illotine, "This woman, who had kept the intellectual world alive
with her _esprit_ and goodness, of a sudden vanishes like a star from
the horizon; she lives on, unnoticed by everyone, and, in that new
society, no one misses her or regrets her death."

In order to fully appreciate the mistress of the eighteenth century,
her power and influence, her rise to popularity and social standing,
the general and accepted idea and nature of the sentiment called love
must be explained; for it was to the peculiar development of that
emotion that the mistress owed her fortune.

In the eighteenth century love became a theory, a cult; it developed a
language of its own. In the preceding age love was declared, it spoke,
it was a virtue of grandeur and generosity, of courage and delicacy,
exacting all proofs of decency and gallantry, patient efforts,
respect, vows, discretion, and reciprocal affection. The ideal was
one of heroism, nobleness, and bravery. In the eighteenth century this
ideal became mere desire; love became voluptuousness, which was to be
found in art, music, styles, fashions--in everything. Woman herself
was nothing more than the embodiment of voluptuousness; it made her
what she was, directing and fashioning her. Every movement she
made, every garment she wore, all the care she applied to her
appearance--all breathed this _volupte_.

In paintings it was found in impure images, coquettish immodesties, in
couples embraced in the midst of flowers, in scenes of tenderness:
all these representations were hung in the rooms of young girls, above
their beds. They grew up to know _volupte_, and, when old enough, they
longed for it. It was useless for women to try to escape its power,
and chastity naturally disappeared under these temptations. The young
girl inherited the impure instincts of the mother, and, when matured,
was ready and eager for all that could enchant and gratify the senses.

True domestic friendship and intimacy were rare, because the husband
given to a young girl had passed through a long list of mistresses,
and talked--from experience--gallant confidences which took away the
veil of illusion. She was immediately taken into society, where she
became familiar with the spicy proverbs and the salty prologues of
the theatre, where supposedly decent women were present, in curtained
boxes. At the suppers and dinners, by songs and plays, at the
gatherings where held forth Duclos and others like him, in the midst