▁Cort ese ▁describes ▁how ▁he ▁is ▁sometimes ▁comp elled ▁to ▁tell ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁a ▁strange ▁encounter ▁he ▁had ▁with ▁a ▁myster ious ▁creature ▁many ▁years ▁before , ▁when ▁Gu ido ▁was ▁a ▁young ▁man ▁living ▁in ▁Gen oa , ▁Italy . ▁In ▁those ▁days , ▁Gu ido ▁says , ▁he ▁was ▁reck less ▁and ▁pro fl ig ate , ▁determined ▁to ▁live ▁a ▁life ▁of ▁pleasure , ▁especially ▁after ▁his ▁father ' s ▁death ▁left ▁him ▁the ▁master ▁of ▁his ▁family ▁fortune . ▁He ▁became ▁engaged ▁to ▁his ▁child hood ▁play mate ▁Jul iet , ▁the ▁beautiful ▁and ▁virt uous ▁daughter ▁of ▁his ▁father ' s ▁lif el ong ▁friend ▁Tor ella . ▁But ▁before ▁they ▁married , ▁Gu ido ▁journey ed ▁to ▁Paris , ▁where ▁he ▁squ ander ed ▁his ▁family ▁fortune . ▁Paris ▁was ▁a ▁place ▁of ▁diss ip ation ▁at ▁this ▁time , ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Charles ▁VI , ▁but ▁the ▁political ▁tur mo il ▁that ▁followed ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁Orleans ▁changed ▁this . ▁Gu ido ▁returned ▁to ▁Gen oa , ▁to ▁Tor ella ' s ▁house ▁and ▁to ▁Jul iet , ▁but ▁Tor ella ▁told ▁him ▁that ▁by ▁squ and ering ▁his ▁family ▁fortune , ▁Gu ido ▁had ▁void ed ▁the ▁contract ▁of ▁marriage . ▁Tor ella , ▁who ▁viewed ▁Gu ido ▁as ▁a ▁son , ▁offered ▁to ▁sett le ▁a ▁fortune ▁on ▁him ▁on ▁the ▁condition ▁that ▁he ▁ad here ▁to ▁certain ▁restrictions . ▁Gu ido ▁refused ▁to ▁be ▁controlled ▁in ▁this ▁way