It was two years after the battle of Solferino and I was then entering into middle age, was without any ailment, was strong, and with ample means. I became acquainted with a gentleman holding a semi-public, official appointment at Paris. He had been captain in the army, and been severely wounded and lamed at the battle of Solferino. His lameness compelled him to retire from the army, and his family being of great influence, got him what was unusual at his age, a good commercial berth. — He was a little, plain man, and limped sadly, but was an agreeable fellow, and had the habit, very unusual with his countrymen, of getting drunk. It was said that the habit was thro disappointment, at being obliged to leave the army; which is probable.

After a time he became unusually friendly to me, it was most marked. — He took me to his rooms or flat, and introduced me to his wife, and I became very intimate with them. — They had but little society, and that almost entirely of men. — She was a very well behaved woman, and good wife in every way he said. — But a variety of little circumstances, made me at last think he was not married to her. — She was an Alsacien, and he first had met her in Lombardy, after the great battle he had said. We talked as men always do, and all Frenchmen certainly do, often enough about women — and on baudy subjects generally when we were alone. — Several times he was quite tight, and when so, was loquacious and let out freely. — But if he became too loose in tongue, she in a modest way rose and left the room, or else plainly asked me to leave, saying he was excited, and would be so much better if he went to bed. — Of course I always did leave, and afterwards knew the real reason why she wished me out of the way. She was a splendid big woman, of about twenty-two or -three years of age, tho she looked somewhat older, on account of her height and fleshiness. She had dark, beautiful eyes, and blackish hair — good teeth and complexion, lovely lips and teeth — and was altogether a very handsome creature. — I used to wonder how she came to marry him, who was so short a man, and jokingly told him so one night. — He laughed, said she had no money, and was glad enough to have him, that women in France did not easily get married unless they had a dot, and he winked at me in a knowing way which I did not understand then. She spoke, as all Alsaciens do, both French and German perfectly, and I found also that she spoke Italian. — This must be recollected to explain what follows.

One night he was much screwed as we sat smoking our cigars together. — She was out. — What led to the conversation, now I don't recollect, tho of course it was about women. With a chuckle, he said he knew a woman who had been fucked twelve times within an hour.

— I said, I did not believe it and thought he was going to tell some smutty story. But he nodded, and winked

— yes he did — I questioned him — well, he did not mind telling me, would I swear never to tell any one else? — I did. — “It was my wife,” said he. — Now I felt convinced he was romancing, but for half an hour in a rambling drunken way, he said that a lot of soldiers had done it to her just before the battle of Solferino. The more I refused to believe it, the more de-tails he gave me, the more emphatically he swore it was true. — My cock stood awfully, when I thought that that fine young creature had fucked twelve times in an hour? — Ah my God I thought, did she like it, and spend, and a crowd similar of ideas rushed thro my mind.

As we were talking in came the lady. — There was a fierce look in her eyes. — “Pray go on talking,” said she to her husband in an impatient, and unpleasant tone of voice (we had ceased talking suddenly as she entered). “What was it about?” she asked. — Her fuddled husband blundered out something, and I seconded him. — “Was that it? What did you stop talking for? It's something I'm not to hear, I'll leave,” — and she looked like a devil. — “We were talking of nothing you can't hear of course,” I said. — “Of course not” she replied, with a strange laugh. Looking me full in my eyes, she then sat down, and soon I left.

Things went on as usual, I visited frequently, but became now wild to have her, and to see them, or rather her, as often as possible. — When I did see her, my cock stood directly, for I pictured to myself her dark cunt, with prick after prick going into it, on the occasion the husband had told me of. — So I often not only dined there, but invited them to dine at restaurants, or at my hotel, and took them to the theatre; all of which gave me the opportunity of taking her arm, and getting my legs close to hers. I gave her gloves with permission of her husband, and other trifles, and altogether got on very familiar terms with her.

At every opportunity when we were alone, I got him to tell me about the affair. But after once or twice he seamed frightened to recur to it, till one evening, when I had dined at his rooms, and his wife went to see a neighbour on a floor in the same house. Then I confess that I tried to fuddle him, and did so. Then he told me more about how he met and married her. — “Mar- ried,” said he laughing. — “I say so but we are not married.” — “She wants me to marry but I shan't.” — Again as the devil would have it, she came in suddenly in the midst of our conversation. — There was a wild laughing look in her eye, and she gave particular attention to me. My cock was stiffening. When I left I squeezed her hand, and thought she returned it.

The next time when we were alone, on opening the subject again he avoided it, and laughing, said it was all a joke of his, that he was screwed, that it wasn't his wife who had been so fucked, it was really a story which a friend, a brother officer had told him. Then he turned the subject off nor did I refer to it seeing how the cat jumped. I yet brooded over the story till I was mad to have her.

One day a little time afterwards, just when she had had her luncheon, I called. I knew she would be alone, and that he would be at his bureau, tho I asked if he was in, when she opened the door herself. — She stood hesitating, not answering me for a such a time, that I thought she never would. Then she smiled, looking strangely into my eyes again, and said he was out, would I walk in. — I did so in an instant. — She sat down on a sofa, I on a chair close by her, and we talked on trifles for a short time. — “You knew he was not at home at this time,” said she suddenly, “didn't you?” — “No.” — “Yes, you did.” — “Well I did, but I wanted a chat with you, have I offended you?” — “Oh no.” — I moved on to the sofa, then I got nearer and nearer till quite close to her, talking and thinking, my cock swelling and rising. — I felt nervous. — She kept looking at me, biting her lips, and turned away her head every second. What was going thro her mind? — I could not imagine. There was a pause. — “What was my husband telling you about me the other night?” said she quite abruptly. — “When?” — “The night I was out and came in to you.” — “Nothing, we were not talking about you.”

— “You were, I know you were.” — “No.” — “Yes, tell me now, do,” and she looked coaxingly. — “No.” I persisted. — My cock was stiff, and inconvenienced me in my trowsers, so that I had to put my hand down to ease it up. She saw what I did. — “Now he did?” — “No, no.” — “He did, for I was listening and heard.”

— “I thought you were listening,” said I, taken unawares. — “Tell me then, now do. Was it anything about soldiers?” and she laid her hand on my shoulder, and looked me in the face. — I hesitated, but said at length, — “Yes, it was.” — She jumped upright. — “A brute, a beast, a pig,” said she. “I knew it — I was sure of it,” — and she walked up and down the room in a rage. Then she came and sat down. — “Tell me all he said.” — I would not. “He's a pig, and you're not the first he has told, I wish I'd never seen him.” — Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she soon dried them, saying aloud but to herself, — “Why could not the fool keep it to ourselves.”