I sat up in bed, thinking that he would go out of the room to let me dress, but he remained standing in front of me, and his looks frightened me.
I remained sitting on the bed, without stirring. "Well, well, little girl, you are not getting up?"
"I dare not get up before you, uncle." "Are you silly? What are you afraid of? Are you not my niece? Come, come, out of bed, little stupid." He said that in a gentle insinuating voice, and I dared not hesitate any more. I put one leg out of bed. He followed my movements with the greatest attention; "Well, well, and that other leg?"
I put out the other leg, blushing all over with shame, and I wanted to take my petticoat.
But he came near directly and said: "Oh, the lovely little lass, how pretty she is like this…. You will always be good, will you not?"
"Yes, uncle."
"How pretty you are when you are good. You will always be so? You promise?"
"Yes, uncle."
"Oh, I want to kiss you for that kind promise."
—I held out my cheek to him without resistance, but it was my mouth which received the kiss. It was followed by a thousand others. One is not of iron, Monsieur le Curé, and that was how … I … lost my innocence.