Volume III Part 90 (2/2)

I wanted to undress her myself, and she submitted like a lamb When she was in bed, she opened the packet, and shewed me her portrait, naked, and very like the naked portrait of M---- M---- I praised the painter for the excellence of the copy he hadwas altered but the colour of the hair and eyes

”It isn't a copy,” she said, ”there would not have been time He only made the eyes and hair black, and the latter more abundant Thus you have in it a portrait of the first and also of the second M---- M----, in whoet the first She has also vanished from the clothed portrait, for you see the nun has black eyes I could shew this picture to anyone as my portrait”

”You do not kno precious your present is toout your plan so well”

”I told the country-wo, and she said that she had a foster-son at Anneci, as a h him she sent the two miniatures to a e you see for four or five Louis; he was probably able to do it in two or three hours I entrusted the two portraits to him, and you see hoell he did his work The woman has no doubt just received them, and to-morrow she may be able to tell you more about it”

”She is really a wonderful woman I will indemnify her for the expense

But now tell me why you did not want me to see the portrait before you were in bed?”

”Guess”

”Because I can now see you in the same posture as that in which you are represented”

”Exactly”

”It is an excellent idea; only love can have given it you But you must wait till I am in the same state”

When ere both in a state of nature, exactly like Adam and Eve before they tasted the fatal apple, I placed her in the position of the portrait, and guessing my intention from my face she opened her arms for me to come to her; but I asked her to wait a mo she would like I then drew from ht inches long, with one opening, which was ornaave her this preventive sheath, and she looked, ad me if I had used such articles with her Venetian sister ”I will put it on myself; you don't kno I shall enjoy it Why didn't you use one last night? How could you have forgotten it? Well, I shall be very wretched if anything comes of it What shall I do in four or five months, when my condition beco to do is not to think of it, for if the dae is done, there is no cure for it; but froe of the laws of nature I expect that our sweet coht will probably have no troublesome consequences It has been stated that after child-birth a wo which I expect you have not seen”

”No, God be thanked!”

”Good Then let us not give any thought to the dismal future lest we lose our present bliss”

”I am quite comforted; but I can't understand why you are afraid to-day of what you were not afraid yesterday; iven the lie to the most eminent physicians

Nature, wiser than they, has exceptions to her rules, let us not defy them for the future, but let us not trouble ourselves if we have defied there in the past”

”I like to hear you talk so sagely Yes, ill be prudent whatever it costs There you are, hooded like a mother abbess, but in spite of the fineness of the sheath I like the little fellow better quite naked I think that this covering degrades us both”

”You are right, it does But let us not dwell on these ideas which will only spoil our pleasure”

”We will enjoy our pleasure directly; let ht of these matters before Love must have invented these little sheaths, but it must first have listened to the voice of prudence, and I do not like to see love and prudence allied”

”The correctness of your arguments surprises me, but ill philosophize another time”

”Wait a minute I have never seen a ht as o I should have called that article an invention of the devil; but now I look upon the inventor as a benefactor, for if my wretched hump-back had provided himself with such a sheath he would not have exposedmy honour and s remain unmolested; I wonder they are not found out, excommunicated, or heavily fined, or even punished corporeally, if they are Jews as I expect Dear me, the maker of this one must have measured you badly!