At length it was agreed that, to overcome the
difficulty, it should be given out that the celebrated Tartaglia of
Rimini would present himself at Pianura with his company of comedians,
among whom was the popular favourite, Mirandolino of Chioggia, twin
brother of the Signorina Miranda Malmocco, and trained by that actress
to play in all her principal parts.
This satisfied the scruples and interests of all concerned, and soon
afterward I made my first appearance in Pianura. My success was greater
than we had foreseen; for I threw myself into the part with such zest
that every one was taken in, and even Don Serafino required the most
categorical demonstration to convince him that I was not my own brother.
The illusion I produced was, however, not without its inconveniences;
for, among the ladies who thronged to see the young Mirandolino, were
several who desired a closer acquaintance with him; and one of these, as
it happened, was the Duke's mistress, the Countess Belverde. You will
see the embarrassment of my situation. If I failed to respond to her
advances, her influence was sufficient to drive us from the town at the
opening of a prosperous season; if I discovered my sex to her, she might
more cruelly avenge herself by throwing the whole company into prison,
to be dealt with by the Holy Office. Under these circumstances, I
decided to appeal to the Bishop, but without, of course, revealing to
him that I was, so to speak, my own sister. His lordship, who is never
sorry to do the Belverde a bad turn, received me with the utmost
indulgence, and declared that, to protect my innocence from the designs
of this new Potiphar's wife, he would not only give me a lodging in the
Episcopal palace, but confer on me the additional protection of the
minor orders.
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