made a fair copy of it
before I went to bed. In the morning Clementine came to see me, and gave
me her piece, which I read with pleasure; though I suspect that the
delight my praises gave was equal to mine.

Then came the turn of my composition, and before long I noticed that the
picture of my sufferings was making a profound impression on her. Big
tears rolled down her cheeks, and from her eyes shot forth tender
glances. When I had finished, I had the happiness of hearing her say that
if she had known that part of physiology better, she would not have
behaved so.

We took a cup of chocolate together, and I then begged her to lie down
beside me in bed without undressing, and to treat me as I had treated her
the day before, that she might have some experience of the martyrdom I
had sung in my verses. She smiled and agreed, on the condition that I
should do nothing to her.

It was a cruel condition, but it was the beginning of victory, and I had
to submit. I had no reason to repent of my submission, for I enjoyed the
despotism she exercised on me, and the pain she must be in that I did
nothing to her, whilst I would not let her see the charms which she held
in her hands. In vain I excited her to satisfy herself, to refuse her
desires nothing, but she persisted in maintaining that she did not wish
to go any further.

"Your enjoyment cannot be so great as mine," said I. But her subtle wit
never left her without a reply.

"Then," said she, "you have no right to ask me to pity you."

The test, however, was too sharp for her. She left me in a state of great
excitement, giving me a kiss which took all doubts away, and saying that
in love we must be all or nothing.

We spent the day in reading, eating, and walking, and in converse grave
and gay. I could not see, however, that my suit had progressed, as far as
the events of the morning seemed to indicate. She wanted to reverse the
medal of Aristippus, who said, in speaking of Lois, "I possess her, but
she does not possess me." She wanted to be my mistress, without my being
her master. I ventured to bewail my fate a little, but that did not seem
to advance my cause.

Three or four days after, I asked Clementine in the presence of her
sister to let me lie in bed beside her. This is the test proposed to a
nun, a widow, a girl afraid of consequences, and it nearly always
succeeds. I took a packet of fine English letters and explained their use
to her. She took them examined