My beautiful nun5 had not spoken to me, and I was glad of it, for I was so astonished, so completely under the spell of her beauty, that I might have given her a very poor opinion of my intelligence by the rambling7 answers which I should very likely have given to her questions. I knew her to be certain that she had not to fear the humiliation8 of a refusal from me, but I admired her courage in running the risk of it in her position. I could hardly understand her boldness, and I could not conceive how she contrived9 to enjoy so much liberty. A casino at Muran! the possibility of going to Venice to sup with a young man! It was all very surprising, and I decided10 in my own mind that she had an acknowledged lover whose pleasure it was to make her happy by satisfying her caprices. It is true that such a thought was rather unpleasant to my pride, but there was too much piquancy11 in the adventure, the heroine of it was too attractive, for me to be stopped by any considerations. I saw very well that I was taking the high road to become unfaithful to my dear C—— C— — or rather that I was already so in thought and will, but I must confess that, in spite of all my love for that charming child, I felt no qualms13 of conscience. It seemed to me that an infidelity of that sort, if she ever heard of it, would not displease14 her, for that short excursion on strange ground would only keep me alive and in good condition for her, because it would save me from the weariness which was surely killing15 me.
I had been presented to the celebrated16 Countess Coronini by a nun, a relative of M. Dandolo. That countess, who had been very handsome and was very witty17, having made up her mind to renounce18 the political intrigues19 which had been the study of her whole life, had sought a retreat in the Convent of St. Justine, in the hope of finding in that refuge the calm which she wanted, and which her disgust of society had rendered necessary to her. As she had enjoyed a very great reputation, she was still visited at the convent by all the foreign ambassadors and by the first noblemen of Venice; inside of the walls of her convent the countess was acquainted with everything that happened in the city. She always received me very kindly20, and, treating me as a young man, she took pleasure in giving me, every time I called on her, very agreeable lessons in morals. Being quite certain to find out from her, with a little manoeuvering, something concerning M—— M— — I decided on paying her a visit the day after I had seen the beautiful nun.
The countess gave me her usual welcome, and, after the thousand nothings which it is the custom to utter in society before anything worth saying is spoken, I led the conversation up to the convents of Venice. We spoke6 of the wit and influence of a nun called Celsi, who, although ugly, had an immense credit everywhere and in everything. We mentioned afterwards the young and lovely Sister Michali, who had taken the veil to prove to her mother that she was superior to her in intelligence and wit. After speaking of several other nuns21 who had the reputation of being addicted22 to gallantry, I named M—— M— — remarking that most likely she deserved that reputation likewise, but that she was an enigma23. The countess answered with a smile that she was not an enigma for everybody, although she was necessarily so for most people.
“What is incomprehensible,” she said, “is the caprice that she took suddenly to become a nun, being handsome, rich, free, well-educated, full of wit, and, to my knowledge, a Free-thinker. She took the veil without any reason, physical or moral; it was a mere24 caprice.”
“Do you believe her to be happy, madam?”
“Yes, unless she has repented26 her decision, or if she does not repent25 it some day. But if ever she does, I think she will be wise enough never to say so to anyone.”
Satisfied by the mysterious air of the countess that M—— M—— had a lover, I made up my mind not to trouble myself about it, and having put on my mask I went to Muran in the afternoon. When I reached the gate of the convent I rang the bell, and with an anxious heart I asked for M—— M—— in the name of Madame de S——. The small parlour being closed, the attendant pointed27 out to me the one in which I had to go. I went in, took off my mask, and sat down waiting for my divinity.
My heart was beating furiously; I was waiting with great impatience28; yet that expectation was not without charm, for I dreaded30 the beginning of the interview. An hour passed pretty rapidly, but I began then to find the time rather long, and thinking that, perhaps, the attendant had not rightly understood me, I rang the bell, and enquired31 whether notice of my visit had being given to Sister M—— M——. A voice answered affirmatively. I took my seat again, and a few minutes afterwards an old, toothless nun came in and informed me that Sister M—— M—— was engaged for the whole day. Without giving me time to utter a single word, the woman left the parlour. This was one of those terrible moments to which the man who worships at the shrine32 of the god of love is exposed! They are indeed cruel moments; they bring fearful sorrow, they may cause death.
Feeling myself disgraced, my first sensation was utter contempt for myself, an inward despair which was akin12 to rage; the second was disdainful indignation against the nun, upon whom I passed the severe judgment34 which I thought she deserved, and which was the only way I had to soothe35 my grief. Such behaviour proclaimed her to be the most impudent36 of women, and entirely37 wanting in good sense; for the two letters she had written to me were quite enough to ruin her character if I had wished to revenge myself, and she evidently could not expect anything else from me. She must have been mad to set at defiance38 my revengeful feelings, and I should certainly have thought that she was insane if I had not heard her converse39 with the countess.
Time, they say, brings good counsel; it certainly brings calm, and cool reflection gives lucidity40 to the mind. At last I persuaded myself that what had occurred was after all in no way extraordinary, and that I would certainly have considered it at first a very common occurrence if I had not been dazzled by the wonderful beauty of the nun, and blinded by my own vanity. As a very natural result I felt that I was at liberty to laugh at my mishap41, and that nobody could possibly guess whether my mirth was genuine or only counterfeit42. Sophism43 is so officious!
But, in spite of all my fine arguments, I still cherished the thought of revenge; no debasing element, however, was to form part of it, and being determined44 not to leave the person who had been guilty of such a bad practical joke the slightest cause of triumph, I had the courage not to shew any vexation. She had sent word to me that she was engaged; nothing more natural; the part I had to play was to appear indifferent. “Most likely she will not be engaged another time,” I said to myself, “but I defy her to catch me in the snare46 again. I mean to shew her that I only laugh at her uncivil behaviour.” Of course I intended to send back her letters, but not without the accompaniment of a billet-doux, the gallantry of which was not likely to please her.
The worse part of the affair for me was to be compelled to go to her church; because, supposing her not to be aware of my going there for C—— C— — she might imagine that the only object of my visits was to give her the opportunity of apologizing for her conduct and of appointing a new meeting. I wanted her to entertain no doubt of my utter contempt for her person, and I felt certain that she had proposed the other meetings in Venice and at the casino of Muran only to deceive me more easily.
I went to bed with a great thirst for revenge, I fell asleep thinking of it, and I awoke with the resolution of quenching47 it. I began to write, but, as I wished particularly that my letter should not show the pique of the disappointed lover, I left it on my table with the intention of reading it again the next day. It proved a useful precaution, for when I read it over, twenty-four hours afterwards, I found it unworthy of me, and tore it to pieces. It contained some sentences which savoured too much of my weakness, my love, and my spite, and which, far from humiliating her, would only have given her occasion to laugh at me.
On the Wednesday after I had written to C—— C—— that very serious reasons compelled me to give up my visits to the church of her convent, I wrote another letter to the nun, but on Thursday it had the same fate as the first, because upon a second perusal48 I found the same deficiencies. It seemed to me that I had lost the faculty49 of writing. Ten days afterwards I found out that I was too deeply in love to have the power of expressing myself in any other way than through the feelings of my heart.
‘Sincerium est nisi vas, quodcunque infundis acescit.’
The face of M—— M—— had made too deep an impression on me; nothing could possibly obliterate50 it except the all-powerful influence of time.
In my ridiculous position I was sorely tempted51 to complain to Countess S——; but I am happy to say I was prudent52 enough not to cross the threshold of her door. At last I bethought myself that the giddy nun was certainly labouring under constant dread29, knowing that I had in my possession her two letters, with which I could ruin her reputation and cause the greatest injury to the convent, and I sent them back to her with the following note, after I had kept them ten days:
“I can assure you, madam, that it was owing only to forgetfulness that I did not return your two letters which you will find enclosed. I have never thought of belying53 my own nature by taking a cowardly revenge upon you, and I forgive you most willingly the two giddy acts of which you have been guilty, whether they were committed thoughtlessly or because you wanted to enjoy a joke at my expense. Nevertheless, you will allow me to advise you not to treat any other man in the same way, for you might meet with one endowed with less delicacy54. I know your name, I know who you are, but you need not be anxious; it is exactly as if I did not know it. You may, perhaps, care but little for my discretion55, but if it should be so I should greatly pity you.
“You may be aware that I shall not shew myself again at your church; but let me assure you that it is not a sacrifice on my part, and that I can attend mass anywhere else. Yet I must tell you why I shall abstain56 from frequenting the church of your convent. It is very natural for me to suppose that to the two thoughtless acts of which you have been guilty, you have added another not less serious, namely, that of having boasted of your exploits with the other nuns, and I do not want to be the butt57 of your jokes in cell or parlour. Do not think me too ridiculous if, in spite of being five or six years older than you, I have not thrown off all feelings of self-respect, or trodden under, my feet all reserve and propriety58; in one word, if I have kept some prejudices, there are a few which in my opinion ought never to be forgotten. Do not disdain33, madam, the lesson which I take the liberty to teach you, as I receive in the kindest spirit the one which you have given me, most likely only for the sake of fun, but by which I promise you to profit as long as I live.”
I thought that, considering all circumstances, my letter was a very genial59 one; I made up my parcel, put on my mask, and looked out for a porter who could have no knowledge of me; I gave him half a sequin, and I promised him as much more when he could assure me that he had faithfully delivered my letter at the convent of Muran. I gave him all the necessary instructions, and cautioned him to go away the very moment he had delivered the letter at the gate of the convent, even if he were told to wait. I must say here that my messenger was a man from Forli, and that the Forlanese were then the most trustworthy men in Venice; for one of them to be guilty of a breach61 of trust was an unheard-of thing. Such men were formerly62 the Savoyards, in Paris; but everything is getting worse in this world.
I was beginning to forget the adventure, probably because I thought, rightly or wrongly, that I had put an insurmountable barrier between the nun and myself, when, ten days after I had sent my letter, as I was coming out of the opera, I met my messenger, lantern in hand. I called him, and without taking off my mask I asked him whether he knew me. He looked at me, eyed me from head to foot, and finally answered that he did not.
“Did you faithfully carry the message to Muran?”
“Ah, sir! God be praised! I am very happy to see you again, for I have an important communication to make to you. I took your letter, delivered it according to your instructions, and I went away as soon as it was in the hands of the attendant, although she requested me to wait. When I returned from Muran I did not see you, but that did not matter. On the following day, one of my companions, who happened to be at the gate of the convent when I delivered your letter, came early in the morning to tell me to go to Muran, because the attendant wanted particularly to speak to me. I went there, and after waiting for a few minutes I was shewn into the parlour, where I was kept for more than an hour by a nun as beautiful as the light of day, who asked me a thousand questions for the purpose of ascertaining63, if not who you are, at least where I should be likely to find you. You know that I could not give her any satisfactory information. She then left the parlour, ordering me to wait, and at the end of two hours she came back with a letter which she entrusted64 to my hands, telling me that, if I succeeded in finding you out and in bringing her an answer, she would give me two sequins. In the mean time I was to call at the convent every day, shew her the letter, and receive forty sons every time. Until now I have earned twenty crowns, but I am afraid the lady will get tired of it, and you can make me earn two sequins by answering a line.”
“Where is the letter?”
“In my room under lock and key, for I am always afraid of losing it.”
“Then how can I answer?”
“If you will wait for me here, you shall have the letter in less than a quarter of an hour.”
“I will not wait, because I do not care about the letter. But tell me how you could flatter the nun with the hope of finding me out? You are a rogue65, for it is not likely that she would have trusted you with the letter if you had not promised her to find me.”
“I am not a rogue, for I have done faithfully what you told me; but it is true that I gave her a description of your coat, your buckles66, and your figure, and I can assure you that for the last ten days I have examined all the masks who are about your size, but in vain. Now I recognize your buckles, but I do not think you have the same coat. Alas67, sir! it will not cost you much to write only one line. Be kind enough to wait for me in the coffee-house close by.”
I could not resist my curiosity any longer, and I made up my mind not to wait for him but to accompany him as far as his house. I had only to write, “I have received the letter,” and my curiosity was gratified and the Forlanese earned his two sequins. I could afterwards change my buckles and my mask, and thus set all enquiries at defiance.
I therefore followed him to his door; he went in and brought me the letter. I took him to an inn, where I asked for a room with a good fire, and I told my man to wait. I broke the seal of the parcel — a rather large one, and the first papers that I saw were the two letters which I had sent back to her in order to allay68 her anxiety as to the possible consequences of her giddiness.
The sight of these letters caused me such a palpitation of the heart that I was compelled to sit down: it was a most evident sign of my defeat. Besides these two letters I found a third one signed “S.” and addressed to M—— M——. I read the following lines:
“The mask who accompanied me back to my house would not, I believe, have uttered a single word, if I had not told him that the charms of your witty mind were even more bewitching than those of your person; and his answer was, ‘I have seen the one, and I believe in the other.’ I added that I did not understand why you had not spoken to him, and he said, with a smile, ‘I refused to be presented to her, and she punished me for it by not appearing to know that I was present.’ These few words were all our dialogue. I intended to send you this note this morning, but found it impossible. Adieu.”
After reading this note, which stated the exact truth, and which could be considered as proof, my heart began to beat less quickly. Delighted at seeing myself on the point of being convicted of injustice69, I took courage, and I read the following letter:
“Owing to an excusable weakness, feeling curious to know what you would say about me to the countess after you had seen me, I took an opportunity of asking her to let me know all you said to her on the following day at latest, for I foresaw that you would pay me a visit in the afternoon. Her letter, which I enclose, and which I beg you to read, did not reach me till half an hour after you had left the convent.
“This was the first fatality70.
“Not having received that letter when you called, I had not the courage to see you. This absurd weakness on my part was the second fatality, but the weakness you will; I hope; forgive. I gave orders to the lay-sister to tell you that I was ill for the whole day; a very legitimate71 excuse; whether true or false, for it was an officious untruth, the correction of which, was to be found in the words: for the whole day. You had already left the convent, and I could not possibly send anyone to run after you, when the old fool informed me of her having told you that I was engaged.
“This was the third fatality.
“You cannot imagine what I had a mind to do and to say to that foolish sister; but here one must say or do nothing; one must be patient and dissemble, thanking God when mistakes are the result of ignorance and not of wickedness — a very common thing in convents. I foresaw at once, at least partly; what would happen; and what has actually, happened; for no reasonable being could, I believe, have foreseen it all. I guessed that, thinking yourself the victim of a joke, you would be incensed72, and I felt miserable73, for I did not see any way of letting you know the truth before the following Sunday. My heart longed ardently74 for that day. Could I possibly imagine that you, would take a resolution not to come again to our church! I tried to be patient until that Sunday; but when I found myself disappointed in my hope, my misery75 became unbearable76, and it will cause my death if you refuse to listen to my justification77. Your letter has made me completely unhappy, and I shall not resist my despair if you persist in the cruel resolve expressed by your unfeeling letter. You have considered yourself trifled with; that is all you can say; but will this letter convince you of your error? And even believing yourself deceived in the most scandalous manner, you must admit that to write such an awful letter you must have supposed me an abominable78 wretch79 — a monster, such as a woman of noble birth and of refined education cannot possibly be. I enclose the two letters you sent back to me, with the idea of allaying80 my fears which you cruelly supposed very different to what they are in reality. I am a better physiognomist than you, and you must be quite certain that I have not acted thoughtlessly, for I never thought you capable, I will not say of crime, but even of an indelicate action. You must have read on my features the signs only of giddy impudence81, and that is not my nature. You may be the cause of my death, you will certainly make me miserable for the remainder of my life, if you do not justify82 yourself; on my side I think the justification is complete.
“I hope that, even if you feel no interest in my life, you will think that you are bound in honour to come and speak to me. Come yourself to recall all you have written; it is your duty, and I deserve it. If you do not realize the fatal effect produced upon me by your letter, I must indeed pity you, in spite of my misery, for it proves that you have not the slightest knowledge of the human heart. But I feel certain that you will come back, provided the man to whom I trust this letter contrives83 to find you. Adieu! I expect life or death from you.”
I did not require to read that letter twice; I was ashamed and in despair. M—— M—— was right. I called the Forlanese, enquired from him whether he had spoken to her in the morning, and whether she looked ill. He answered that he had found her looking more unhappy every day, and that her eyes were red from weeping.
“Go down again and wait,” I said to him.
I began to write, and I had not concluded my long screed84 before the dawn of day; here are, word by word, the contents of the letter which I wrote to the noblest of women, whom in my unreasonable85 spite I had judged so wrongly.
“I plead guilty, madam; I cannot possibly justify myself, and I am perfectly86 convinced of your innocence87. I should be disconsolate88 if I did not hope to obtain pardon, and you will not refuse to forgive me if you are kind enough to recollect89 the cause of my guilt45. I saw you; I was dazzled, and I could not realize a happiness which seemed to me a dream; I thought myself the prey90 of one of those delightful91 illusions which vanish when we wake up. The doubt under which I was labouring could not be cleared up for twenty-four hours, and how could I express my feverish92 impatience as I was longing93 for that happy moment! It came at last! and my heart, throbbing94 with desire and hope, was flying towards you while I was in the parlour counting the minutes! Yet an hour passed almost rapidly, and not unnaturally95, considering my impatience and the deep impression I felt at the idea of seeing you. But then, precisely96 at the very moment when I believed myself certain that I was going to gaze upon the beloved features which had been in one interview indelibly engraved97 upon my heart, I saw the most disagreeable face appear, and a creature announced that you were engaged for the whole day, and without giving me time to utter one word she disappeared! You may imagine my astonishment98 and . . . the rest. The lightning would not have produced upon me a more rapid, a more terrible effect! If you had sent me a line by that sister — a line from your hand — I would have gone away, if not pleased, at least submissive and resigned.
“But that was a fourth fatality which you have forgotten to add to your delightful and witty justification. Thinking myself scoffed99 at, my self-love rebelled, and indignation for the moment silenced love. Shame overwhelmed me! I thought that everybody could read on my face all the horror in my heart, and I saw in you, under the outward appearance of an angel, nothing but a fearful daughter of the Prince of Darkness. My mind was thoroughly100 upset, and at the end of eleven days I lost the small portion of good sense that was left in me — at least I must suppose so, as it is then that I wrote to you the letter of which you have so good a right to complain, and which at that time seemed to me a masterpiece of moderation.
“But I hope it is all over now, and this very day at eleven o’clock you will see me at your feet — tender, submissive and repentant101. You will forgive me, divine woman, or I will myself avenge102 you for the insult I have hurled103 at you. The only thing which I dare to ask from you as a great favour is to burn my first letter, and never to mention it again. I sent it only after I had written four, which I destroyed one after the other: you may therefore imagine the state of my heart.
“I have given orders to my messenger to go to your convent at once, so that my letter can be delivered to you as soon as you wake in the morning. He would never have discovered me, if my good angel had not made me go up to him at the door of the opera-house. But I shall not require his services any more; do not answer me, and receive all the devotion of a heart which adores you.”
When my letter was finished, I called my Forlanese, gave him one sequin, and I made him promise me to go to Muran immediately, and to deliver my letter only to the nun herself. As soon as he had gone I threw myself on my bed, but anxiety and burning impatience would not allow me to sleep.
I need not tell the reader who knows the state of excitement under which I was labouring, that I was punctual in presenting myself at the convent. I was shewn into the small parlour where I had seen her for the first time, and she almost immediately made her entrance. As soon as I saw her near the grating I fell on my knees, but she entreated104 me to rise at once as I might be seen. Her face was flushed with excitement, and her looks seemed to me heavenly. She sat down, and I took a seat opposite to her. We remained several minutes motionless, gazing at each other without speaking, but I broke the silence by asking her, in a voice full of love and anxiety, whether I could hope to obtain my pardon. She gave me her beautiful hand through the grating, and I covered it with tears and kisses.
“Our acquaintance,” she said, “has begun with a violent storm; let us hope that we shall now enjoy it long in perfect and lasting106 calm. This is the first time that we speak to one another, but what has occurred must be enough to give us a thorough knowledge of each other. I trust that our intimacy107 will be as tender as sincere, and that we shall know how to have a mutual108 indulgence for our faults.”
“Can such an angel as you have any?”
“Ah, my friend! who is without them?”
“When shall I have the happiness of convincing you of my devotion with complete freedom and in all the joy of my heart?”
“We will take supper together at my casino whenever you please, provided you give me notice two days beforehand; or I will go and sup with you in Venice, if it will not disturb your arrangements.”
“It would only increase my happiness. I think it right to tell you that I am in very easy circumstances, and that, far from fearing expense, I delight in it: all I possess belongs to the woman I love.”
“That confidence, my dear friend, is very agreeable to me, the more so that I have likewise to tell you that I am very rich, and that I could not refuse anything to my lover.”
“But you must have a lover?”
“Yes; it is through him that I am rich, and he is entirely my master. I never conceal109 anything from him. The day after to-morrow, when I am alone with you, I will tell you more.”
“But I hope that your lover. . . . ”
“Will not be there? Certainly not. Have you a mistress?”
“I had one, but, alas! she has been taken from me by violent means, and for the last six months I have led a life of complete celibacy110.”
“Do you love her still?”
“I cannot think of her without loving her. She has almost as great charms, as great beauty, as you have; but I foresee that you will make me forget her.”
“If your happiness with her was complete, I pity you. She has been violently taken from you, and you shun111 society in order to feed your sorrow. I have guessed right, have I not? But if I happen to take possession of her place in your heart, no one, my sweet friend, shall turn me out of it.”
“But what will your lover say?”
“He will be delighted to see me happy with such a lover as you. It is in his nature.”
“What an admirable nature! Such heroism112 is quite beyond me!”
“What sort of a life do you lead in Venice?”
“I live at the theatres, in society, in the casinos, where I fight against fortune sometimes with good sometimes with bad success.”
“Do you visit the foreign ambassadors?”
“No, because I am too much acquainted with the nobility; but I know them all.”
“How can you know them if you do not see them?”
“I have known them abroad. In Parma the Duke de Montalegre, the Spanish ambassador; in Vienna I knew Count Rosemberg; in Paris, about two years ago, the French ambassador.”
“It is near twelve o’clock, my dear friend; it is time for us to part. Come at the same hour the day after tomorrow, and I will give you all the instructions which you will require to enable you to come and sup with me.”
“Alone?”
“Of course.”
“May I venture to ask you for a pledge? The happiness which you promise me is so immense!”
“What pledge do you want?”
“To see you standing113 before that small window in the grating with permission for me to occupy the same place as Madame de S——.”
She rose at once, and, with the most gracious smile, touched the spring; after a most expressive114 kiss, I took leave of her. She followed me with her eyes as far as the door, and her loving gaze would have rooted me to the spot if she had not left the room.
I spent the two days of expectation in a whirl of impatient joy, which prevented me from eating and sleeping; for it seemed to me that no other love had ever given me such happiness, or rather that I was going to be happy for the first time.
Irrespective of birth, beauty, and wit, which was the principal merit of my new conquest, prejudice was there to enhance a hundredfold my felicity, for she was a vestal: it was forbidden fruit, and who does not know that, from Eve down to our days, it was that fruit which has always appeared the most delicious! I was on the point of encroaching upon the rights of an all-powerful husband; in my eyes M—— M—— was above all the queens of the earth.
If my reason had not been the slave of passion, I should have known that my nun could not be a different creature from all the pretty women whom I had loved for the thirteen years that I had been labouring in the fields of love. But where is the man in love who can harbour such a thought? If it presents itself too often to his mind, he expels it disdainfully! M—— M—— could not by any means be otherwise than superior to all other women in the wide world.
Animal nature, which chemists call the animal kingdom, obtains through instinct the three various means necessary for the perpetuation115 of its species.
There are three real wants which nature has implanted in all human creatures. They must feed themselves, and to prevent that task from being insipid116 and tedious they have the agreeable sensation of appetite, which they feel pleasure in satisfying. They must propagate their respective species; an absolute necessity which proves the wisdom of the Creator, since without reproduction all would, be annihilated118 — by the constant law of degradation119, decay and death. And, whatever St. Augustine may say, human creatures would not perform the work of generation if they did not find pleasure in it, and if there was not in that great work an irresistible120 attraction for them. In the third place, all creatures have a determined and invincible121 propensity122 to destroy their enemies; and it is certainly a very wise ordination123, for that feeling of self- preservation124 makes it a duty for them to do their best for the destruction of whatever can injure them.
Each species obeys these laws in its own way. The three sensations: hunger, desire, and hatred125 — are in animals the satisfaction of habitual126 instinct, and cannot be called pleasures, for they can be so only in proportion to the intelligence of the individual. Man alone is gifted with the perfect organs which render real pleasure peculiar127 to him; because, being, endowed with the sublime128 faculty of reason, he foresees enjoyment129, looks for it, composes, improves, and increases it by thought and recollection. I entreat105 you, dear reader, not to get weary of following me in my ramblings; for now that I am but the shadow of the once brilliant Casanova, I love to chatter130; and if you were to give me the slip, you would be neither polite nor obliging.
Man comes down to the level of beasts whenever he gives himself up to the three natural propensities131 without calling reason and judgment to his assistance; but when the mind gives perfect equilibrium132 to those propensities, the sensations derived133 from them become true enjoyment, an unaccountable feeling which gives us what is called happiness, and which we experience without being able to describe it.
The voluptuous134 man who reasons, disdains135 greediness, rejects with contempt lust136 and lewdness137, and spurns138 the brutal139 revenge which is caused by a first movement of anger: but he is dainty, and satisfies his appetite only in a manner in harmony with his nature and his tastes; he is amorous140, but he enjoys himself with the object of his love only when he is certain that she will share his enjoyment, which can never be the case unless their love is mutual; if he is offended, he does not care for revenge until he has calmly considered the best means to enjoy it fully60. If he is sometimes more cruel than necessary, he consoles himself with the idea that he has acted under the empire of reason; and his revenge is sometimes so noble that he finds it in forgiveness. Those three operations are the work of the soul which, to procure141 enjoyment for itself, becomes the agent of our passions. We sometimes suffer from hunger in order to enjoy better the food which will allay it; we delay the amorous enjoyment for the sake of making it more intense, and we put off the moment of our revenge in order to make it more certain. It is true, however, that one may die from indigestion, that we allow ourselves to be often deceived in love, and that the creature we want to annihilate117 often escapes our revenge; but perfection cannot be attained142 in anything, and those are risks which we run most willingly.
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pique
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| v.伤害…的自尊心，使生气 n.不满，生气 | |
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reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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parenthesis
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| n.圆括号，插入语，插曲，间歇，停歇 | |
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5
nun
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| n.修女，尼姑 | |
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6
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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7
rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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8
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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9
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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10
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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11
piquancy
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| n.辛辣，辣味，痛快 | |
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12
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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13
qualms
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| n.不安；内疚 | |
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14
displease
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| vt.使不高兴，惹怒；n.不悦，不满，生气 | |
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15
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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16
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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17
witty
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| adj.机智的，风趣的 | |
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18
renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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19
intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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20
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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21
nuns
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| n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 ) | |
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22
addicted
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| adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的 | |
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23
enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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24
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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25
repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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26
repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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28
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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29
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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30
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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31
enquired
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| 打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问 | |
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32
shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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33
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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34
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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35
soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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36
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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37
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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38
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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39
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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40
lucidity
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| n.明朗，清晰，透明 | |
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41
mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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42
counterfeit
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| vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的 | |
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43
sophism
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| n.诡辩 | |
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44
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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45
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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46
snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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47
quenching
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| 淬火，熄 | |
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48
perusal
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| n.细读，熟读；目测 | |
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49
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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50
obliterate
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| v.擦去，涂抹，去掉...痕迹，消失，除去 | |
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51
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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52
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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53
belying
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| v.掩饰，与…不符，使…失望；掩饰( belie的现在分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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54
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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55
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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56
abstain
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| v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免 | |
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57
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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58
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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59
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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60
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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61
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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62
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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63
ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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64
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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66
buckles
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| 搭扣，扣环( buckle的名词复数 ) | |
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67
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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68
allay
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| v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等) | |
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69
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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70
fatality
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| n.不幸，灾祸，天命 | |
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71
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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72
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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73
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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74
ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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75
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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76
unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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77
justification
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| n.正当的理由；辩解的理由 | |
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78
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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79
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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80
allaying
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| v.减轻，缓和( allay的现在分词 ) | |
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81
impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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82
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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83
contrives
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的第三人称单数 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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84
screed
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| n.长篇大论 | |
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85
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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86
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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87
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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88
disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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89
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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90
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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91
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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92
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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93
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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94
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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95
unnaturally
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| adv.违反习俗地；不自然地；勉强地；不近人情地 | |
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96
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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97
engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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98
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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99
scoffed
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| 嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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100
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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101
repentant
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| adj.对…感到悔恨的 | |
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102
avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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103
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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104
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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105
entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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106
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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107
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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108
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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109
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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110
celibacy
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| n.独身(主义) | |
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111
shun
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| vt.避开，回避，避免 | |
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112
heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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113
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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114
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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115
perpetuation
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| n.永存，不朽 | |
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116
insipid
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| adj.无味的，枯燥乏味的，单调的 | |
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117
annihilate
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| v.使无效；毁灭；取消 | |
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118
annihilated
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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119
degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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120
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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121
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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122
propensity
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| n.倾向；习性 | |
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123
ordination
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| n.授任圣职 | |
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124
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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125
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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126
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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127
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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128
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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129
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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130
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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131
propensities
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| n.倾向，习性( propensity的名词复数 ) | |
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132
equilibrium
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| n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静 | |
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133
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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134
voluptuous
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| adj.肉欲的，骄奢淫逸的 | |
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135
disdains
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| 鄙视，轻蔑( disdain的名词复数 ) | |
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136
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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137
lewdness
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| n. 淫荡, 邪恶 | |
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138
spurns
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的第三人称单数 ) | |
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139
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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140
amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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141
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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142
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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