden, whether native or Italian; and as for such delicacy of
imagination as to work up a lovely damsel out of the withered remnant
that forty odd years of Italian life can spare, I can assure my
middle-aged friends, (and it may serve as a _caveat_,) I can lay no
claim to it whatever.
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