Volume I Part 35 (2/2)
”I aer than my sister”
”Perhaps you have a lover”
”Oh! no”
”Very well, we can try this evening”
”Good! Then I will tell ; otherwise everybody here would know that I slept with you”
I could not help ad the fruits of a theatrical education, and was ether, and we took our walk towards the harbour There were several vessels at anchor, and ast them a Venetian shi+p and a Turkish tartan We went on board the first which we visited with interest, but not seeing anyone of my acquaintance, ed towards the Turkish tartan, where the most romantic surprise awaited me The first person I met on board was the beautiful Greek woman I had left in Ancona, seven months before, when I went away from the lazzaretto She was seated near the old captain, of who to notice his handsooods to sell He took us to his cabin, but as I cast a glance towards the charht at such an unexpected oods shewn by the Turk, and under the ily buy so pretty which would take the fancy of his better-half He s whispered a feords to hiht, this new Aspasia threw herself in , ”Now is your ti the most convenient position in such a place, I did to her in one instant that which her old oal ofher h, and placing herself cunningly in front of ht have cost me my life, or at least all I possessed to cohly a like an aspen leaf
The trifles chosen by the handsome slave cost me only thirty sequins
'Spolaitis', she said to ht to kiss me, she covered her face with her hands, and ran away I left the shi+p retted that, in spite of her courage, she should have enjoyed only an incomplete pleasure As soon as ere in our row boat, Bellino, who had recovered froht, told me that I had just made him acquainted with a phenoave hie idea of irl was concerned, he could not make her out, unless I should assure him that every woman in her country was like her ”How unhappy they must be!” he added
”Do you think,” I asked, ”that coquettes are happier?”
”No, but I think that when a woman yields to love, she should not be conquered before she has fought with her own desires; she should not give way to the first impulse of a lustful desire and abandon herself to the first man who takes her fancy, like an animal--the slave of sense
You iven you an evident proof that you had taken her fancy, but that she has at the saiven you a proof not less certain of her beastly lust, and of an effrontery which exposed her to the sha repulsed, for she could not possibly knohether you would feel as well disposed for her as she felt for you She is very handsome, and it all turned out well, but the adventure has thrown itation which I cannot yet control”
I ht easily have put a stop to Bellino's perplexity, and rectified theunder; but such a confession would not have ministered to my self-love, and I held irl, as I suspected, I wanted her to be convinced that I attached, after all, but very little ireat affair, and that it was not worth while e expedients to obtain it
We returned to the inn, and, towards evening, hearing Don Sancio's travelling carriage roll into the yard, I hastened to meet him, and told him that I hoped he would excuse me if I had felt certain that he would not refuse me the honour of his company to supper with Bellino He thankedhim, and accepted my invitation
The most exquisite dishes, theelse, the cheerfulness and the charave the Castilian five delightful hours He leftthat he could not declare hihly pleased unless I prouests It would compel me to postpone my departure for another day, but I accepted
As soon as Don Sancio had gone, I called upon Bellino to fulfil his pro foraway the next day, he would find an opportunity of satisfying ht, he left the room
Marinetta, as cheerful as a lark, ran to lock the door and ca with ardour She was er, and see that the fatigue of the preceding night th, she unfolded all the ath all she knew of the greatto enact with me, and of all the contrivances she had had recourse to in order to acquire her ie, the whole interlarded with the foolish talk natural to her age Iher aher about it Her anxiety pleasedher that nature had refused to irls what is called irl for such a reason
My science gave her courage and confidence, and I was coe that she was very superior to her sister
”I ahted you find ht”
”Sleep, th renewed by repose will reward you in thefor what you may suppose lost ti was for her a succession of fresh triu her aith three doubloons, which she took to her ood woations towards Providence
I went out to get soht happen during my journey I had enjoyed myself, but I had spent too irl, was not to findsisters It was to be decided during the day, and I fancied that I was sure of the result
There are some persons who pretend that life is only a succession of misfortunes, which is as much as to say that life itself is a misfortune; but if life is a misfortune, death must be exactly the reverse and therefore death must be happiness, since death is the very reverse of life That deduction may appear too finely drawn But those who say that life is a succession of misfortunes are certainly either ill or poor; for, if they enjoyed good health, if they had cheerfulness in their heart and money in their purse, if they had for their enjoyment a Cecilia, a Marinetta, and even a more lovely beauty in perspective, they would soon entertain a very different opinion of life! I hold thearly philosophers and knavish, atrabilious theologians If pleasure does exist, and if life is necessary to enjoy pleasure, then life is happiness There are misfortunes, as I know by experience; but the very existence of such reater Because a few thorns are to be found in a basket full of roses, is the existence of those beautiful flowers to be denied? No; it is a slander to deny that life is happiness When I ah aan immense horizon before me