hands of those women who refused him their lips, and as he did not wish
to compromise his dignity, and be the talk of the town, he had rented a
small house just outside it.

It was close to the canal, in a quiet street with courtyards and shady
gardens, and as nothing is less amusing than the racket of jealous
husbands, or the brawling of excited women who are disputing or raising
their voices in lamentation, and as it is always necessary to foresee
some unfortunate incident or other in the amorous life, some unlucky
mishap, some absurdly imprudent action, some forgotten love appointment,
the house had five different doors.

So discreet, that he reassured even the most timid, and certainly not
given to melancholy, he understood extremely well how to vary his kisses
and his ways of proceeding; how to work on women's feelings, and to
overcome their scruples, to obtain a hold over them through their
curiosity to learn something new, by the temptation of a comfortable,
well-furnished, warm room, that was fragrant with flowers, and where
a little supper was already served as a prologue to the entertainment.
His female pupils would certainly have deserved the first prize in a
love competition.

So men mistrusted that ancient Lovelace as if he had been the plague,
when they had plucked some rare and delicious fruit, and had sketched out
some charming adventure, for he always managed to discover the weak spot,
and to penetrate into the place.

To some, he held out the lure of debauch without any danger attached
to it, the desire of finishing their amorous education, of reveling in
perverted enjoyment, and to others he held out the irresistible argument