This Advice Seemed To Him Too Reasonable Not To Be
Complied With:
He went directly to that magistrate, and while the lover
was speaking to him, officers came in to seize both him and Louisa, and
carry them before the podestat.
Monsieur du Plessis was very much surprized and vexed at this
interruption, and the more so, as he feared it would terrify Louisa to a
greater degree than the nature of the thing required; but in this he did
injury to her courage: when she was called up and informed of the
business, she surrendered herself with all the dauntlessness of
innocence to the officers, and suffered them to conduct her, with du
Plessis, to the house of the podestat.
Both of them flattered themselves with the belief, that when he should
come to hear the story, they would be immediately discharged; but he
happened to be one of those who are over wary in the execution of their
office; and he only told them, that what they said might be true, but he
was not to take things on the bare word of the parties themselves; and
that therefore they must be confined till either the person who claimed
the woman for his wife, should bring proofs she was so, or she should be
able to make out he had no right over her.
That is easy for me to do, said Louisa; I am only concerned that this
gentleman, meaning du Plessis, should be detained on an account he has
no manner of interest in.
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