Volume II Part 42 (2/2)
The voluptuous reediness, rejects with contee which is caused by a first er: but he is dainty, and satisfies his appetite only in a manner in harmony with his nature and his tastes; he is amorous, but he enjoys himself with the object of his love only when he is certain that she will share his enjoyment, which can never be the case unless their love is e until he has calmly considered the best means to enjoy it fully If he is sometimes more cruel than necessary, he consoles himself with the idea that he has acted under the ee is soiveness Those three operations are the work of the soul which, to procure enjoyent of our passions We soer in order to enjoy better the food which will allay it; we delay the a it e in order to mike it estion, that we allow ourselves to be often deceived in love, and that the creature ant to annihilate often escapes our revenge; but perfection cannot be attained in anything, and those are risks which we run ly
CHAPTER XVII
Continuation of the Last Chapter--My First assignation With M M--Letter Fro With the Nun At My Splendid Casino In Venice I A, dearer to a thinking being than life; yet the voluptuous men, those who try to enjoy it in the best reatest perfection the difficult art of shortening life, of driving it fast They do not mean to make it shorter, for they would like to perpetuate it in the midst of pleasure, but they wish enjoyht, provided they do not fail in fulfilling their duties
Man ine that he has no other duties but those which gratify his senses; he would be greatly ht fall the victim of his own error I think that my friend Horace made a mistake when he said to Florus:
'Nec metuam quid de me judicet heres, Quod non plura datis inveniet'
The happiest reatest sue of his duties, and the most unhappy is the man who has adopted a profession in which he finds hi the future
Perfectly certain that M---- M---- would keep her word, I went to the convent at ten o'clock in the , and she joined me in the parlour as soon as I was announced
”Good heavens!” she exclaimed, ”are you ill?”
”No, but I may well look so, for the expectation of happiness wears me out I have lost sleep and appetite, and if my felicity were to be deferred my life would be the forfeit”
”There shall be no delay, dearest; but how impatient you are! Let us sit down Here is the key of my casino You will find some persons in it, because we must be served; but nobody will speak to you, and you need not speak to anyone You o there till two hours after sunset; o up the stairs opposite the street-door, and at the top of those stairs you will see, by the light of a lareen door which you will open to enter the aparthted You will find me in the second room, and in case I should not be there you ait forpunctual You can take off your mask in that room, and ood fire”
The description could not be clearer; I kissed the hand which was giving me the key of thatwoarb
”I always leave the convent with it,” she said, ”but I have at the casino a coant wouise myself”
”I hope you will do me the favour to re?”
”I love to see you in that dress”
”Ah! ah! I understand You fancy that my head is shaved, and you are afraid But co is so beautifully made that it defies detection; it is nature itself”
”Oh, dear! what are you saying? The very na is awful But no, you may be certain that I will find you lovely under all circumstances
I only entreat you not to put on that cruel wig in ive me; I am very sorry to have mentioned that subject
Are you sure that no one can see you leave the convent?”
”You will be sure of it yourself when you have gone round the island and seen the s on the shore, and I have every confidence in the sister who serves ondola?”
”My lover hiondoliers”
”What a man that lover is! I fancy he must be an old man”
”You are mistaken; if he were old, I should be asha necessary to be loved--beauty, wit, sweet temper, and noble behaviour”