Everything succeeded to my wish: I had obtained, almost forced,
the esteem of all; the trial was over, and I was universally
considered as a young man with flattering prospects, who was not at
present in his proper sphere, but was expected soon to reach it; but
my place was not assigned me by man, and I was to reach it by very
different paths. I now come to one of those characteristic traits,
which are so natural to me, and which, indeed, the reader, might
have observed without this reflection.
There were at Turin several new converts of my own stamp, whom I
neither liked nor wished to see; but I had met with some Genevese
who were not of this description, and among others, a M. Mussard,
nicknamed Wryneck, a miniature painter, and a distant relation. This
M. Mussard, having learned my situation at the Count de Gauvon's, came
to see me, with another Genevese, named Bacle, who had been my comrade
during my apprenticeship. This Bacle was a very sprightly, amusing
young fellow, full of lively sallies, which at his time of life
appeared extremely agreeable. At once, then, behold me delighted
with M. Bacle; charmed to such a degree, that I found it impossible to
quit him. He was shortly to depart for Geneva; what a loss had I to
sustain! I felt the whole force of it, and resolving to make the
best use of this precious interval, I determined not to leave him, or,
rather, he never quitted me, for my head was not yet sufficiently
turned to think of quitting the house without leave; but it was soon
perceived that he engrossed my whole time, and he was accordingly
forbid the house.
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