Page:In Spite of Epilepsy, Woods, 1913.djvu/247

 In Spite of Epilepsy - The Countess Guiccioli.jpg THE COUNTESS GUICCIOLI The Countess Teresa Gamba Guiccioli, lent by her husband to Lord Byron during his residence in Italy. This thrifty nobleman even rented to the pair sumptuous apartments in his palace. During the time of their living together in Byron's villa at La Mira, outside of Venice, the Count wrote a letter to his young wife asking her to try to persuade Byron to lend him 1,000 pounds at 5 per cent. Instead of thirsting for the blood of his wife's betrayer—some say Byron was not the tempter—he only longed for a little of the Englishman's money. Finally the husband mustered up courage enough to run away with his own wife, to Byron's great delight. Her book about Byron extols him as a combination of saint and demigod.

Facing p. 230.