The Memoires of Casanova, Complete

J >> Jacques Casanova de Seingalt >> The Memoires of Casanova, Complete


Moved by an irresistible feeling, by what is called perfect love, I
called upon P---- C---- on the following day, and, after I had told him
that I adored his sister with the most honourable intentions, I tried to
make him realize how deeply he had grieved me by forgetting all respect,
and that modesty which the most inveterate libertine ought never to
insult if he has any pretension to be worthy of respectable society.

"Even if I had to give up," I added, "the pleasure of seeing your angelic
sister, I have taken the firm resolution of not keeping company with you;
but I candidly warn you that I will do everything in my power to prevent
her from going out with you, and from being the victim of some infamous
bargain in your hands."

He excused himself again by saying that he had drunk too much, and that
he did not believe that my love for his sister was such as to despise the
gratification of my senses. He begged my pardon, he embraced me with
tears in his eyes, and I would, perhaps have given way to my own emotion,
when his mother and sister entered the room. They offered me their
heart-felt thanks for the handsome present I had given to the young lady.
I told the mother that I loved her daughter, and that my fondest hope was
to obtain her for my wife.

"In the hope of securing that happiness, madam," I added, "I shall get a
friend to speak to your husband as soon as I shall have secured a
position giving me sufficient means to keep her comfortably, and to
assure her happiness."

So saying I kissed her hand, and I felt so deeply moved that the tears
ran down my cheeks. Those tears were sympathetic, and the excellent woman
was soon crying like me. She thanked me affectionately, and left me with
her daughter and her son, who looked as if he had been changed into a
statue.

There are a great many mothers of that kind in the world, and very often
they are women who have led a virtuous life; they do not suppose that
deceit can exist, because their own nature understands only what is
upright and true; but they are almost always the victims of their good
faith, and of their trust in those who seem to them to be patterns of
honesty. What I had told the mother surprised the daughter, but her
astonishment was much greater when she heard of what I had said to her
brother. After one moment of consideration, she told him that, with any
other man but me, she would have been ruined; and that, if she had been
in the place of Madame C----, she would never have forgiven him, because
the way he had treated her was as debasing for her as for himself.
P---- C---- was weeping, but the traitor could command tears whenever he
pleased.

It was Whit Sunday, and as the theatres were closed he told me that, if I
would be at the same place of Appointment as before, the next day, he
would leave his sister with me, and go by himself with Madame C----, whom
he could not honourably leave alone.

"I will give you my key," he added, "and you can bring back my sister
here as soon as you have supper together wherever you like."

And he handed me his key, which I had not the courage to refuse. After
that he left us. I went away myself a few minutes afterwards, having
previously agreed with C---- C---- that we would go to the Zuecca Garden on
the following day.

I was punctual, and love exciting me to the highest degree I foresaw what
would happen on that day. I had engaged a box at the opera, and we went
to our garden until the evening. As it was a holiday there were several
small parties of friends sitting at various tables, and being unwilling
to mix with other people we made up our minds to remain in the apartment
which was given to us, and to go to the opera only towards the end of the
performance. I therefore ordered a good supper. We had seven hours to
spend together, and my charming young friend remarked that the time would
certainly not seem long to us. She threw off her disguise and sat on my
knees, telling me that I had completed the conquest of her heart by my
reserve towards her during the supper with her brother; but all our
conversation was accompanied by kisses which, little by little, were
becoming more and more ardent.

"Did you see," she said to me, "what my brother did to Madame C---- when
she placed herself astride on his knees? I only saw it in the
looking-glass, but I could guess what it was."

"Were you not afraid of my treating you in the same manner?"

"No, I can assure you. How could I possibly fear such a thing, knowing
how much you love me? You would have humiliated me so deeply that I
should no longer have loved you. We will wait until we are married, will
we not, dear? You cannot realize the extent of the joy I felt when I
heard you speak to my mother as you did! We will love each other for
ever. But will you explain to me, dearest, the meaning of the words
embroidered upon my garters?"

"Is there any motto upon them? I was not aware of it."

"Oh, yes! it is in French; pray read it."

Seated on my knees, she took off one of her garters while I was
unclasping the other, and here are the two lines which I found
embroidered on them, and which I ought to have read before offering them
to her:

'En voyant chaque jour le bijou de ma belle,
Vous lui direz qu'Amour veut qu'il lui soit fidele.'

Those verses, rather free I must confess, struck me as very comic. I
burst out laughing, and my mirth increased when, to please her, I had to
translate their meaning. As it was an idea entirely new to her, I found
it necessary to enter into particulars which lighted an ardent fire in
our veins.

"Now," she observed, "I shall not dare to shew my garters to anybody, and
I am very sorry for it."

As I was rather thoughtful, she added,

"Tell me what you are thinking of?"

"I am thinking that those lucky garters have a privilege which perhaps I
shall never enjoy. How I wish myself in their place: I may die of that
wish, and die miserable."

"No, dearest, for I am in the same position as you, and I am certain to
live. Besides, we can hasten our marriage. As far as I am concerned, I am
ready to become your wife to-morrow if you wish it. We are both free, and
my father cannot refuse his consent."

"You are right, for he would be bound to consent for the sake of his
honour. But I wish to give him a mark of my respect by asking for your
hand, and after that everything will soon be ready. It might be in a week
or ten days."

"So soon? You will see that my father will say that I am too young."

"Perhaps he is right."

"No; I am young, but not too young, and I am certain that I can be your
wife."

I was on burning coals, and I felt that it was impossible for me to
resist any longer the ardent fire which was consuming me.

"Oh, my best beloved!" I exclaimed, "do you feel certain of my love? Do
you think me capable of deceiving you? Are you sure that you will never
repent being my wife?"

"More than certain, darling; for you could not wish to make me unhappy."

"Well, then, let our marriage take place now. Let God alone receive our
mutual pledges; we cannot have a better witness, for He knows the purity
of our intentions. Let us mutually engage our faith, let us unite our
destinies and be happy. We will afterwards legalize our tender love with
your father's consent and with the ceremonies of the Church; in the mean
time be mine, entirely mine."

"Dispose of me, dearest. I promise to God, I promise to you that, from
this very moment and for ever, I will be your faithful wife; I will say
the same to my father, to the priest who will bless our union--in fact,
to everybody."

"I take the same oath towards you, darling, and I can assure you that we
are now truly married. Come to my arms! Oh, dearest, complete my
felicity!"

"Oh, dear! am I indeed so near happiness!"

After kissing her tenderly, I went down to tell the mistress of the house
not to disturb us, and not to bring up our dinner until we called for it.
During my short absence, my charming C---- C---- had thrown herself dressed
on the bed, but I told her that the god of love disapproved of
unnecessary veils, and in less than a minute I made of her a new Eve,
beautiful in her nakedness as if she had just come out of the hands of
the Supreme Artist. Her skin, as soft as satin, was dazzlingly white, and
seemed still more so beside her splendid black hair which I had spread
over her alabaster shoulders. Her slender figure, her prominent hips, her
beautifully-modelled bosom, her large eyes, from which flashed the
sparkle of amorous desire, everything about her was strikingly beautiful,
and presented to my hungry looks the perfection of the mother of love,
adorned by all the charms which modesty throws over the attractions of a
lovely woman.

Beside myself, I almost feared lest my felicity should not prove real, or
lest it should not be made perfect by complete enjoyment, when
mischievous love contrived, in so serious a moment, to supply me with a
reason for mirth.

"Is there by any chance a law to prevent the husband from undressing
himself?" enquired beautiful C---- C----.

"No, darling angel, no; and even if there were such a barbarous law, I
would not submit to it."

In one instant, I had thrown off all my garments, and my mistress, in her
turn, gave herself up to all the impulse of natural instinct and
curiosity, for every part of my body was an entirely new thing to her. At
last, as if she had had enough of the pleasure her eyes were enjoying,
she pressed me against her bosom, and exclaimed,

"Oh! dearest, what a difference between you and my pillow!"

"Your pillow, darling? You are laughing; what do you mean?"

"Oh! it is nothing but a childish fancy; I am afraid you will be angry."

"Angry! How could I be angry with you, my love, in the happiest moment of
my life?"

"Well, for several days past, I could not go to sleep without holding my
pillow in my arms; I caressed it, I called it my dear husband; I fancied
it was you, and when a delightful enjoyment had left me without movement,
I would go to sleep, and in the morning find my pillow still between my
arms."

My dear C---- C---- became my wife with the courage of a true heroine, for
her intense love caused her to delight even in bodily pain. After three
hours spent in delicious enjoyment, I got up and called for our supper.
The repast was simple, but very good. We looked at one another without
speaking, for how could we find words to express our feelings? We thought
that our felicity was extreme, and we enjoyed it with the certainty that
we could renew it at will.

The hostess came up to enquire whether we wanted anything, and she asked
if we were not going to the opera, which everybody said was so beautiful.

"Have you never been to the opera?"

"Never, because it is too dear for people in our position. My daughter
has such a wish to go, that, God forgive me for saying it! she would give
herself, I truly believe, to the man who would take her there once."

"That would be paying very dear for it," said my little wife, laughing.
"Dearest, we could make her happy at less cost, for that hurts very
much."

"I was thinking of it, my love. Here is the key of the box, you can make
them a present of it."

"Here is the key of a box at the St. Moses Theatre," she said to the
hostess; "it costs two sequins; go instead of us, and tell your daughter
to keep her rose-bud for something better."

"To enable you to amuse yourself, my good woman; take these two sequins,"
I added. "Let your daughter enjoy herself well."

The good hostess, thoroughly amazed at the generosity of her guests, ran
in a great hurry to her daughter, while we were delighted at having laid
ourselves under the pleasant necessity of again going to bed. She came up
with her daughter, a handsome, tempting blonde, who insisted upon kissing
the hands of her benefactors.

"She is going this minute with her lover," said the mother. "He is
waiting for her; but I will not let her go alone with him, for he is not
to be trusted; I am going with them."

"That is right, my good woman; but when you come back this evening, let
the gondola wait for us; it will take us to Venice."

"What! Do you mean to remain here until we return?"

"Yes, for this is our wedding-day."

"To-day? God bless you!"

She then went to the bed, to put it to rights, and seeing the marks of my
wife's virginity she came to my dear C---- C---- and, in her joy, kissed
her, and immediately began a sermon for the special benefit of her
daughter, shewing her those marks which, in her opinion, did infinite
honour to the young bride: respectable marks, she said, which in our days
the god of Hymen sees but seldom on his altar.

The daughter, casting down her beautiful blue eyes, answered that the
same would certainly be seen on her wedding-day.

"I am certain of it," said the mother, "for I never lose sight of thee.
Go and get some water in this basin, and bring it here. This charming
bride must be in need of it."

The girl obeyed. The two women having left us, we went to bed, and four
hours of ecstatic delights passed off with wonderful rapidity. Our last
engagement would have lasted longer, if my charming sweetheart had not
taken a fancy to take my place and to reverse the position. Worn out with
happiness and enjoyment, we were going to sleep, when the hostess came to
tell us that the gondola was waiting for us. I immediately got up to open
the door, in the hope that she would amuse us with her description of the
opera; but she left that task to her daughter, who had come up with her,
and she went down again to prepare some coffee for us. The young girl
assisted my sweetheart to dress, but now and then she would wink at me in
a manner which made me think that she had more experience than her mother
imagined.

Nothing could be more indiscreet than the eyes of my beloved mistress;
they wore the irrefutable marks of her first exploits. It is true that
she had just been fighting a battle which had positively made her a
different being to what she was before the engagement.

We took some hot coffee, and I told our hostess to get us a nice dinner
for the next day; we then left in the gondola. The dawn of day was
breaking when we landed at St. Sophia's Square, in order to set the
curiosity of the gondoliers at fault, and we parted happy, delighted, and
certain that we were thoroughly married. I went to bed, having made up my
mind to compel M. de Bragadin, through the power of the oracle, to obtain
legally for me the hand of my beloved C---- C----. I remained in bed until
noon, and spent the rest of the day in playing with ill luck, as if Dame
Fortune had wished to warn me that she did not approve of my love.




CHAPTER XIII

Continuation of My Intrigues with C. C.--M. de Bragadin Asks
the Hand of That Young Person for Me--Her Father Refuses,
and Sends Her to a Convent--De la Haye--I Lose All my Money
at the Faso-table--My Partnership with Croce Replenishes My
Purse--Various Incidents

The happiness derived from my love had prevented me from attaching any
importance to my losses, and being entirely engrossed with the thought of
my sweetheart my mind did not seem to care for whatever did not relate to
her.

I was thinking of her the next morning when her brother called on me with
a beaming countenance, and said,

"I am certain that you have slept with my sister, and I am very glad of
it. She does not confess as much, but her confession is not necessary. I
will bring her to you to-day."

"You will oblige me, for I adore her, and I will get a friend of mine to
ask her in marriage from your father in such a manner that he will not be
able to refuse."

"I wish it may be so, but I doubt it. In the mean time, I find myself
compelled to beg another service from your kindness. I can obtain,
against a note of hand payable in six months, a ring of the value of two
hundred sequins, and I am certain to sell it again this very day for the
same amount. That sum, is very necessary to me just now, but the
jeweller, who knows you, will not let me have it without your security.
Will you oblige me in this instance? I know that you lost a great deal
last night; if you want some money I will give you one hundred sequins,
which you will return when the note of hand falls due."

How could I refuse him? I knew very well that I would be duped, but I
loved his sister so much:

"I am ready," said I to him, "to sign the note of hand, but you are wrong
in abusing my love for your sister in such a manner."

We went out, and the jeweller having accepted my security the bargain was
completed. The merchant, who knew me only by name, thinking of paying me
a great compliment, told P---- C---- that with my guarantee all his goods
were at his service. I did not feel flattered by the compliment, but I
thought I could see in it the knavery of P---- C----, who was clever
enough to find out, out of a hundred, the fool who without any reason
placed confidence in me when I possessed nothing. It was thus that my
angelic C---- C----, who seemed made to insure my happiness, was the
innocent cause of my ruin.

At noon P---- C---- brought his sister; and wishing most likely to prove
its honesty--for a cheat always tries hard to do that--he gave me back
the letter of exchange which I had endorsed for the Cyprus wine, assuring
me likewise that at our next meeting he would hand me the one hundred
sequins which he had promised me.

I took my mistress as usual to Zuecca; I agreed for the garden to be kept
closed, and we dined under a vine-arbour. My dear C---- C---- seemed to me
more beautiful since she was mine, and, friendship being united to love
we felt a delightful sensation of happiness which shone on our features.
The hostess, who had found me generous, gave us some excellent game and
some very fine fish; her daughter served us. She also came to undress my
little wife as soon as we had gone upstairs to give ourselves up to the
sweet pleasures natural to a young married couple.

When we were alone my loved asked me what was the meaning of the one
hundred sequins which her brother had promised to bring me, and I told
her all that had taken place between him and me.

"I entreat you, darling," she said to me, "to refuse all the demands of
my brother in future; he is, unfortunately, in such difficulties that he
would at the end drag you down to the abyss into which he must fall"

This time our enjoyment seemed to us more substantial; we relished it
with a more refined delight, and, so to speak, we reasoned over it.

"Oh, my best beloved!" she said to me, "do all in your power to render me
pregnant; for in that case my father could no longer refuse his consent
to my marriage, under the pretext of my being too young."

It was with great difficulty that I made her understand that the
fulfilment of that wish, however much I shared it myself, was not
entirely in our power; but that, under the circumstances, it would most
probably be fulfilled sooner or later.

After working with all our might at the completion of that great
undertaking, we gave several hours to a profound and delightful repose.
As soon as we were awake I called for candles and coffee, and we set to
work again in the hope of obtaining the mutual harmony of ecstatic
enjoyment which was necessary to insure our future happiness. It was in
the midst of our loving sport that the too early dawn surprised us, and
we hurried back to Venice to avoid inquisitive eyes.

We renewed our pleasures on the Friday, but, whatever delight I may feel
now in the remembrance of those happy moments, I will spare my readers
the description of my new enjoyment, because they might not feel
interested in such repetitions. I must therefore only say that, before
parting on that day, we fixed for the following Monday, the last day of
the carnival, our last meeting in the Garden of Zuecca. Death alone could
have hindered me from keeping that appointment, for it was to be the last
opportunity of enjoying our amorous sport.

On the Monday morning I saw P---- C----, who confirmed the appointment for
the same hour, and at the place previously agreed upon, and I was there
in good time. In spite of the impatience of a lover, the first hour of
expectation passes rapidly, but the second is mortally long. Yet the
third and the fourth passed without my seeing my beloved mistress. I was
in a state of fearful anxiety; I imagined the most terrible disasters. It
seemed to me that if C---- C---- had been unable to go out her brother ought
to have come to let me know it.

But some unexpected mishap might have detained him, and I could not go
and fetch her myself at her house, even if I had feared nothing else than
to miss them on the road. At last, as the church bells were tolling the
Angelus, C---- C---- came alone, and masked.

"I was certain," she said, "that you were here, and here I am in spite of
all my mother could say. You must be starving. My brother has not put in
an appearance through the whole of this day. Let us go quickly to our
garden, for I am very hungry too, and love will console us for all we
have suffered today."

She had spoken very rapidly, and without giving me time to utter a single
word; I had nothing more to ask her. We went off, and took a gondola to
our garden. The wind was very high, it blew almost a hurricane, and the
gondola having only one rower the danger was great. C---- C----, who had
no idea of it, was playing with me to make up for the restraint under
which she had been all day; but her movements exposed the gondolier to
danger; if he had fallen into the water, nothing could have saved us, and
we would have found death on our way to pleasure. I told her to keep
quiet, but, being anxious not to frighten her, I dared not acquaint her
with the danger we were running. The gondolier, however, had not the same
reasons for sparing her feelings, and he called out to us in a stentorian
voice that, if we did not keep quiet, we were all lost. His threat had
the desired effect, and we reached the landing without mishap. I paid the
man generously, and he laughed for joy when he saw the money for which he
was indebted to the bad weather.

We spent six delightful hours in our casino; this time sleep was not
allowed to visit us. The only thought which threw a cloud over our
felicity was that, the carnival being over, we did not know how to
contrive our future meetings. We agreed, however, that on the following
Wednesday morning I should pay a visit to her brother, and that she would
come to his room as usual.

We took leave of our worthy hostess, who, entertaining no hope of seeing
us again, expressed her sorrow and overwhelmed us with blessings. I
escorted my darling, without any accident, as far as the door of her
house, and went home.

I had just risen at noon, when to my great surprise I had a visit from De
la Haye with his pupil Calvi, a handsome young man, but the very copy of
his master in everything. He walked, spoke, laughed exactly like him; it
was the same language as that of the Jesuits correct but rather harsh
French. I thought that excess of imitation perfectly scandalous, and I
could not help telling De la Haye that he ought to change his pupil's
deportment, because such servile mimicry would only expose him to bitter
raillery. As I was giving him my opinion on that subject, Bavois made his
appearance, and when he had spent an hour in the company of the young man
he was entirely of the same mind. Calvi died two or three years later. De
la Haye, who was bent upon forming pupils, became, two or three months
after Calvi's death, the tutor of the young Chevalier de Morosini, the
nephew of the nobleman to whom Bavois was indebted for his rapid fortune,
who was then the Commissioner of the Republic to settle its boundaries
with the Austrian Government represented by Count Christiani.

I was in love beyond all measure, and I would not postpone an application
on which my happiness depended any longer. After dinner, and as soon as
everybody had retired, I begged M. de Bragadin and his two friends to
grant me an audience of two hours in the room in which we were always
inaccessible. There, without any preamble, I told them that I was in love
with C---- C----, and determined on carrying her off if they could not
contrive to obtain her from her father for my wife. "The question at
issue," I said to M. de Bragadin, "is how to give me a respectable
position, and to guarantee a dowry of ten thousand ducats which the young
lady would bring me." They answered that, if Paralis gave them the
necessary instructions, they were ready to fulfil them. That was all I
wanted. I spent two hours in forming all the pyramids they wished, and
the result was that M. de Bragadin himself would demand in my name the
hand of the young lady; the oracle explaining the reason of that choice
by stating that it must be the same person who would guarantee the dowry
with his own fortune. The father of my mistress being then at his
country-house, I told my friends that they would have due notice of his
return, and that they were to be all three together when M. de Bragadin
demanded the young lady's hand.