Adventures In The South: Return to Naples

J >> Jacques Casanova de Seingalt >> Adventures In The South: Return to Naples


I slept till eleven, and when I went to wish her good day I found her
smiling and as fresh as a rose. I asked her how she had passed the rest
of the night.

"Very pleasantly," said she, "like the beginning of the night."

"What time would you like to have dinner?"

"I won't dine; I prefer to keep my appetite for supper."

Here her lover joined in, saying in a weak voice,--

"It is impossible to keep up with her."

"In eating or drinking?" I asked.

"In eating, drinking, and in other things," he replied, with a smile. She
laughed, and kissed him affectionately.

This short dialogue convinced me that Mdlle. Desarmoises must adore her
lover; for besides his being a handsome young man, his disposition was
exactly suitable to hers. I dined by myself, and Le Duc came in as I was
having dessert. He told me that the door-keeper's daughters and their
pretty cousin had made him wait for them to write to me, and he gave me
three letters and three dozen of gloves which they had presented me. The
letters urged me to come and spend a month with them, and gave me to
understand that I should be well pleased with my treatment. I had not the
courage to return to a town, where with my reputation I should have been
obliged to draw horoscopes for all the young ladies or to make enemies by
refusing.

After I had read the letters from Grenoble I went to the convent and
announced my presence, and then entered the parlour which M---- M---- had
indicated. She soon came down with the pretty boarder, who feebly
sustained my part in her amorous ecstacies. She had not yet completed her
twelfth year, but she was extremely tall and well developed for her age.
Gentleness, liveliness, candour, and wit were united in her features, and
gave her expression an exquisite charm. She wore a well-made corset which
disclosed a white throat, to which the fancy easily added the two spheres
which would soon appear there. Her entrancing face, her raven locks, and
her ivory throat indicated what might be concealed, and my vagrant
imagination made her into a budding Venus. I began by telling her that
she was very pretty, and would make her future husband a happy man. I
knew she would blush at that. It may be cruel, but it is thus that the
language of seduction always begins. A girl of her age who does not blush
at the mention of marriage is either an idiot or already an expert in
profligacy. In spite of this, however, the blush which mounts to a young
girl's cheek at the approach of such ideas is a puzzling problem. Whence
does it arise? It may be from pure simplicity, it may be from shame, and
often from a mixture of both feelings. Then comes the fight between vice
and virtue, and it is usually virtue which has to give in. The
desires--the servants of vice--usually attain their ends. As I knew the
young boarder from M---- M----'s description, I could not be ignorant of
the source of those blushes which added a fresh attraction to her
youthful charms.

Pretending not to notice anything, I talked to M---- M---- for a few
moments, and then returned to the assault. She had regained her calm.

"What age are you, pretty one?" said I.

"I am thirteen."

"You are wrong," said M---- M----, "you have not yet completed your
twelfth year."

"The time will come," said I, "when you will diminish the tale of your
years instead of increasing it."

"I shall never tell a lie, sir; I am sure of that."

"So you want to be a nun, do you?"

"I have not yet received my vocation; but even if I live in the world I
need not be a liar."

"You are wrong; you will begin to lie as soon as you have a lover."

"Will my lover tell lies, too?"

"Certainly he will."

"If the matter were really so, then, I should have a bad opinion of love;
but I do not believe it, for I love my sweetheart here, and I never
conceal the truth from her."

"Yes, but loving a man is a different thing to loving a woman."

"No, it isn't; it's just the same."

"Not so, for you do not go to bed with a woman and you do with your
husband."

"That's no matter, my love would be the same."

"What? You would not rather sleep with me than with M---- M----?"

"No, indeed I should not, because you are a man and would see me."

"You don't want a man to see you, then?"

"No."

"Do you think you are so ugly, then?"

At this she turned to M---- M---- and said, with evident vexation, "I am
not really ugly, am I?"

"No, darling," said M---- M----, bursting with laughter, "it is quite the
other way; you are very pretty." With these words she took her on her
knee and embraced her tenderly.

"Your corset is too tight; you can't possibly have such a small waist as
that."

"You make a mistake, you can put your hand there and see for yourself."

"I can't believe it."

M---- M---- then held her close to the grill and told me to see for myself.
At the same moment she turned up her dress.

"You were right," said I, "and I owe you an apology;" but in my heart I
cursed the grating and the chemise.

"My opinion is," said I to M---- M----, "that we have here a little boy."

I did not wait for a reply, but satisfied myself by my sense of touch as
to her sex, and I could see that the little one and her governess were
both pleased that my mind was at rest on the subject.

I drew my hand away, and the little girl looked at M---- M----, and
reassured by her smiling air asked if she might go away for a moment. I
must have reduced her to a state in which a moment's solitude was
necessary, and I myself was in a very excited condition.

As soon as she was gone I said to M---- M----,

"Do you know that what you have shewn me has made me unhappy?"

"Has it? Why?"

"Because your boarder is charming, and I am longing to enjoy her."

"I am sorry for that, for you can't possibly go any further; and besides,
I know you, and even if you could satisfy your passion without danger to
her, I would not give her up to you, you would spoil her."

"How?"

"Do you think that after enjoying you she would care to enjoy me? I
should lose too heavily by the comparison."

"Give me your hand."

"No."

"Stay, one moment."

"I don't want to see anything."

"Not a little bit?"

"Nothing at all."

"Are you angry with me, then?"

"Not at all. If you have been pleased I am glad, and if you have filled
her with desires she will love me all the better."

"How pleasant it would be, sweetheart, if we could all three of us be
together alone and at liberty!"

"Yes; but it is impossible."

"Are you sure that no inquisitive eye is looking upon us?"

"Quite sure."

"The height of that fatal grill has deprived me of the sight of many
charms."

"Why didn't you go to the other parlour it is much lower there."

"Let us go there, then."

"Not to-day; I should not be able to give any reason for the change."

"I will come again to-morrow, and start for Lyons in the evening."

The little boarder came back, and I stood up facing her. I had a number
of beautiful seals and trinkets hanging from my watch-chain, and I had
not had the time to put myself in a state of perfect decency again.

She noticed it, and by way of pretext she asked if she might look at
them.

"As long as you like; you may look at them and touch them as well."

M---- M---- foresaw what would happen and left the room, saying that she
would soon be back. I had intended to deprive the young boarder of all
interest in my seals by shewing her a curiosity of another kind. She did
not conceal her pleasure in satisfying her inquisitiveness on an object
which was quite new to her, and which she was able to examine minutely
for the first time in her life. But soon an effusion changed her
curiosity into surprise, and I did not interrupt her in her delighted
gaze.

I saw M---- M---- coming back slowly, and I lowered my shirt again, and sat
down. My watch and chains were still on the ledge of the grating, and
M---- M---- asked her young friend if the trinkets had pleased her.

"Yes," she replied, but in a dreamy and melancholy voice. She had learnt
so much in the course of less than two hours that she had plenty to think
over. I spent the rest of the day in telling M---- M---- the adventures I
had encountered since I had left her; but as I had not time to finish my
tale I promised to return the next day at the same time.

The little girl, who had been listening to me all the time, though I
appeared to be only addressing her friend, said that she longed to know
the end of my adventure with the Duke of Matelone's mistress.

I supped with the fair Desarmoises, and after giving her sundry proofs of
my affection till midnight, and telling her that I only stopped on for
her sake, I went to bed.

The next day after dinner I returned to the convent, and having sent up
my name to M---- M---- I entered the room where the grating was more
convenient.

Before long M---- M---- arrived alone, but she anticipated my thoughts by
telling me that her pretty friend would soon join her.

"You have fired her imagination. She has told me all about it, playing a
thousand wanton tricks, and calling me her dear husband. You have seduced
the girl, and I am very glad you are going or else you would drive her
mad. You will see how she has dressed herself."

"Are you sure of her discretion?"

"Perfectly, but I hope you won't do anything in my presence. When I see
the time coming I will leave the room."

"You are an angel, dearest, but you might be something better than that
if you would--"

"I want nothing for myself; it is out of the question."

"You could--"

"No, I will have nothing to do with a pastime which would rekindle fires
that are hardly yet quenched. I have spoken; I suffer, but let us say no
more about it."

At this moment the young adept came in smiling, with her eyes full of
fire. She was dressed in a short pelisse, open in front, and an
embroidered muslin skirt which did not go beyond her knees. She looked
like a sylph.

We had scarcely sat down when she reminded me of the place where my tale
had stopped. I continued my recital, and when I was telling them how
Donna Lucrezia shewed me Leonilda naked, M---- M---- went out, and the sly
little puss asked me how I assured myself that my daughter was a maid.

I took bold of her through the fatal grating, against which she placed
her pretty body, and shewed her how assured myself of the fact, and the
girl liked it so much that she pressed my hand to the spot. She then gave
me her hand that I might share her pleasure, and whilst this enjoyable
occupation was in progress M---- M---- appeared. My sweetheart said
hastily,--

"Never mind, I told her all about it. She is a good creature and will not
be vexed." Accordingly M---- M---- pretended not to see anything, and the
precocious little girl wiped her hand in a kind of voluptuous ecstacy,
which shewed how well she was pleased.

I proceeded with my history, but when I came to the episode of the poor
girl who was 'tied', describing all the trouble I had vainly taken with
her, the little boarder got so curious that she placed herself in the
most seducing attitude so that I might be able to shew her what I did.
Seeing this M---- M---- made her escape.

"Kneel down on the ledge, and leave the rest to me," said the little
wanton.

The reader will guess what she meant, and I have no doubt that she would
have succeeded in her purpose if the fire which consumed me had not
distilled itself away just at the happy moment.

The charming novice felt herself sprinkled, but after ascertaining that
nothing more could be done she withdrew in some vexation. My fingers,
however, consoled her for the disappointment, and I had the pleasure of
seeing her look happy once more.

I left these charming creatures in the evening, promising to visit them
again in a year, but as I walked home I could not help reflecting how
often these asylums, supposed to be devoted to chastity and prayer,
contain in themselves the hidden germs of corruption. How many a timorous
and trustful mother is persuaded that the child of her affection will
escape the dangers of the world by taking refuge in the cloister. But
behind these bolts and bars desires grow to a frenzied extreme; they
crave in vain to be satisfied.

When I returned to the inn I took leave of the wounded man, whom I was
happy to see out of danger. In vain I urged him to make use of my purse;
he told me, with an affectionate embrace, that he had sufficient money,
and if not, he had only to write to his father. I promised to stop at
Lyons, and to oblige Desarmoises to desist from any steps he might be
taking against them, telling them I had a power over him which would
compel him to obey. I kept my word. After we had kissed and said
good-bye, I took his future bride into my room that we might sup together
and enjoy ourselves till midnight; but she could not have been very
pleased with my farewell salute, for I was only able to prove my love for
her once, as M---- M----'s young friend had nearly exhausted me.

I started at day-break, and the next day I reached the "Hotel du Parc,"
at Lyons. I sent for Desarmoises, and told him plainly that his
daughter's charms had seduced me, that I thought her lover worthy of her,
and that I expected him out of friendship for me to consent to the
marriage. I went further, and told him that if he did not consent to
everything that very instant I could no longer be his friend, and at this
he gave in. He executed the requisite document in the presence of two
witnesses, and I sent it to Chamberi by an express messenger.

This false marquis made me dine with him in his poor house. There was
nothing about his younger daughter to remind me of the elder, and his
wife inspired me with pity. Before I left I managed to wrap up six Louis
in a piece of paper, and gave it to her without the knowledge of her
husband. A grateful look shewed me how welcome the present was.

I was obliged to go to Paris, so I gave Desarmoises sufficient money for
him to go to Strasburg, and await me there in company with my Spaniard.

I thought myself wise in only taking Costa, but the inspiration came from
my evil genius.

I took the Bourbonnais way, and on the third day I arrived at Paris, and
lodged at the Hotel du St. Esprit, in the street of the same name.

Before going to bed I sent Costa with a note to Madame d'Urfe, promising
to come and dine with her the next day. Costa was a good-looking young
fellow, and as he spoke French badly and was rather a fool I felt sure
that Madame d'Urfe would take him for some extraordinary being. She wrote
to say that she was impatiently expecting me.

"How did the lady receive you, Costa?"

"She looked into a mirror, sir, and said some words I could make nothing
of; then she went round the room three times burning incense; then she
came up to me with a majestic air and looked me in the face; and at last
she smiled very pleasantly, and told me to wait for a reply in the
ante-chamber."