with the full consent of his wife.
'Dear old Paillard-this act of courtesy was really due to me.'
The Count had been very animated as he related this adventure, but now he became grave and melancholy and seemed pensive, shaking his head as though to cast off some thought.
'My dear friend, thrown as I have been for the past fifteen years amid pleasure, with no time to study the exact moment for my conquest, I have certainly committed acts which sober people might call indelicate.
'If indeed I have sometimes gone too far in my mad career, if I have brought grief to some hearts and pain to some young slits, at least once in my life I have had scruples.
'Let me confide this strange adventure to you; it will be a relief to me.
You have made a study of mankind and I feel certain that you will not laugh at me but will understand my feelings in the matter.'
CHAPTER FIVE
'Three years ago, and about eighteen months before my trip to Algiers, I was on my estate, a few miles from Moscow. The winter was very severe and I went to the city as seldom as possible, even when it was a question of sensual satisfaction. Aside from one or two large landowners like myself, I saw no one, and spent the time looking after my servants, hunting wolves and reading a few erotic books, which were not calculated to calm my passions.
'I soon noticed the daughter of one of my farmers, a handsome girl, and the only one who appeared to be modest among all the girls and women with whom I was thrown in contact night and day.
'It was a rare thing to see her smile, but when she did, she showed beautiful teeth, and two dimples would make two deep holes in her rosy cheeks.
'She had luxuriant hair, as black as jet, which she wore in a braid that hung far below her waist; the short dress, which came just below her knees, displayed two handsome legs, round and firm, while her large black eyes were shaded by heavy lashes. She was beautiful, very beautiful, and just fifteen.
'As she was extremely modest, I did not know how to make propositions to her which many of the others would have quickly accepted. Several times I tried to enter into conversation with her. I questioned her first about her parents in a careless, indifferent manner, then I laughingly asked her if she had a betrothed. She looked at me quietly, surprised perhaps at such a question, but she did not answer.
'For a whole month I remained in this embarrassing position.
Sometimes I would wake up at night after dreaming that I had her in bed with me, that I had fully possessed her, and I would turn over and find myself alone with my prick at full stand. I would then make up my mind to fly from the spot that very day or force her to surrender, but the day would pass just as the preceding one and nothing came of it.
'Sometimes I surprised her looking at me, but the look was so frank, so innocent, that I did not dare to speak.
'I do not know how or why, but her mother perceived what was going on, and coming to me with tears in her eyes, told me the farm did not produce enough to support the family. Praising her modest daughter, she begged me to take her into my service. I was delighted with the proposition but was careful not to show it, and dismissed the woman without making any promises.
'A few days later I had a visit from the father and finally I consented to take the young girl.
'One day, a theft having been committed in the house, all the accusations fell upon the young girl and I had her summoned before me in order to question her myself.
'She scarcely deigned to defend herself. She had not stolen anything and suspected no one of the deed. This was all she would say. At the head of the female department of the household I had a dragon of a woman who was extremely strict and whose devotion to me was, without question, devout. She advised me to have the girl whipped to make her confess the crime. I was obliged to consent and ordered the whipping to be administered in my presence.
'The girl looked on calmly while the preparations were made for the torture, but what amazed me was to see her quietly undress herself, throwing to the floor one by one her articles of clothing until she was naked to the waist.
'Her back was turned to me. Ah, when the woman struck her on the back with the strap, I almost cried out, and ordered her to stop and retire.
'I got up, took the young girl in my arms and gently drew her on my knees as I tried to reassure her-it was only then that she burst into tears. I tried to draw her hands away from her face, which she had hidden in them; I wanted to see her bewitching eyes bathed in tears.
'She was so beautiful thus that I lost my head, threw her brutally on the sofa and rushed upon her like a hungry wolf.
'I kissed her tiny bosoms furiously. They were firm as marble. I stuck my head under her skirts and there was the peculiar perfume of a clean woman which made me delirious with lubric passion.
'Like an animal, I squeezed the firm, rosy lips of her hidden parts and rubbed my face against them. I was intoxicated by the delicious odour.
I stuck my tongue between the lips of her little pussy. I drew out and licked it like an amorous animal, for I too, was an animal then in my sensuous desire.
'Suddenly surprised at not feeling her move, I disengaged my head from her skirts and was not a little bewildered to find her sobbing as though her heart would break.
'I took both her hands in mine and placed my fiery lips upon hers. The tears streamed down her cheeks and dropped one by one on my breast.
Her mouth seemed insensible to my caresses.
'Finally calmed by the sight of so much grief, I suddenly awoke as from some horrible nightmare, picked up her clothing and covered her nakedness. This seemed to calm her somewhat and when my paroxysm was over I got her to talk.
'She swore on the image of the Holy Virgin that she was innocent and she gently reproached me for my conduct. It had hurt her so much that she began sobbing again.
'I was ashamed of myself and begged her pardon. I felt vile, degraded before this pure young girl and promised not to annoy her any more.
After talking about half an hour, I sent her back, consoled now, to her occupation, and told the other servants that I was convinced of her innocence and would not allow anyone to be wanting in respect to her.
'I was not myself for several days after this incident. I dreaded to meet the young girl and took a thousand precautions to avoid her, and yet I was happy in knowing that she was in the house.
'Naturally, we often came in contact and she met me with the same beautiful smile. I felt the passion which I had for her growing stronger and stronger and it was then that I determined to leave Moscow and go to St. Petersburg.
'I attended all the society balls, and one night as I was helping the Viscountess Xenia on with her furs, she invited me to accompany her home. I sent away my sleigh and slipped into hers.
'Leaning against each other during the ride, I responded to the coquetries of the beautiful woman as best I could; When we arrived at the house, she invited me to come in, which I did with pleasure, not suspecting for a moment that I was to possess that very night the most sought after woman in St. Petersburg.
'I was shown into an immense, well-lighted parlour and requested to wait a few moments. I stretched myself in an armchair and was thinking of nothing in particular, when a servant informed me that he had been ordered to take me to Madame's apartments. I followed him and we soon reached a sort of boudoir, hung in white satin, with sofas and chairs to match, and a huge mirror.
'Words cannot describe the comfort and elegance of the room. The mistress of the house soon entered, wrapped in a black silk dressing gown without any trimming; the garment became her complexion admirably. She invited me to sit down on the sofa beside her. She wore little golden yellow slippers, with black silk stockings, embroidered with yellow and was tapping the floor with her tiny feet, and continuing the coquetry begun in the
