"That would be too great a bliss, but I could never make up my mind to it; say no more about it."
I was sure of spending a delicious night--in the possession of all her charms, and we stayed an hour at table, seasoning the dishes with sweet converse. When we had done, the woman came up, gave her a packet, and went away again, wishing us good night.
"What does this packet contain, darling?"
"It is the present I have got for you-my portrait, but you must not see it till I am in bed."
"I will indulge you in that fancy, although I am very curious to see the portrait."
"You will say I am right afterwards."
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 had made; nothing was 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 whom you must forget 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 know how precious your present is to me! Tell me, dearest, how you succeeded in carrying out your plan so well."
"I told the country-woman about it yesterday morning, and she said that she had a foster-son at Anneci, who was a miniature painter.
Through him she sent the two miniatures to a more skilful painter at Geneva, who made the change 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 how well 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 we were 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 moment, for I
had a little packet too, which contained something she would like.
I then drew from my pocket-book a little article of transparent skin, about eight inches long, with one opening, which was ornamented with a red rosette. I gave her this preventive sheath, and she looked, admired, and laughed loudly, asking me if I had used such articles with her Venetian sister. "I will put it on myself; you don't know how 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 becomes past doubt?"
"Dearest, the only thing to do is not to think of it, for if the damage is done, there is no cure for it; but from my experience and knowledge of the laws of nature I expect that our sweet combats of last night will probably have no troublesome consequences. It has been stated that after child-birth a woman cannot conceive afresh without having seen something 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; my state is the same."
"The event has sometimes given 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, we will 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 me be reasonable now, for I
have never thought 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 we will philosophize another time."
"Wait a minute. I have never seen a man before, and I have never wished to enjoy the sight as much as now. Ten months ago 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 exposed me to the danger of losing my honour and my life. But, tell me, how is that the makers of these things 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! Look! it is too large here, and too small there; it makes you into a regular curve. What a stupid the fellow must be, he can't know his own trade! But what is that?"
"You make me laugh; it's all your fault. You have been feeling and fondling, and you see the natural consequence. I knew it would be so."
"And you couldn't keep it back a minute. It is going on now. I am so sorry; it is a dreadful pity."
"There is not much harm done, so console yourself."
"How can I? you are quite dead. How can you laugh?"
"At your charming simplicity. You shall see in a moment that your charms will give me new life which I shall not lose so easily."
"Wonderful! I couldn't have believed it!"
