The two Swiss girls, who had no doubt often been present at a similar situation, began to give us a spectacle which was well known to me, but which was quite strange to my dear Dubois.

These two Bacchantes began to imitate the caresses I lavished on my housekeeper, who was quite astonished at the amorous fury with which my attendant played the part of a man with the other girl.  I confess I was a little surprised myself, in spite of the transports which my fair Venetian nun had shewn me six years before in conjunction with C——­ C——.

I could not have imagined that anything of the kind could have distracted my attention, holding, as I did, the woman I loved, whose charms were sufficient to captivate all the senses; but the strange strife of the two young Menads took up her attention as well as mine.

“Your attendant,” said she, “must be a boy, not a girl.”

“But,” said I, “you saw her breasts.”

“Yes, but she may be a boy all the same.”

The big Swiss girl who had heard what we had said turned round and shewed me what I should not have credited.  There could be no mistake, however.  It was a feminine membrane, but much longer than my little finger, and stiff enough to penetrate.  I explained to my dear Dubois what it was, but to convince her I had to make her touch it.  The impudent creature pushed her shamelessness so far as to offer to try it on her, and she insisted so passionately that I was obliged to push her away.  She then turned to her companion and satiated on her body her fury of lust.  In spite of its disgusting nature, the sight irritated us to such a degree that my housekeeper yielded to nature and granted me all I could desire.

This entertainment lasted for two hours, and we returned to the town well pleased with one another.  On leaving the bath I gave a Louis to each of the two Bacchantes, and we went away determined to go there no more.  It will be understood that after what had happened there could be no further obstacle to the free progress of our love; and accordingly my dear Dubois became my mistress, and we made each other happy during all the time we spent at Berne.  I was quite cured of my misadventure with the horrible widow, and I found that if love’s pleasures are fleeting so are its pains.  I will go farther and maintain that the pleasures are of much longer duration, as they leave memories which can be enjoyed in old age, whereas, if a man does happen to remember the pains, it is so slightly as to have no influence upon his happiness.

At ten o’clock the Mayor of Thun was announced.  He was dressed in the French fashion, in black, and had a manner at once graceful and polite that pleased me.  He was middle-aged, and enjoyed a considerable position in the Government.  He insisted on my reading the letter that M. de Chavigni had written to him on my account.  It was so flattering that I told him that if it had not been sealed I should