In the berlin was his mother, who offered me the welcome given to an expected friend.

His mother was the celebrated actress Silvia, and when I had been introduced to her she said to me; "I hope, sir, that my son's friend will accept a share of our family supper this evening." I accepted gratefully, sat down again in the gondola, Baletti got into the berlin with his mother, and we continued our journey.
On reaching Paris, I found a servant of Silvia's waiting for me with a coach; he accompanied me to my lodging to leave my luggage, and we repaired to Baletti's house, which was only fifty yards distant from my dwelling.
Baletti presented me to his father, who was known under the name of Mario.

Silvia and Mario were the stage names assumed by M.and Madame Baletti, and at that time it was the custom in France to call the Italian actors by the names they had on the stage.

'Bon jour', Monsieur Arlequin; 'bon jour', Monsieur Pantalon: such was the manner in which the French used to address the actors who personified those characters on the stage..