Volume V Part 17 (1/2)
This stung her; and urging Irene to follow her example, she took up a position in h roo her her wife
I was virtuous enough to remain a wholly passive spectator of the scene, which was always new totheive way, and for the ht I performed my share of the work, till they saw that I was completely exhausted We fell asleep, and I did not wake up till noon, and then I saw my two beauties still asleep, with their liht with a sigh of the pleasures of such a sleep, and got out of bed gently for fear of rousing theood dinner to be prepared, and counter several hours
The landlord reoing to do the same for the Rinaldis, and left them in peace
When I caave me such an amorous welcoht with a lover's good, and bore their sarcaset up, as we ought to have done at five o'clock, and here o o'clock and breakfast not done
”We have enjoyed ourselves,” said Marcoline, ”and tiiven to enjoyment is never lost”
When they were dressed, I had coffee brought in, and I gave Irene sixteen louis, four of which were to redeem her cloak Her father and ood-day, and Irene proudly gave her father twelve Louis telling hihed, wept, and went out, and then ca to Antibes at a so directly, as the driver wanted to get to St Andiol by nightfall
”I am quite ready”
”No, dear Irene,” said I, ”you shall not go; you shall dine with your friend, and your driver can wait Make him do so, Count Rinaldi; my niece will pay, will you not, Marcoline?”
”Certainly I should like to dine here, and still better to put off our departure till the next day”
Her wishes were my orders We had a delicious supper at five o'clock, and at eight ent to bed and spent the night in wantonness, but at five in theall were ready to start Irene, ore her handso from Marcoline, who also ith all her heart Old Rinaldi, who proved hireat fortune in England, and his daughter sighed to be in Marcoline's place We shall hear of Rinaldi later on
We drove on for fifteen posts without stopping, and passed the night at Valence The food was bad, but Marcoline forgot her disco of Irene
”Do you know,” said she, ”that if it had been in my power I should have taken her froh she is not like you”
”How can she be hter when I have never known her mother?”
”She toldelse?”
”Yes, she told ht her maidenhead for a thousand sequins”
”Quite so, but did she tell you that I paid the money to her father?”
”Yes, the little fool doesn't keep anything for herself I don't think I should ever be jealous of your mistresses, if you let ood disposition? Tell ood disposition, but you could be quite as good without your dominant passion”
”It is not a passion I only have desires for those I love”
”Who gave you this taste?”
”Nature I began at seven, and in the last ten years I have certainly had four hundred sweethearts”
”You begin early But when did you begin to have male sweethearts?”
”At eleven”
”Tell me all about it”