the memories of casanova 31
"You would confer a real kindness on me if you would both accept a seat
in my chaise; it holds four persons, and there is plenty of room."
"It is a good fortune which we were far from expecting"
"Not at all, uncle; I will not go with this gentleman."
"Why not, my dear niece?"
"Because I will not."
"Such is the way," I remarked, without looking at her, "that sincerity
is generally rewarded."
"Sincerity, sir! nothing of the sort," she exclaimed, angrily, "it is
sheer wickedness. There can be no true black eyes now for you in the
world, but, as you like them, I am very glad of it."
"You are mistaken, lovely Christine, for I have the means of
ascertaining the truth."
"What means?"
"Only to wash the eyes with a little lukewarm rose-water; or if the lady
cries, the artificial colour is certain to be washed off."
At those words, the scene changed as if by the wand of a conjuror. The
face of the charming girl, which had expressed nothing but indignation,
spite and disdain, took an air of contentment and of placidity
delightful to witness. She smiled at her uncle who was much pleased with
the change in her countenance, for the offer of the carriage had gone to
his heart.
"Now you had better cry a little, my dear niece, and 'il signore' will
render full justice to your eyes."
Christine cried in reality, but it was immoderate laughter that made her
tears flow.
That species of natural originality pleased me greatly, and as we were
going up the steps at the landing-place, I offered her my full
apologies; she accepted the carriage. I ordered breakfast, and told a
'vetturino' to get a very handsome chaise ready while we had our meal,
but the curate said that he must first of all go and say his mass.
"Very well, reverend sir, we will hear it, and you must say it for my
intention."
I put a silver ducat in his hand.
"It is what I am in the habit of giving," I observed.
My generosity surprised him so much that he wanted to kiss my hand. We
proceeded towards the church, and I offered my arm to the niece who, not
knowing whether she ought to accept it or not, said to me,
"Do you suppose that I cannot walk alone?"
"I have no such idea, but if I do not give you my arm, people will think
me wanting in politeness."
"Well, I will take it. But now that I have your arm, what will people
think?"
"Perhaps that we love each other and that we make a very nice couple."
"And if anyone should inform your mistress that we are in love with each
other, or even that you have given your arm to a young girl?"
"I have no mistress, and I shall have none in future, because I could
not find a girl as pretty as you in all Venice."
"I am very sorry for you, for we cannot go again to Venice; and even if
we could, how could we remain there six months? You said that six months
were necessary to know a girl well."
"I would willingly defray all your expenses."
"Indeed? Then say so to my uncle, and he will think it over, for I could
not go alone."
"In six months you would know me likewise."
"Oh! I know-you very well already."
"Could you accept a man like me?"
"Why not?"
"And will you love me?"
"Yes, very much, when you are my husband."
I looked at the young girl with astonishment. She seemed to me a
princess in the disguise of a peasant girl. Her dress, made of 'gros de
Tours' and all embroidered in gold, was very handsome, and cost
certainly twice as much as the finest dress of a Venetian lady. Her
bracelets, matching the neckchain, completed her rich toilet. She had
the figure of a nymph, and the new fashion of wearing a mantle not
having yet reached her village, I could see the most magnificent bosom,
although her dress was fastened up to the neck. The end of the richly-
embroidered skirt did not go lower than the ankles, which allowed me to
admire the neatest little foot and the lower part of an exquisitely
moulded leg. Her firm and easy walk, the natural freedom of all her
movements, a charming look which seemed to say, "I am very glad that you
think me pretty," everything, in short, caused the ardent fire of
amorous desires to circulate through my veins. I could not conceive how
such a lovely girl could have spent a fortnight in Venice without
finding a man to marry or to deceive her. I was particularly delighted
with her simple, artless way of talking, which in the city might have
been taken for silliness.
Absorbed in my thoughts, and having resolved in my own mind on rendering
brilliant homage to her charms, I waited impatiently for the end of the
mass.
After breakfast I had great difficulty in convincing the curate that my
seat in the carriage was the last one, but I found it easier to persuade
him on our arrival in Treviso to remain for dinner and for supper at a
small, unfrequented inn, as I took all the expense upon myself. He
accepted very willingly when I added that immediately after supper a
carriage would be in readiness to convey him to P----, where he would
arrive in an hour after a peasant journey by moonlight. He had nothing
to hurry him on, except his wish to say mass in his own church the next
morning.
I ordered a fire and a good dinner, and the idea struck me that the
curate himself might pledge the ring for me, and thus give me the
opportunity of a short interview with his niece. I proposed it to him,
saying that I could not very well go myself, as I did not wish to be
known. He undertook the commission at once, expressing his pleasure at
doing something to oblige me.
He left us, and I remained alone with Christine. I spent an hour with
her without trying to give her even a kiss, although I was dying to do
so, but I prepared her heart to burn with the same desires which were
already burning in me by those words which so easily inflame the
imagination of a young 'girl.
The curate came back and returned me the ring, saying that it could not
be pledged until the day after the morrow, in consequence of the
Festival of the Holy Virgin. He had spoken to the cashier, who had
stated that if I liked the bank would lend double the sum I had asked.
"My dear sir," I said, "you would greatly oblige me if you would come
back here from P---- to pledge the ring yourself. Now that it has been
offered once by you, it might look very strange if it were brought by
another person. Of course I will pay all your expenses."
"I promise you to come back."
I hoped he would bring his niece with him.
I was seated opposite to Christine during the dinner, and discovered
fresh charms in her every minute, but, fearing I might lose her
confidence if I tried to obtain some slight favour, I made up my mind
not to go to work too quickly, and to contrive that the curate should
take her again to Venice. I thought that there only I could manage to
bring love into play and to give it the food it requires.
"Reverend sir," I said, "let me advise you to take your niece again to
Venice. I undertake to defray all expenses, and to find an honest woman
with whom your Christine will be as safe as with her own mother. I want
to know her well in order to make her my wife, and if she comes to
Venice our marriage is certain."
"Sir, I will bring my niece myself to Venice as soon as you inform me
that you have found a worthy woman with whom I can leave her in safety."
While we were talking I kept looking at Christine, and I could see her
smile with contentment.
"My dear Christine," I said, "within a week I shall have arranged the
affair. In the meantime, I will write to you. I hope that you have no
objection to correspond with me."
"My uncle will write for me, for I have never been taught writing."
"What, my dear child! you wish to become the wife of a Venetian, and you
cannot write."
"Is it then necessary to know how to write in order to become a wife? I
can read well."
"That is not enough, and although a girl can be a wife and a mother
without knowing how to trace one letter, it is generally admitted that a
young girl ought to be able to write. I wonder you never learned."
"There is no wonder in that, for not one girl in our village can do it.
Ask my uncle."
"It is perfectly true, but there is not one who thinks of getting
married in Venice, and as you wish for a Venetian husband you must
learn."
"Certainly," I said, "and before you come to Venice, for everybody would
laugh at you, if you could not write. I see that it makes you sad, my
dear, but it cannot be helped."
"I am sad, because I cannot learn writing in a week."
"I undertake," said her uncle, "to teach you in a fortnight, if you will
only practice diligently. You will then know enough to be able to
improve by your own exertions."
"It is a great undertaking, but I accept it; I promise you to work night
and day, and to begin to-morrow."
After dinner, I advised the priest not to leave that evening, to rest
during the night, and I observed that, by going away before day-break,
he would reach P---- in good time, and feel all the better for it. I
made the same proposal to him in the evening, and when he saw that his
niece was sleepy, he was easily persuaded to remain. I called for the
innkeeper, ordered a carriage for the clergyman, and desired that a fire
might be lit for me in the next room where I would sleep, but the good
priest said that it was unnecessary, because there were two large beds
in our room, that one would be for me and the other for him and his
niece.
"We need not undress," he added, "as we mean to leave very early, but
you can take off your clothes, sir, because you are not going with us,
and you will like to remain in bed to-morrow morning."
"Oh!" remarked Christine, "I must undress myself, otherwise I could not
sleep, but I only want a few minutes to get ready in the morning."
I said nothing, but I was amazed. Christine then, lovely and charming
enough to wreck the chastity of a Xenocrates, would sleep naked with her
uncle! True, he was old, devout, and without any of the ideas which
might render such a position dangerous, yet the priest was a man, he had
evidently felt like all men, and he ought to have known the danger he
was exposing himself to. My carnal-mindedness could not realize such a
state of innocence. But it was truly innocent, so much so that he did it
openly, and did not suppose that anyone could see anything wrong in it.
I saw it all plainly, but I was not accustomed to such things, and felt
lost in wonderment. As I advanced in age and in experience, I have seen
the same custom established in many countries amongst honest people
whose good morals were in no way debased by it, but it was amongst good
people, and I do not pretend to belong to that worthy class.
We had had no meat for dinner, and my delicate palate was not over-
satisfied. I went down to the kitchen myself, and I told the landlady
that I wanted the best that could be procured in Treviso for supper,
particularly in wines.
"If you do not mind the expense, sir, trust to me, and I undertake to
please you. I will give you some Gatta wine."
"All right, but let us have supper early."
When I returned to our room, I found Christine caressing the cheeks of
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