Volume II Part 46 (2/2)
”When I foundmy wish to know you and to becoratify that ithout taking my friend into my confidence, and I had no doubt of his compliance He conceived a very favourable opinion of your character from your first letter, not only because you had chosen the parlour of the convent for our first interview, but also because you appointed his casino at Muran instead of your own But he likewise begged of -place, in a s-place, fro suspected by those in the drawing-room You have not yet seen that mysterious closet, but I will shew it to you on the last day of the year Tell ular request to theme such compliant kindness? I consented, and it was natural for me not to let you know it You are therefore aware now thatthe first night that we spent together, but do not let that annoy you, for you pleased hi, in your behaviour towards s which you uttered to reat fear, when the conversation turned upon hiht hurt his self-love, but, very fortunately, he heard only thecompliments Such is, dearest love, the sincere confession of ive htest harm My friend is extremely curious to ascertain who you are But listen to hly amiable, would you have been the same, if you had known that there was a witness? It is not likely, and if I had acquainted you with the truth, you ht have refused your consent, and perhaps you would have been right
”Now that we know each other, and that you entertain no doubt, I trust, of my devoted love, I wish to ease my conscience and to venture all
Learn then, dearest, that on the last day of the year, my friend will be at the casino, which he will leave only the nextYou will not see him, but he will see us As you are supposed not to know anything about it, you , otherwise, he uess that I have betrayed the secret It is especially in your conversation that you must be careful My friend possesses every virtue except the theological one called faith, and on that subject you can say anything you like You will be at liberty to talk literature, travels, politics, anything you please, and you need not refrain from anecdotes In fact you are certain of his approbation
”Now, dearest, I have only this to say Do you feel disposed to allow yourself to be seen by anotheryourself to the sweet voluptuousness of your senses? That doubt causes all my anxiety, and I entreat from you an answer, yes or no Do you understand how painful the doubt is for ht, and I shall not rest until I have your decision
In case you should object to shew your tenderness in the presence of a third person, I will take whatever deterest to me But I hope you will consent, and even if you were not to perform the character of an ardent lover in a masterly manner, it would not be of any consequence I will let ee”
That letter certainly tookthat hed heartily at the proposal I confess, however, that I should not have laughed if I had not known the nature of the individual as to be the witness ofall the anxiety ofto allay it, I i lines:
”You wish me, heavenly creature, to answer you yes or no, and I, full of love for you, want my answer to reach you before noon, so that you ht of the year with you, and I can assure you that the friend, to ill give a spectacle worthy of Paphos and A likely to make him suppose that I am acquainted with his secret You may be certain that I will play my part not as a novice but as a master If it isas he has control over hiuide, I cannot understand why a man should be ashamed to shew himself to a friend at the very moment that he is most favoured by love and nature
”Yet I confess that you would have been wrong if you had confided the secret to me the first tirant you that mark of my compliance, not because I loved you less then than I do now, but there are such strange tastes in nature that Itaste was to enjoy the sight of an ardent and frantic couple in thean unfavourable opinion of you, vexation
Noever, the case is very different I know all I possess in you, and, from all you have told me of your lover, I am well disposed towards hi ofyourself tender, loving, and full of amorous ardour with me in his presence, how could I be ashaht to feel proud ofwhich I prove the liberality hich nature has bestowed upon th which assure such immense enjoyment to me, besides the certainty that I can make the wo to a feeling which is called natural, but which is perhaps only the result of civilization and the effect of the prejudices inherent in youth, most men object to any witness in those ood reasons for their repugnanceof the cat At the saht have so theive them, except to the woman, who is easily deceived I excuse with all my heart those who know that they would only excite the pity of the witnesses, but we both have no fear of that sort All you have told me of your friend proves that he will enjoy our pleasures But do you knoill be the result of it? The intensity of our ardour will excite his own, and he will throw hiive up to him the only object likely to calm his amorous excitement What could I do in that case? Give you up? I could hardly refuse to do so with good grace, but I would go away, for I could not re love; all will be well, I have no doubt Prepare yourself for the athletic contest, and rely upon the fortunate being who adores you”
I spent the six following days with my three worthy friends, and at the 'ridotto', which at that time was opened on St Stephen's Day As I could not hold the cards there, the patricians alone having the privilege of holding the bank, I played , and I constantly lost; for whoever punts must lose But the loss of the four or five thousand sequins I possessed, far fro my love, seemed only to increase its ardour
At the end of the year 1774 the Great Council proames of chance, the first effect of which was to close the 'ridotto' This laas a real phenomenon, and when the votes were taken out of the urn the senators looked at each other with stupefaction They had ly, for three-fourths of the voters objected to it, and yet three-fourths of the votes were in favour of it People said that it was a nor Flangini, then censor-in-chief, now cardinal, and one of the three State Inquisitors
On the day appointed I was punctual at the place of rendezvous, and I had not to wait for -room, where she had had time to attend to her toilet, and as soon as she heard ance
”My friend is not yet at his post,” she said to ive you a wink”
”Where is the mysterious closet?”
”There it is Look at the back of this sofa against the wall All those flowers in relief have a hole in the centre which communicates with the closet behind that wall There is a bed, a table, and everything necessary to a person ants to spend the night in a on in this room I will skew it to you whenever you like”
”Was it arranged by your lover's orders?”
”No, for he could not foresee that he would use it”
”I understand that heunable to possess you at the very moment nature will make you most necessary to him, ill he do?”
”That is his business Besides, he is at liberty to go ahen he has had enough of it, or to sleep if he has a mind to, but if you play your part naturally he will not feel any weariness”
”I will be most natural, but I , for if you are polite, goodbye to nature
Where have you ever seen, I should like to knoo lovers, excited by all the fury of love, think of politeness?”
”You are right, darling, but I must be more delicate”
”Very well, delicacy can do no harreatly pleased me, you have treated the subject like a man of experience”
I have already stated that ht to have added that it was the elegance of the Graces, and that it did not in any way prevent ease and si used some paint for the face, but it rather pleasedto the fashi+on of the ladies of Versailles