May God come to their aid! But in my time there was not to be found one such in a thousand.) "And all know it, and pretend not to know it.

In all the novels are described down to the smallest details the feelings of the characters, the lakes and brambles around which they walk; but, when it comes to describing their GREAT love, not a word is breathed of what HE, the interesting character, has previously done, not a word about his frequenting of disreputable houses, or his association with nursery-maids, cooks, and the wives of others.
"And if anything is said of these things, such IMPROPER novels are not allowed in the hands of young girls.

All men have the air of believing, in presence of maidens, that these corrupt pleasures, in which EVERYBODY takes part, do not exist, or exist only to a very small extent.

They pretend it so carefully that they succeed in convincing themselves of it.

As for the poor young girls, they believe it quite seriously, just as my poor wife believed it.
"I remember that, being already engaged, I showed her my 'memoirs,' from which she could learn more or less of my past, and especially my last liaison which she might perhaps have discovered through the gossip of some third party.