to the removal of mine.

But now the true refining passion had regained throughout possession
of me, with all its train of symptoms: a sweet sensibility, a tender
timidity, love-sick yearnings tempered with diffidence and modesty, all
held me in a subjection of soul, incomparably dearer to me than the
liberty of heart which I had been long, too long! the mistress of, in
the course of those grosser gallantries, the consciousness of which now
made me sigh with a virtuous confusion and regret. No real virgin, in
short, in view of the nuptial bed, could give more bashful blushes to
unblemished innocence, than I did to a sense of guilt; and indeed I
loved Charles too truly not to feel severely that I did not deserve him.

As I kept hesitating and disconcerted under this soft distraction,
Charles, with a fond impatience, took the pains to undress me; and all I
can remember amidst the nutter and discomposure of my senses, was, some
flattering exclamation of joy and admiration, more specially at the feel
of my breasts, now set at liberty from my stays, and which panting and
rising in tumultous throbs, swelled upon his dear touch, and gave it the
welcome pleasure of finding them well formed, and un-failed in firmness.

I was soon laid in bed, and scarce languished an instant for the darling
partner of it, before he was undressed and got between the sheets, with
his arms clasped round me, giving and taking, with gust inexpressible,
a kiss of welcome, that my heart rising to my lips stamped with its
warmest impression, concurring to my bliss, with that delicate and
voluptuous emotion which Charles alone had the secret to excite, and
which constitutes the very life, the essence of pleasure.

Mean while, two candles lighted on a side-table near us, and a joyous
wood fire, threw a light into the bed, that took from one sense, of
great importance to our joys, all pretext for complaining of its being
shut out of its share of them; and, indeed, the sight of my idolized
youth was alone, from the ardour with which I had wished for it, without
other circumstance, a pleasure to die of.

But as action was now a necessity to desires so much on edge as ours,
Charles, after a very short prelusive dalliance, lifting up my linen and
his own, laid the broad treasures of his manly chest close to my bosom,
both beating with the tenderest alarms: when now, the sense of his
glowing body, in naked touch with mine, took all power over my thoughts
ou