Volume II Part 43 (1/2)
”And he forgives your amorous caprices?”
”What do you o he obtained possession of ed to a man; you are the first who inspired me with a fancy When I confessed it to hihed, and reada ht prove indiscreet He wantedany further, but it was too late I answered for your discretion, and of course I uarantee of a man whom I did not know”
”When did you confide in hi anything from him
I have shewn hih you represent yourself as a Venetian He is very curious to knoho you are, but you need not be afraid; I promise you faithfully never to take any steps to find it out myself”
”And I promise you likewise not to try to find out who is this wonderful man as wonderful as you are yourself I am very miserable when I think of the sorrow I have caused you”
”Do not mention that subject any more; when I consider the matter, I see that only a conceitedher, she granted h the little , and her gaze followed , at the ti all her instructions I reached a sitting-rooant costuirandoles, which were reflected by the looking-glasses, and by four splendid candlesticks placed on a table covered with books M---- M---- struck me as entirely different in her beauty to what she had seearb of a nun She wore no cap, and her hair was fastened behind in a thick twist; but I passed rapidly over that part of her person, because I could not bear the idea of a wig, and I could not compliment her about it I threw ratitude, and I kissed with rapture her beautiful hands, waiting i for; but M---- M---- thought fit to oppose some resistance Oh, hoeet they are!
those denials of a loving mistress, who delays the happy hts better! As a lover respectful, tender, but bold, enterprising, certain of victory, I blended delicately the gentleness ofthe most voluptuous kisses from the most beautiful mouth I felt as if my soul would burst from my body We spent two hours in the preliratulated one another, on her part for having contrived to resist, ona little rest, and understanding each other as if by a natural instinct, she said to me,
”My friend, I have an appetite which proood co hat I could do in that line, ”yes, I can; and afterwards you shall judge whether I am able to sacrifice to Love as well as to Coed but well-dressed and respectable-looking, laid out a table for two persons; she then placed on another table close by all that was necessary to enable us to do without attendance, and she brought, one after the other, eight different dishes in Sevres porcelain placed on silver heaters It was a delicate and plentiful supper
When I tasted the first dish I at once recognized the French style of cooking, and she did not deny it We drank nothing but Burgundy and Chane She dressed the salad cleverly and quickly, and in everything she did I had to adraceful ease of her manners It was evident that she owed her education to a lover as a first-rate connoisseur
I was curious to know hi soratify my curiosity in that respect I was ready to tell her my name
”Let time, dearest,” she answered, ”satisfy our st the charms and trinkets fastened to the chain of her watch, a small crystal bottle exactly similar to one that I wore myself I called her attention to that fact, and as mine was filled with cotton soaked in otto of roses I made her smell it
”I have the sarance
”It is a very scarce perfume,” I said, ”and very expensive”
”Yes; in fact it cannot be bought”
”Very true; the inventor of that essence wears a crown; it is the King of France; his majesty made a pound of it, which cost hiift presented to ave it to me:”
”Madao, the Venetian ah M de B----, now French ambassador here”
”Do you know him?”
”I have had the honour to dine with him on the very day he came to take leave of the ambassador by whom I had been invited M de B---- is a man whom fortune has smiled upon, but he has captivated it by his uished by his 'talents than by his birth; he is, I believe, Count de Lyon I recollect that he was nicknamed 'Belle Babet,'
on account of his handsome face There is a sreat honour”
It was near ht; we had ood fire Besides, I was in love with a beautiful wo that ti; but she resisted