Volume III Part 37 (2/2)
”My jewel, Baret thinks, or pretends to think, that he has done his duty as a husband; but he is no hand at the business, and I am disposed to put myself in your hands, and then there will be no doubt ofhim a service, and the service shall be well done”
As I said these words I was on the threshold of the temple, and I opened the door in a manner that overthrew all obstacles A little screahs announced the completion of the sacrifice, and, to tell the truth, the altar of love was covered with the blood of the victian his pious work, while the victie that it was not till the fourth mactation that we rested and put off our joust to another season We swore a thousand times to love each other and to remain constant, and we may possibly have been sincere, as ere in our ecstasy of pleasure
We only separated to dress; then after taking a turn in the garden we dined together, sure that in a sumptuous repast, washed down by the choicest wines, we should find strength to reanimate our desires and to lull the chalass, I asked her hoith such a fiery teed to preserve her virtue?
”Cupid,” said I, ”athered the fruit that Hymen could not taste You are seventeen, and the pear has been ripe for two years at least”
”Very true, but I have never had a lover”
”Never?”
”I have been courted, but to no effect My heart was ever silent
Possibly o, to get me married soon”
”Very likely, but as you were not in love, ere you in such a hurry?”
”I knew that the Duc d'Elbeuf would soon be cole he would oblige me to become the wife of a man I detest, ould have me at any price”
”Who is this man for whom you have such an aversion?”
”He is one of the duke's pets, a monster who sleeps with his master”
”Really! I did not know the duke had such tastes”
”Oh yes; he is eighty-four, and he thinks himself a woman; he says he must have a husband”
”That is very funny And is this aspirant to your hand a handsome man?”
”I think him horrible; but everybody else thinks he is a fineBaret spent a ith me, and each day we renewed the combat in which ere always conquerors and always conquered I have seen feomen as pretty and seductive, and none whose skin was more exquisitely soft and fair Her breath was aromatic, and this made her kisses lobes, tipped with coral, were as hard as ure would have defied the skill of the ablest painter I experienced an ineffable joy in conte her, and in the midst of my happiness I called myself unhappy because I could not satisfy all the desires which her charms aroused in me The frieze which crowned her coluold of the utive theiven theraceful movements which double the pleasure; nature had done her part in that direction, and I do not think a more expert mistress in the art of love could be found
Each of us looked forward to the day of her departure with equal grief, and our only consolation lay in the hope of ain, and often
Three days after she went away, I went to see her, ave her two notes of five thousand francs apiece Her husbandenabled to pay his debts and to keep his shop open to say anything unpleasant
Many husbands besides himself think themselves lucky to have such productive wives