you?"

"Yes. My sister would have adored him, as that sort of love is her
passion."

"But your sister has such fine haunches."

"So have I! Look here, feel me."

"You are right; but wait a bit, it is too soon for that kind of thing
yet."

"We will be wanton after supper."

"I think you are wanton now," said the Lepi.

"Why?"

"Why? Ought you to shew your person like that?"

"My dear girl, you will be shewing yourself soon. When one is in good
company, one is in the golden age."

"I wonder at your telling everyone what sort of a connection you have
with the auditor," said I.

"Nonsense! I don't tell everyone, but everyone tells me and congratulates
me too. They know the worthy man never cared for women, and it would be
absurd to deny what everybody guesses. I used to be astonished at my
sister, but the best plan in this world is to be astonished at nothing.
But don't you like that?"

"No, I only like this."

As I spoke I laid hands on the Lepi, on the spot where one usually finds
what I called "this;" but the Astrodi, seeing that I found nothing, burst
into a roar of laughter, and taking my hand put it just under her front
hump, where at last I found what I wanted. The reader will guess my
surprise. The poor creature, too ashamed to be prudish, laughed too. My
spirits also begin to rise, as I thought of the pleasure I should get out
of this new discovery after supper.

"Have you never had a lover?" said I to the Lepi.

"No," said the Astrodi, "she is still a maid."

"No, I am not," replied the Lepi, in some confusion, "I had a lover at
Bordeaux, and another at Montpellier."

"Yes, I know, but you are still as you were born."

"I can't deny it."

"What's that? Two lovers and still a maid! I don't understand; please
tell me about it, for I have never heard of such a thing."

"Before I satisfied my first lover which happened when I was only twelve,
I was just the same as I am now."

"It's wonderful. And what did he say when he saw it?"

"I swore that he was my first, and he believed me, putting it down to the
peculiar shape of my body."

"He was a man of spirit; but didn't he hurt you?"

"Not a bit; but then he was very gentle."

"You must have a try after supper," said the Astrodi to me, "that would
be fine fun."

"No, no," said the Lepi, "the gentleman would be too big for me."

"Nonsense! You don't want to take in all of him. I will show you how it
is."

With these words the impuden