Volume III Part 69 (2/2)
As if I were the Grand Turk, I examined the swarm of rustic beauties, and threw my handkerchief at the one I liked the best We went into a closet, and shutting the door with theat me, she undressed me, and put a cotton cap on my head, and as soon as she saw me in the water she undressed herself as coolly as possible, and without a word came into the bath Then she rubbed me all over, except in a certain quarter, which I had covered with ht I had been ot out of the bath, opened the door, and after asking for what I wanted got in again without the slightest consciousness
When the coffee caain to take it, shut the door, and returned to the bath, and held the tray while I was drinking, and when I had finished she rereat notice of her, I could see that she possessed all the qualifications a man could desire in a woman: fine features, lively eyes, a pretty mouth, and an excellent row of teeth, a healthy complexion, a well-rounded bosom a curved back, and all else in the saht have been softer, but their hardness was probably due to hard work Furtherhteen, and yet I remained cold to all her charms Hoas that? That was the question I asked myself; and I think the reason probably was that she was too natural, too devoid of those assuraces and coquettish airs which women employ with so much art for the seduction of men We only care for artifice and false show Perhaps, too, our senses, to be irritated, require woman's charms to be veiled by modesty But if, accustomed as we are to clothe ourselves, the face is the smallest factor in our perfect happiness, how is it that the face plays the principal part in rendering a man amorous? Why do we take the face as an index of a woive her when the covered parts are not in harmony with her features? Would it not be much more reasonable and sensible to veil the face, and to have the rest of the body naked? Thus e fall in love with a woman, we should only want, as the crown of our bliss, to see a face answerable to those other charms which had taken our fancy There can be no doubt that that would be the better plan, as in that case we should only be seduced by a perfect beauty, and we should grant an easy pardon if at the lifting of the liness instead of loveliness Under those circu the seductive power of her other charms, would never consent to unveil herself; while the pretty ones would not have to be asked The plain wo; they would be easily subdued on the condition of re veiled, and if they did consent to unmask, it would be only after they had practically convinced one that enjoyment is possible without facial beauty And it is evident and undeniable that inconstancy only proceeds from the variety of features If a man did not see the face, he would always be constant and always in love with the first woman who had taken his fancy I know that in the opinion of the foolish all this will seem folly, but I shall not be on the earth to answer their objections
When I had left the bath, she wiped me with towels, put on my shi+rt, and then in the same state--that is, quite naked, she didshe dressed herself too, and having soon finished she caave her half-a-crown for the bath and six francs for herself; she kept the half-crown, but gave me back the six francs with silent contempt I was mortified; I saw that I had offended her, and that she considered her behaviour entitled her to respect I went away in a bad enough hu my dear Dubois of the adventure I had had in the afternoon, and she made her own comments on the details
”She can't have been pretty,” said she, ”for if she had been, you would certainly have given way I should like to see her”
”If you like I will take you there”
”I should be delighted”
”But you will have to dress like a man:”
She rose, went out without a word, and in a quarter of an hour returned in a suit of Le Duc's, but minus the trousers, as she had certain protuberances which would have stood out too much I told her to take a pair of
She came to wake at six o'clock She was dressed like a uised her shape admirably I rose and went to La Mata, as the place is called
Aniave her, my dear Dubois looked radiant Those who saw her uise, she was so evidently a woman; so she wrapped herself up in her overcoat as well as she could
As soon as we arrivedthe master of the baths, who asked me if I wanted a closet for four, and I replied in the affirirls, and I shewed my housekeeper the one who had not seduced , deter wench, we shut ourselves up in the bath
As soon as I was undressed I went into the water withattendant
My housekeeper was not so quick; the novelty of the thing astonished her, and her expression told ood face on it, she began to laugh at seeing renadier She had some trouble before she could take off her chemise, but as it is only the first step that costs, she let it fall off, and though she held her two hands before her she dazzled me, in spite of myself, by the beauty of her form Her attendant prepared to treat her as she had treatedher exaed to let irls, who had no doubt often been present at a siive us a spectacle which ell known to e to an to imitate the caresses I lavished on my housekeeper, as quite astonished at the amorous fury hich irl I confess I was a little surprised myself, in spite of the transports which my fair Venetian nun had shewn me six years before in conjunction with C---- C----
I could not have i of the kind could have distracted , as I did, the woman I loved, whose chare strife of the two young Menads took up her attention as well as mine
”Your attendant,” said she, ”irl”
”But,” said I, ”you saw her breasts”
”Yes, but she irl who had heard e had said turned round and shewed me what I should not have credited There could be no er than h to penetrate I explained to my dear Dubois what it was, but to convince her I had to make her touch it The impudent creature pushed her shamelessness so far as to offer to try it on her, and she insisted so passionately that I was obliged to push her away She then turned to her companion and satiated on her body her fury of lust In spite of its disgusting nature, the sight irritated us to such a degree that ranted me all I could desire
This entertainment lasted for two hours, and we returned to the toell pleased with one another On leaving the bath I gave a Louis to each of the two Bacchantes, and ent away detero there no more It will be understood that after what had happened there could be no further obstacle to the free progress of our love; and accordingly my dear Dubois beca all the time we spent at Berne I was quite cured of my misadventure with the horrible , and I found that if love's pleasures are fleeting so are its pains I will go farther and er duration, as they leave e, whereas, if a htly as to have no influence upon his happiness