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you earnestly advised me to keep one-half of my fortune to myself, and not give him every thing to my last shift {sJ7io all’ultima camicia), as I had written him at Milan that I would do. — Oh, Johnson! the woman that uttered these magnanimous words was actually thy noble mistress! — But, madam, — repHed Mecci, — have you forgotten what kind of distress made me write the first letter? And have you forgotten, too, that, before my setting out, you strictly charged me to give you some good advice, if ever I should see occasion? And did you not moreover write to me, that, according to my desire, mr. Piozzi should never see those two letters, and that you had burned them both? — Ali this is very true, — said the good woman; — but, for ali that, I kept them both, and mr. Piozzi shall see them both as soon as I return up-stairs, as my first duty is now to be faithful to him; and so, fare you well again; — and up-stairs she ran to shew the letters.
Let US make an end of this stricture, lest it prove too prolix. The guileless, but penniless, Mecci carne back to London by the help of the two guineas. On his return from Italy, he had carefully concealed himself from me, lest I should worm him out of his doings during his absence; though count Francis Carcano of Milan had long before apprised me of his being there along with Piozzi, who in the days of yore, had been singing-master to his three sisters; but poor Mecci was now in distress; and, well acquainted with my easy and forgiving temper, repaired to me as soon as landed from Bath and related to me his whole story from end to end. Somebody had already advised him to have recourse in this extremity to the same lawyer who had drawn up the deed of mrs. Piozzi’s settlement, and I approved of that measure. Mecci carried to mr. Greenland the letters which madam had written to him at Milan, wherein, luckily for the poor man, she repeatedly inculcated the necessity of his being faithful to her, and watch that Piozzi got no sweetheart, as she had granted him the annuity of fifty pounds. mr. Greenland was shocked at the cruel and frivolous pretence taken to bilk Mecci of his well-earned annuity, put the lady’s
