Volume I Part 11 (2/2)
”Yes, and to please you we ht to be in love with you Tell me, beautiful Nanette, if I were as ela, would you follow her example and make me unhappy?”
”How can you ask such a question? It is worthy of a conceited man All I can answer is, that I do not knohat I would do”
They laid the cloth, brought so all the while, and then ent to work The wine, to which they were not accustohtful I wondered, as I looked at theh not to see their merit
After our supper, which was delicious, I sat between the them whether they were truly ela's conduct towards me
They both answered that it had made them shed many tears ”Then let s of a brother, and share those feelings yourselves as if you were e, in all innocence, proofs of our mutual affection, and swear to each other an eternal fidelity”
The first kiss I gave them was prompted by entirely harmless motives, and they returned the kiss, as they assured me a few days afterwards only to prove to s; but those innocent kisses, as we repeated them, very soon became ardent ones, and kindled a flame which certainly took us by surprise, for we stopped, as by co at each other very much astonished and rather serious They both left hts Indeed, it was natural that the burning kisses I had given and received should have sent through me the fire of passion, and that I should suddenly have fallen madly in love with the two aela, and they were superior to her--Nanette by her char wit, Marton by her sweet and si in rendering thehters of a noble faht not to prove a calah to suppose that they loved h admit that my kisses had influenced them in the sa this to be the case, it was evident that, with a little cunning on norant, I could easily, during the long night I was going to spend with theht be very positive The very thought made me shudder, and I fir that circu for me
When they returned, I read upon their countenances perfect security and satisfaction, and I quickly put on the same appearance, with a full deterer of their kisses
For one hour we spoke of Angela, and I expressed ain, as I had every proof that she did not care for me
”She loves you,” said the artless Marton; ”I know she does, but if you do not ive up all intercourse with her, for she is quite deter as you are not her acknowledged suitor You ether, or ”
”You argue very well, but how do you know that she loves me?”
”I am quite sure of it, and as you have promised to be our brother, I can tell you why I have that conviction When Angela is in bed with ly and calls me her dear abbe”
The words were scarcely spoken when Nanette, laughing heartily, placed her hand on her sister's lips, but the innocent confession had such an effect upon me that I could hardly control myself
Marton told Nanette that I could not possibly be ignorant of what takes place between young girls sleeping together
”There is no doubt,” I said, ”that everybody knows those trifles, and I do not think, dear Nanette, that you ought to reproach your sister with indiscretion for her friendly confidence”
”It cannot be helped now, but such things ought not to be ela knew it!”
”She would be vexed, of course; but Marton has given et But it is all over; I hate Angela, and I do not mean to speak to her any more! she is false, and she wishesto think of having you for her husband?”
”Granted that she is not; but she thinks only of her own self, for she knohat I suffer, and her conduct would be very different if she loved ination, she finds theMarton who kindly perforhed louder, but I kept very serious, and I went on talking to her sister, and praising her sincerity I said that very likely, and to reciprocate her kindness, Angela must likewise have been her husband, but she answered, with a sela played husband only to Nanette, and Nanette could not deny it
”But,” said I, ”what naive to her husband?”
”nobody knows”
”Do you love anyone, Nanette?”
”I do; but my secret is my own”