ine, "though I am the taller."
"Well, there would be no harm in letting me see."
"I think there would."
"Well, I will feel with my hands."
"No, you would look at the same time."
"I swear I will not."
"Let me bandage your eyes."
"Certainly; but I will: bandage yours too."
"Yes; we will play, at blindman's buff."
Before the bandaging began I took care to make them swallow a good dose
of punch, and, then we proceeded to play. The two girls let me span their
thighs several times, laughing and falling over me whenever my hands went
too high.
I lifted the bandage and saw everything, but they pretended not to
suspect anything.
They treated me in the same way, no doubt to see what it was that they
felt when they fell upon me.
This delightful game went on; till exhausted, nature would not allow me
to play it any more. I put myself in a state of decency, and then told
them to take off their bandages.
They did so and sat beside me, thinking, perhaps, that they would be able
to, disavow everything on the score of the bandage.
It seemed to me that Emilie had had a lover, though I took good care not
to tell her so; but Armelline was a pure virgin. She was meeker than her
friend, and her great eyes shone as voluptuously but more modestly.
I would have snatched a kiss from her pretty mouth, but she turned away
her head, though she squeezed my hands tenderly. I was astonished at this
refusal after the liberties I had taken with her.
We had talked about balls, and they were both extremely anxious to see
one.
The public ball was the rage with all the young Romans. For ten long
years the Pope Rezzonico had deprived them of this pleasure. Although
Rezzonico forbade dancing, he allowed gaming of every description.
Ganganelli, his successor, had other views, and forbade gaming but
allowed dancing.
So much for papal infallibility; what one condemns the other approves.
Ganganelli thought it better to let his subjects skip than to give them
the opportunity of ruining themselves, of committing suicide, or of
becoming brigands; but Rezzonico did not see the matter in that light. I
promised the girls I would take them to the ball as soon as I could
discover one where I was not likely to be recognized.
Three o'clock struck, and I took them back to the convent, well enough
pleased with the progress I had made, though I had only increased my
passion. I was surer than ever that Armelline was born to exercise
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