Volume II Part 45 (1/2)

”Are you mad, dearest? I am yours this very instant, if you wish it”

”Ah! if I wish it! Although fasting, come! Love and happiness will be my food!”

She felt cold, we sat near the fire; and unable to master my impatience I unfastened a diamond brooch which pinned her ruffle Dear reader, there are some sensations so powerful and so sweet that years cannot weaken the remembrance of the bosom; but then the troublesome corset had not allowed me to admire all its perfection Now I felt it free from all restraint and from all unnecessary support; I have never seen, never touched, anything lobes of the Venus de Medicis, even if they had been aniiven by Prometheus, would have yielded the pal with ardent desires, and I would have satisfied them on the spot, if my adorable mistress had not calmed my impatience by these si the bell; she shuddered

”Do not be anxious, dearest”

And I shewed her the secret of the sham

”You will be able to tell your lover that no one saw you”

”He will appreciate your delicate attention, and that will prove to him that you are not a novice in the art of love But it is evident that I ahts of this char, believe me: you are the first woman I have seen here

You are not, adorable creature, my first love, but you shall be the last”

”I shall be happy if you are faithful My lover is constant, kind, gentle and amiable; yet my heart has ever been fancy-free with him”

”Then his own heart must be the same; for if his love was of the same nature as mine you would never have made me happy”

”He loves me as I love you; do you believe in my love for you?”

”Yes, I want to believe in it; but you would not allow me to”

”Do not say any , provided you told me all The joy I experience at thisyour desires than by the idea that I aht with you It will be the first in ht with your lover?”

”Several; but friendshi+p, coratitude, perhaps, were then the only contributors to our pleasures; the most essential--love--was never present In spite of that, my lover is like you; his wit is lively, very much the same as yours, and, as far as his features are concerned, he is very handsome; yet it is not you I believe hih this casino almost convinces me that I aine that I consider you endoith less merit than he, because you confess yourself incapable of his herois me to enjoy another love

Quite the contrary; I know that you would not love ent as he is for one of my caprices”

”Will he be curious to hear the particulars of this night?”

”Most likely he will think that he will pleasewhat has taken place, and I will tell hiht humiliate him”

After the supper, which she found excellent, she ood hand at it But I felt er every moment, and I said,

”Recollect that we have only seven hours before us, and that we should be very foolish to waste them in this room”