llowed oneself to be looked at several times following, a man
immediately thinks you the most lovely, most seductive of women, and
then he begins to make love to you. I give him to understand that he is
not so bad looking, without saying anything to him, of course, and he
falls in love, like a dog. I have him fast, and it lasts a longer or a
shorter time, according to his qualities."

"And do you catch all whom you please, like that?" "Nearly all." "Oh! So
there are some who resist?" "Sometimes." "Why?" "Oh! Why? A man is a
Joseph for three reasons. Because he is in love with another woman.
Because he is excessively timid, or because he is ... how shall I say
it? ... incapable of carrying out the conquest of a woman to the
end...." "Oh! my dear!... Do you really believe?..." "I am sure of
it.... There are many of this latter class, many, many ... many more
than people think. Oh! they look just like everybody else ... they strut
like peacocks.... No, when I said peacocks ... I made a mistake, for
they could not display themselves." "Oh! my dear...." "As to the timid,
they are sometimes unspeakably stupid. They are the sort of men, who
ought not to undress themselves, even when they are going to bed alone,
when there is a looking-glass in their room. With them, one must be
energetic, make use of looks, and squeeze their hands, and even that is
useless sometimes. They never know how or where to begin. When one
faints in their presence ... as a last resource ... they try to bring
you round ... and if you do not recover your senses immediately ... they
go and get assistance.

"Those whom I prefer myself, are other women's lovers. I carry them by
assault ... at ... at ... at the point of the bayonet, my dear!" "That
is all very well, but when there are no men, like here, for instance?"
"I find them!" "You find them. But where?" "Everywhere. But that reminds
me of my story.

"Now listen. Just two years ago, my husband made me pass the summer on
his estate at Bougrolles. There was nothing there ... you know what I
mean, nothing, nothing, nothing, whatever! In the neighboring country
houses there were a few disgusting boors, who cared for nothing but
shooting, and who lived in country houses which had not even a bathroom,
men who perspire, go to bed covered with perspiration, and whom it would
be impossible to improve, because their principles of life are dirty.
Now just guess what I did!" "I cannot possibly." "Ha! ha! ha! I h