“Bathe thou thyself also.”
“Impossible. The business is too long for a man.”
“But we have yet two full hours to remain here without fear of interruption from anyone.”
This response caused me to see the happiness that awaited me; but I did not think fit to expose myself to an illness by entering the water in the state in which I was. Seeing a summer-house not far off and assured that M. Tronchin would have left it open, I took my two beauties by the arm and led them thither, not letting them guess, however, my intentions.
The summer-house was full of vases of pot pourri, pretty engravings, and so forth; but what I valued most was a large and lovely divan, fit for repose and for pleasure. There, seated ‘twixt these two beauties and lavishing caresses upon them, I said that I desired to show them that which they had never seen, at the same time exposing to their gaze the principal agent of humanity. They raised themselves to admire it, and then, taking the hand of each one of them, I procured for them a considerable pleasure; but, in the course of this labour, an abundant emission on my part caused them great amazement.
“‘Tis its speech,” said I. “The speech of the great creator of men.”
“‘Tis delicious!” cried Helène, laughing at the term ‘speech.’
“I, too, have the power of speech,” said Hedvige, “and I will show it thee, if thou wilt wait a moment.”
“Put thyself in my hands, sweet Hedvige. I will spare thee the trouble of making it come thyself, and I will do it better than thee.”
“I well believe it. But I have never done that with a man.”