I praised unstintingly her charms and the perfection of her form, thereby hoping to encourage Helène, who was disrobing but slowly; but a charge of mock modesty from her cousin had more effect than all my praises. At length this Venus was in a state of nature, covering her most secret parts with one hand, concealing one breast with the other, and seeming most sadly shamed of all she could not conceal. Her modest confusion, this strife ‘twixt expiring modesty and growing passion, enchanted me.
Hedvige was taller than Helène, her skin was whiter, and her breasts twice the size of her cousin’s; but in Helène was more animation, her form was more sweetly moulded, and her bust was on the model of the Venus de Medici.
By degrees she became bolder, put at ease by her cousin, and we passed several moments in admiring each other; then to bed we went. Nature called loudly, and all we desired was to satisfy its demands. With a coolness that I did not fear would fail me, I made a woman of Hedvige, and when all was o’er she kissed me, saying that the pain was naught compared to the pleasure.
Next came the turn of Helène, who was six years younger than Hedvige; but the finest “fleece”[34] that e’er I saw presented something of an obstacle. This she parted with her two hands, being jealous of her cousin’s success; and although she was not initiated into the mysteries of love without woeful pain, her sighs were truly sighs of happiness as she responded to my ardent efforts. Her charms and vivacious movements caused me to shorten the sacrifice, and when I quitted the sanctuary my two beauties perceived I was in need of repose.
The altar was purified of the blood of the victims, and we all bathed, enchanted to serve one another.
Life returned to me ‘neath their curious fingers, and the sight filled them with joy.... For several hours I overwhelmed them with happiness, passing five or six times from one to the other before exhausting myself and arriving at the ecstatic spasm. In the intervals, perceiving them docile and desirous, I made them execute Aretin’s most complicated postures, a business that amused them beyond measure.[35] We were lavish with our kisses on whatever part took our fancy, and just as Hedvige applied her lips to the mouth of the pistol, it went off and the discharge inundated her face and her bosom. She was delighted, and studied the eruption to an end with all the curiosity of a physician.
The night seemed short, though we had not lost a moment’s space, and at daybreak we had to part. 1 left them in bed, being fortunate to get away observed of none.
In the evening, after supper, Casanova contrives another meeting with his charmers.
... Going out with my heroines, I worked wonders. Hedvige philosophised over the pleasure, and told me that she would ne’er have tasted it had I not chanced to encounter her uncle. Helène did not speak; more voluptuous than her cousin, she swelled out like a dove, and came to life only to expire a moment after. I wondered at her amazing fecundity, although such is not uncommon; while I was engaged in one operation, she passed fourteen times from life to death. True, ‘twas the sixth course I had run, so I made my pace somewhat slower to enjoy the pleasure she took in the business....
After passing another night with the cousins, Casanova again sets out on his travels; and here, for the time being, we will leave him.