The Memoires of Casanova

ions With Mdlle. X.

on-The Aroph-She

fuge in

suspicion that I was acting a part, or attribute my care of her to anything but the most delicate feelings. For her part she seemed well pleased in the alteration of my behaviour, though her sa

uing my passion, adding, with a smile, that my desire could not have pricked me very sharply, seeing that I had cured myself s

am worthy of a woman's love. Naturally, after your convincing me that you think differentl

heir effect is to inspire one with co

dignation was merely succeeded by a renewed confid

enged! In

by with indifference what I once so ardently desired. I do not know whether I have succeede

as I do to-day. Nor for a moment I did think you capable of leaving me to my fate as a punishment f

er maid, of whom she had been obliged to make a confidante, had had her bled by a student, her lover. I told Mdlle. X. C. V. that if she wanted these people to keep her counsel she must be liberal with them, and she replied that she had no money. I offered her money and she accepted fifty louis, assuring me that she would repay me tha

sented, but when his mother heard what was the matter with him, she said it would be much better to leave him as he was, as this was the third time he had been in this condition, and that to have him cured was a waste of money, as no sooner was he well than he began h

e purely as a friend, making me touch her all over to convince me that she dare not shew herself any longer. I played in short the part of a midwife, but with what a struggle! I had to pretend to be calm and unconcerned when I was cons

or me to answer she brought a manuscript, and put it in my hands. This powerful emmenagogue was a kind of unguent composed of several drugs, such as saffron, myrrh, etc., compounded with virgin honey. To obtain the necessary result one had to employ a cylindrical machine covered with extremely soft skin, thick enough to fill the opening of the va

ed with all my heart, but for all that I spent the next two hours in reading the dreams of Paracelsus, in which Madame d'Urfe put

feelings, it is no wonder if the hidden fire threatened at every moment to leap up from the ashes of its concealment. Her image pursued me unceasingly, of her I alwa

was weeping because the opiate I gave her did not take effect. I thought the time a good one for introducing the aroph of Paracelsus, which I assured her was an infallible means of attaining the end she desired; b

day the opening of the womb, weakens it to such a de

eing that she was absorbed in thought, I said that as her lover was away she would want a sure friend

al of laughter, and asked me if

and if her common sense told her as much it would also make her guess my mot

e manuscript where all that I have said is set down plai

they had acted on her as if by magic

he most powerful agent for

now in; so the aroph should procure me a sec

ell known to me, and which have to be made into a paste with butter or virgin honey. But

o me that the person who giv

a mere animal requiring o

tural modesty and her own frankness, prevented her from guessing at my artifice. I

ng the silence,

cellent one, but I do not thi

if the aroph took

ceed in procuring English saffron, which P

at table, on which I accepted; and we all left the room to give her time to dress. She was not long in dressing, and when she appeared her figure seemed to me quite nymph-like. I was astonished,

V., whose head was full of the aroph, asked her neighbou

an anyone," answered Farsett

s it go

oo vague a

es the w

I do not know the meaning; but n

rew, nor, indeed, of any language at all. It i

what they are?" s

om aroma, and ph is the

f Paracelsus?" said Far

saw it in

; "Boerhaave says nothing of the sort

e test of what I say; accept the wager if you dare. I don't

Farsetti, who was by no means sure of what he was

nd began to joke him on his Arabic derivation. But, for my part, I replaced my purse in my pocket

ok. I opened it, and as I had been reading it the evening before I soon found the place I wanted, and giving it to him begged him to

he mother; "and I would wager anythi

"he will honour us with his agreeable

ame my determined enemy, and let no oppor

re Silvia and her charming daughter, who pouted at me and not without cause, as I had neglected her. The famous adept, St. Germain,

redit of the oracle, but also for fear of misleading the father and making him lose money. The worthy man was the most honest of Dutch millionaires, but he might easily make a large hol

es, and that the esteem she professed for me had been replaced by a much less friendly sentiment. I felt that her scorn would be too much for me to bear. So humiliated was I that I could not visit her, and I doubt if I should have seen her again if she had not intervened. She wrote me a note, in which she said I was her only friend, and that the only mark of friendship she w

"to invite your mother and th

eplied. "It will be a forbidd

er of Mdlle. X. C. V.'s was taken, and the famous bass La Garde. Mdlle. X. C. V. was in the highest spirits all the time. Sallies of wit, jests, good stories and enjoyment, were the soul of the banqu

ht o'clock. She was very melancholy, and told me that she was in despair, tha

ke my measure for my wedding dress. To that I cannot consent, for a dressmaker would certainly

could easily get rid of la Popeliniere, who is a man of honour. Tell him how you are situated, and he wi

better off then? And

I will make her

way, but before that she would make me suffer torments to which death is preferable by far. But

of feeling has made me keep silence. Confide in your lover, who is at Venice; write him a letter, and I will take care that it is given into his hands, in five or six days,

of my lover; but supposing I made up my mind to receive the aroph from another, tell me how it could be done. Even if my lover were in Paris, how could he spend an en

to another, if you thought t

cret. But where shall I find such a person? Do you think h

as the administrator of the remedy, either to spare her modesty, or to have the merit of yielding to my love and thus obliging me to be grateful; but I might be wrong, and I did not care to expose myself to the humiliation of a refusal. On the other hand I c

ched than her. Pretending to be annoyed and yet full of love for her, I told her that the contempt in which she held me had

ove me no longer since you wish to take advantage of my cruel necessity to gai

me, and I fell on m

of revenging myself on you? Do you think that I can bear to hear you say th

any decency? Have I not good reason to be afraid that as I refused to

think. I confess I once thought you did not love me, but now I am sure of the contrary; and that your heart would have led you to sa

ut how we are to be together with the necessar

, it will not be long before I contrive some pla

remained to be solved, and its solution gave me some difficulty. I should have to pass several nights in continual toils. I feared I had promised more than I could perform, and I should not be able to make any abatement without hazarding, not the succ

e scullion on my way, who guessed where I was going, and

"you have just

y went in and c

ait till the c

' sake, sir,

going on. Well I will say nothi

or she heard your step

ws me, d

d you kn

with you! I won't sa

, Mdlle. X. C. V.'s maid. I reassured her, and promised to keep the secret, whereon she opened the door, and after I had given her a louis, fled in

always spent the night with her in the garret, but that for three days they had been deprived of their pleasures, as madam had locked the door and taken away the key. I ma

s, I put in a tin box several doses of the aroph-that is, some honey mixed with pounded stag's horn to make it thick enough, and the next morning I wen

to see Mdlle. X. C. V., and in

ave to go through Madelaine'

arest, we must wi

er my s

st

I cou

; the golden key

for if he found us out he might be dangerous. I thought, however, tha

inian Church. She came at the appointed time and I explained to her the whole plan in all its details. She soon understood me, and after tellin

, "and I think I can answer for him

ed upon, and get the garret ready to receive us. She went away quite merry. A maid wh

me and see me except in a case of necessity. He promised discretion, and assured me of his devotion to my service. He gave me the key of the garret a

ly without being seen by anybody. I was in a cloak, and carried in my pocket the aroph, flint and steel, and a candle. I found a good bed, pil

ess by feeling for her, and reassured her by a tender kiss. I brought her in, barricaded the door, and

y, and said that the light might discover

des, we can't do without it, for how a

plied, "we can put

o perfection. We looked like a medical student about to perform an operation, and she like a patient, with this difference that it was the patient who arranged the dressing. W

ll was that we were both as ser

minutes after it had to be lighted again. I told her politely that I was delighted to begi

ration as my first, and my sweetheart, who had b

shewed me with her pretty finger very evident signs of her co-operation in the work. Then with an affectionate

o not need rest, and I think

her to try another operation; and after carrying this through successfully, I determined to be guided by her and take care of myself, for we had to reserve our energies for the following nights. So, ab

s usual, elegantly attired, and with a happy smile on her lips. She spoke at such length on her gratitude, and

our thanks are to me? They prove that you do not love me, or t

roubling about the aroph, when prudence bade us beware. It would not have been safe, and we had

ad good reason to suspect the reality of her love. I did my best to reassure her, and indeed all suspicions on my part would have been but idle thoughts, as I had succeeded beyond all expectation. However, there is one point upon which I congratulate myself to this day-namely, that during those nightly toils of mine, which did so little towards the object of her desires, I succeeded in inspiring her with such a feeling of resignation tha

been about is much more likely to create than to destroy, and if the aperture had not b

rbonne could not h

me. All the while, however, her mother persecuted her, and she would have to choose in a few days between making a declaration as to her state and signi

oublesome if it had been absolutely known that I had carried her off or furnished her with t

. The piece was a motet composed by Moudonville, the words by the Abbe de Vo

received a hearty welcome. "I am delighted," said she, "to find you here, it is quite a piece of luck. I am g

fuse so honourable an offer, so, giving her my arm,

rst time; so Madame du Rumain could draw no conclusions from my silence throughout the performance, but she guessed

wo or three questions which can only be solved by your cabala. I hope you will oblige me, as I am

and as soon as we got to her house I went to work on the

dire event. Or perhaps you are on the eve of taking some important resolution? I am not inquisitive, but if I can be of any service to you at Court, make use of me, and be sure that I will do my best.

od genius to open my heart to this lady, who had almost read my

f ruin, but your kindness has calmed my soul and made me once more acquainted with hope. You shall hear how I am placed. I am going to trust you with a secret of the most delicate descr

he circumstances which made it my duty to watch over her welfare. All the same I said nothing about the aroph or the share I had taken in its exhibition. T

du Rumain remained silent, as if lost in thought, for

e, to whom I want to speak, but I hope I shall eventually be able to help you. Come here the d

follow her advice and hers only in the tr

of which was well known to me, was the Abbe de Voisenon, who was thus named because he

her that in a couple of days I hope to give her some good news. I was pleas

nt upstairs all the same, and as soon as the doctor saw me he took his leave. His name was Herrenschwand, and all the ladies in Paris ra

young lady in her convent, and give her a good lay-sister to nurse her through her confinement. Now you will not deny," said she, with a smile, "that the cloisters are of some use. Your young friend must go by herself to the convent with a letter for the abbess, which I will give her, and which she must deliver to the porter. She will then be admitted and lodged in a suitable chamber. She will receive no visi

and see her every now and then, will give her proper books-in a word, that she will be well looked after. Warn her not to confide in the laysister who will attend on her. I have no doubt she is an excellent woman, but she is a nun, and the secret might leak out. After she is safely delivered, she

n, I begged her to give me the letter on the spot, as there was no time to be

r months under your protection, to recover her peace of mind, to perform her devotions, and to make sure that when she returns to

incess, and her convent was consequently a place above all suspicion. As Madame du Rumain gave me the letter, I felt such an impulse of

gaged for the rest of the day, but that she would come to the garret at eleven o'clock that night, and that then we could talk matters over. I was o

rd to Madelaine, who in turn got the s

dame du Rumain (whose name I withheld from her without her taking offence thereat) I put out the candle, and wit

nd take another to the Place Antoine, and again, farther on, a third coach, in which she was to go to the convent named. I begged her not to forget to burn all the letters she had received from me, and to write to me from the convent as often as she could, to seal her letters but to le

, I having promised to come to the house the day after her departure, as if I knew nothing

d wit and courage, but when experience is wanting

e, get out of the coach, pay the coachman, go down a narrow street, and a few minutes after reappear again, veiled and hoode

ot stop going there without strengthening any suspicions which might be entertained about me. But it was a painful task. I had to appear at my ease and cheerful in a

down by madame, a little behind her, pretending not to see her surprise, which, however, was plainly to be seen, her whole face being flushed with rage an

ill?"

othing ab

and astonished silence, and then, rising, I asked if I could do anything, for which all my reward was a cold expression of thanks. I then left the room and went to Mdlle. X. C. V

gone by

t, sir, but they say you know

duty. After the reception I had met with I could without affectation pose as offended, and visit the family no more, for wh

eet them on the stair, and welcomed them, saying I was glad they had done me the honour to come and take breakfast with me, pretending not to know of any other reason. I asked them to

ur humble servant; but fi

anding. I did not press him, but turning

u to give me my daughter if she be in

w nothing about her! Do you

y daughter again this very day; you will give me my life. I am certain that you know all. You were her only confidant and her only friend; you passed hours with her every

ely, but I repeat that I kn

m the ground, when Farsetti told her, in a voice full of indignation, that she should blush to humble her

! What do you mean by t

rtain that you k

out of my house this instant and wait for me,

him sundry shakes I turned him out of the room. He came back and c

lover," said she, "for he would marry my d

as one of the chief reasons which made your daughter resolve to leave he

about marrying her. But I am sure you know all about it, as you ga

, no

is the evidence-a small p

t the daughter, with the fifty louis for he

you that I am ready to sacrifice everything, my

to tell you a fact which I should have otherwise kept secret-namely, that I furnished your daughter with

so

son, m

n ample atonement

to fetch Farsetti, who was waiting in the courtyard, a

ely tale," said t

s not worth convincing, but that I would beg the l

I always urged your daughter

that," said Farsetti, "when you ta

is not this gentleman's business), was the ordinary topic of conversation between us. If she had told me that she was going to leave her home,

, "if you will help me to find her

id you, and I promise to c

have any news, c

to do so," said

t commissary of police, requesting him to institute enquiries respecting the flight of Mdlle. X. C. V. I was sure that in this way the real part I had taken in the matter would be the bet

discover," said he, "where the p

tain

k and to catch me tripping, and I had no doubt of i

with the steps I had taken, though as yet

will come with me to the place where my daughter has gone, an

"I shall be most ha

lked along till we came to a coach. She then gave me a slip of paper

t. I do not know what I should have done if my fears had been well grounded, but I should certainly not ha

the five floors of the house, but what she sought for was not there, and I expected to see her overwhelmed with grief. I was mistaken, however. She looked distressed but satisfied, and her eyes seemed to ask pardon of me. She had found out from the coachman, who had taken her daughter on the first stage of her journey, that

Rumain to tell her what had happened; and I then wrote to my fair rec

she was leading, and her gratitude to me, praised the abbess and the lay-sister, and gave me the titles of the books they lent her, which she

as evidently fond of the girl, and could not say too much in her praise, saying how sweet-tempered,

ly persons who were displeased were the poor mother, the frightful Farsetti, and the old fermier, whose misfortune was talked about in the clubs, the Pa

s widow pregnant with a son, who came into the world six months after the father's death. The unworthy heir to the rich man had the face to accuse the widow of adultery, and got the child declared illegitimate to the eternal shame of the court which gave this iniquitous judgment and to the grie

adame X. C. V., but finding myself cold