Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher Masoch : Section 5

Chapter 5: Wanda’s Transformation
Initially hesitant, Wanda slowly embraces her dominant role, becoming increasingly cruel and demanding. She enjoys the power, dressing in lavish furs and treating Severin with indifference.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Section five a Venus and First. This is a LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
by J. C. Guan Venus and first by Leopold fon
sache Mazok. Section five. It is evening. An attractive maid

(00:27):
brings me orders to appear before my mistress. I ascend
the wide marble stairs, passed through the ante room, a
large salon furnished with extravagant magnificence, and knock at the
door of the bedroom. I knock very slowly, for the
luxury displayed everywhere intimidates me. Consequently, no one hears me,

(00:47):
and I stand for some time in front of the door.
I have a feeling as if I were standing before
the bedroom of the Great Catherine, and it seems as
if at any moment she might come out in her
green sleeping furs, with the red ribbon and decoration on
her bare breast, and with her little white powdered curls.

(01:09):
I knocked again. Wanda impatiently pulls the door open. Why
so late, she asked, I was standing in front of
the door, but you didn't hear me knock, I replied timidly.
She closes the door, and clinging to me, she leads
me to the red damask ottoman on which she had
been resting. The entire arrangement of the room is in

(01:31):
red damask wall paper, curtains, portiers, hangings of the bed.
A magnificent painting of Samson and Delilah forms the ceiling.
Wanda receives me in an intoxicating visaville. Her white satin
dress flows gracefully and picturesquely down her slender body, leaving

(01:53):
her arms and breast bare and carelessly. They nestle limit
the dark hair of the great fur of the sable,
lined with green velvet. Her red hair falls down her
back as far as the hips, only half held by
strings of black pearls, venus and furs, I whispered, while
she draws me to her breast and threatens to stifle

(02:16):
me with her kisses. Then I no longer speak, and
neither do I think everything is drowned out in an
ocean of unimaginable bliss. Do you still love me? She asked,
her eyes softening in passionate tenderness. You ask, I exclaimed,
You still remember your oath, she continued, with an alluring smile.

(02:40):
Now that everything is prepared, everything in readiness, I ask
you once more, is it still your serious wish to
become my slave? Am I not ready? I asked, in surprise.
You have not yet signed the papers. Papers? What papers? Oh?
I see you want to give it up. She said, well,

(03:03):
then we will let it go. But Wanda, I said,
you know that nothing gives me greater happiness than to
serve you, to be your slave. I would give everything
for the sake of feeling myself wholly in your power,
even unto death. How beautiful you are, she whispered, When
you speak so enthusiastically, so passionately. I am more in

(03:25):
love with you than ever, And you want me to
be dominant, stern, and cruel. I am afraid it will
be impossible for me to do so. I am not afraid,
I replied, smiling. Where are the papers so that you
may know what it means to be absolutely in my power.
I have drafted this second agreement, in which you declare

(03:47):
that you have decided to kill yourself. In that way,
I can even kill you if I so desire, give
them to me. While I was unfolding the document and
reading them wanda pen and ink. She then sat down
beside me, with her arm about my neck, and looked
over my shoulder at the paper. The first one read

(04:10):
agreement between Madame von dou Nayev and Severin von Kusiemski.
Severin Fonkuzyemski ceases with the present day being the affayenste
of Madame von Davondunayev, and renounces all the rights appertaining thereunto. He,
on the contrary, binds himself on his word of honor

(04:30):
as a man and nobleman, that hereafter he will be
her slave until such time as she herself set same
at liberty again. As the slave of Madame fondu Nayev,
he is to bear the name Gregor, and he is
unconditionally to comply with every one of her wishes and
to obey every one of her commands. He is always

(04:51):
to be submissive to his mistress, and is to consider
her every sign of favor as an extraordinary miniscy. Madame
Fondunayev is a entitled not only to punish her slave
as she deems best, even for the slightest inadvertence or fault,
but also is herewith given the right to torture him
as the mood may seize her, or merely for the

(05:12):
sake of whiling away the time. Should she so desire,
she may kill him whenever she wishes. In short, he
is her unrestricted property. Should Madame Fon du nayev ever
set her slave at liberty, severn Fon Kusiemski agrees to
forget everything that he has experienced or suffered as her slave,

(05:32):
and promises never under any circumstances and in the wise
to think of vengeance or retaliation. Madame Fon dunayev On
her behalf, agrees as his mistress to appear as often
as possible in her furs, especially when she purposes some
cruelty toward her slave. Appended at the bottom of the

(05:52):
agreement was the date of the present day. The second
document contain only a few words. Having sinned, many become
weary of existence and its illusions. I have, of my
own free will put an end to my worthless life.
I was seized with a deep horror. When I had finished,

(06:13):
there was still time I could still withdraw, But the
madness of passion and the sight of the beautiful woman
that lay all relaxed against my shoulder, carried me away.
This one you will have to copy, Sevrin, said Wanda,
indicating the second document. It has to be entirely in

(06:33):
your own handwriting. This, of course, isn't necessary in the
case of the agreement. I quickly copied the few lines
in which I designated myself as suicide and handed them
to Wander. She read them and put them on the
table with a smile. Now have you the courage to

(06:54):
sign it? She asked, with a crafty smile, inclining her head.
I took the pen. Let me sign first, said Wanda.
Your hand is trembling. Are you afraid of the happiness
that is to be yours? She took the agreement and pen.
While engaging in my internal struggle, I looked upward. For

(07:18):
a moment. It occurred to me that the painting on
the ceiling, like many of those of the Italian and
Dutch schools, was utterly unhistorical. But this very fact gave
it a strange mood, which had an almost uncanny effect
on me. The Lilah, an opulent woman with flaming red hair,

(07:38):
lay extended half thus robed in a dark fur coat,
a pon a red ottoman and bent smiling over Samson,
who had been overthrown and bound by the Philistines. Her smile,
in its mocking coquetry, was full of a diabolical cruelty.
Her eyes, half closed, met Samson's and his with a

(08:00):
last look of insane passion cling to hers, For already
one of his enemies is kneeling on his breast with
the red hot iron to blind him. Now, said, wonder
why you are all lost in the thought? What is
the matter with you? Everything will remain just as it was,
even after you have signed. Don't you know me yet,

(08:21):
dear heart? I looked at the agreement. Her name was
written there in bold letters. I peered once more into
her eyes with their potent magic. Then I took the
pen and quickly signed the agreement. You are trembling, said Wanda, calmly,

(08:42):
Shall I help you? She gently took hold of my hand,
and my name appeared at the bottom of the second paper.
Wanda looked once more at the two documents and then
locked them in the desk, which stood at the head
of the ottoman. Now, then give me your passport and money.

(09:02):
I took out my wallet and handed it to her.
She inspected it, nodded, and put it with other things.
While in a sweet drunkenness, I kneeled before her, leaning
my head against her breast. Suddenly she thrusts me away
with her foot, leaps up, and pulls the bell rope
in answer to its sound. Three young, slender negresses enter.

(09:26):
They are as if carved of ebony, and are dressed
from head to foot in red satin. Each one has
a rope in her hand. Suddenly I realize my position
and I am about to rise. Wonder stands proudly erect.
Her cold, beautiful face, with its somber brows and contemptuous eyes,

(09:46):
is turned toward me. She stands before me as a
mistress commanding, gives a sign with her hand, and before
I really know what has happened to me, the negresses
have dragged me to the ground and have tied to
me hand and foot, as in the case of one
about to be executed. My arms are bound behind my
back so that I can scarcely move. Give me the whip,

(10:11):
HAIDI commends Wanda with unearthly calm. The negress hands it
to her mistress, kneeling and now take off my heavy furs,
she continues, they impede me. The negress obeyed the jacket.
There one, the commanded Hady, quickly brought her the cazai
baika set with ermine, which lay on the bed, and

(10:35):
one that slipped into it with two inimitable graceful movements.
Now tie him to the pillar. Here, the negresses lifted
me up, and, twisting a heavy rope around my body,
tied me standing against one of the massive pillars which
supported the top of the wide Italian bed. Then they

(10:55):
suddenly disappeared, as if the earth had swallowed them, and
the swiftly approached me. Her white satin dress flowed behind
her in a long train, like silver, like moonlight. Her
hair flared like flames against the white fur of her jacket.
Now she stood in front of me with her left

(11:15):
hand firmly planted on her hips. In her right hand
she held the whip. She uttered an abrupt laugh. Now
play has come to an end between us, she said,
with heartless coldness. Now we will begin in dead earnest,
You fool, I'll laugh at you and despise you, you who,

(11:37):
in your insane infatuation, have given yourself as a plaything
to me, the frivolous and capricious woman. You are no
longer the man I love, but my slave at my mercy,
even unto life and death. You shall know me first
of all. You shall have a taste of the whip

(11:57):
in all seriousness, without having done anything to deserve it,
so that you may understand what to expect if you
are awkward, disobedient, or refractory. With a wild grace, she
rolled back her fur lined sleeve and struck me across
the back. I winced, for the whip cut like a
knife into my flesh. Well how do you like that,

(12:21):
she exclaimed? I was silent. Just wait, you will yet
whine like a dog beneath my whip, she threatened, and
simultaneously began to strike me again. The blows fell quickly
in rapid succession, with terrific force upon my back, arms,
and neck. I had to gritch my teeth not to

(12:43):
scream aloud. Now she struck me in the face. Warm
blood ran down, but she laughed and continued her blows.
It is only now I understand you, she exclaimed. It
really is a joy to have some one so completely
in one's power, and a man at that who loves you?
Do you love me? No? Oh, I'll cheer your two

(13:06):
shreds yet, and with each blow my pleasure will grow. Now,
twist like a worm, scream wine. You will find no
mercy in me. Finally, she seemed tired. She tossed the
whip aside, stretched out on the ottoman, and rang the
negress has entered untie him. As they loosened the rope,

(13:31):
I fell to the floor like a lump of wood.
The black women grinned, showing their white teeth. Untie the
rope around his feet. They did it, but I was
unable to rise. Come over here, Gregor, I approached the
beautiful woman. Never did she seem more seductive to me
than to day, in spite of all her cruelty and contempt.

(13:55):
One step further one, the commanded, Now, kneel down and
kiss my foot. She extended her foot beyond the hem
of the white satin, and I, the supersantul fool, pressed
my lips upon it. Now you won't lay eyes on
me for an entire month, Gregor, she said, seriously, I
want to become a stranger to you so you will

(14:17):
more easily adjust yourself to our new relationship. In the meantime,
you will work in the garden and await my orders
now off which you slave. A month has passed with
monotonous regularity, heavy work, and a melancholy hunger, hunger for
her who is inflicting all these torments on me. I

(14:40):
am under the gardener's orders. I help him lop the
trees and prune the hedges, transplant flowers, turn over the
flower beds, sweep the gravel paths. I share his coarse
food and his hard caught I rise and go to
bed with the chickens. Now and then I hear that
our mistress is a music herself surrounded by admirers. Once

(15:03):
I heard her gay laughter, even down here in the garden,
I seem awfully stupid to myself. Was it the result
of my present life? Or was I so? Before? The
month is drawing to a close, the day after to morrow.
What will she do with me now? Or has she
forgotten me and left me to trim their hedges and

(15:25):
bind bouquet till my dying day? A written order, the
slave Gregor is herewith ordered to my personal service, Wanda Dunayev,
with a beating heart, I draw aside the damask curtain
on the following morning and enter the bedroom of my divinity.
It is still filled with a pleasant half darkness. Is

(15:49):
it you, gregor, she asked, while I kneel before the
fireplace building a fire. I tremble at the sound of
the beloved voice. I canno see her herself. She is
invisible behind the curtains of the four posted bed. Yes,
my mistress, I reply, how late is it past nine o'clock? Breakfast?

(16:12):
I hasten to get it, and then kneel down with
the tray beside her bed. Here is breakfast, my mistress.
Wanda draws back the curtains, and curiously enough, at the
first glance, when I see her among the pillows with loosened,
flowing hair, she seems an absolute stranger, a beautiful woman,

(16:33):
But the beloved soft lines are gone. The space is
hard and has an expression of weariness and sashety or
is it simply that formerly my eye did not see this?
She fixes her green eyes upon me, more with curiosity
than with menace, perhaps even somewhat Pityingly and lazily pulls

(16:55):
to the dark sleeping fur on which she lies over
the bared shoulder. At this moment, She is very charming,
very maddening, and I feel my blood rising to my
head and heart. The tray in my hands begin to sway.
She notices it and reaches out for the whip, which
is lying on the toilet table. You are awkward, slave,

(17:18):
she says, furrying her brow. I lower my looks to
the ground and hold the tray as steadily as possible.
She eats her breakfast, yawns, and stretches her opulent limbs
in the magnificent furs she has rung. I enter, take
this letter to Prince Corsini. I hurry into the city

(17:43):
and hand the letter to the Prince. He is a
handsome young man with glowing black eyes, consumed with jealousy.
I take his answer to her. What is the matter
with you, she asked, with lurking spitefulness. You are very pale. Nothing, mistress,
I merely walked rather fast at luncheon. The Prince is

(18:06):
at her side, and I am condemned to serve both
her and him. They joke, and I am as if
nonexistent for both. For a brief moment, I see black.
I was just pouring some bordeaux into his glass and
spilt it over the tablecloth and her gown. How awkward,
Wanda exclaimed, and slapped my face. The Prince laughed and

(18:29):
she also, but I felt the blood rising to my face.
After luncheon, she drove in the Cascine. She has a
little carriage with a handsome brown English horse and holds
the reins herself. I sit behind and notice how coquettishly
she acts and nod with a smile when one of

(18:50):
the distinguished gentlemen bows to her. As I help her
out of the carriage, she leans lightly on my arm.
The contact runs through me like an electric shock. She
is a wonderful woman, and I love her more than ever.
For dinner at six she has invited a small group
of men and women. I serve, but this time I

(19:13):
do not spill any wine over the table cloth. A
slap in the face is more effective than ten lectures.
It makes you understand very quickly, especially when the instruction
is by the way of a small woman's hand. After dinner,
she drives to the Pergola theater. As she descends the

(19:34):
stairs in her black velvet dress with its large collar
of ermine and with a diadem of white roses on
her hair, she is literally stunning. I open the carriage
door and help her in in front of the theater,
I leap from the driver's seat, and in a lighting
she leans on my arm, which trembled under the sweet burden.

(19:56):
I open the door of her box and then wait
in the vestuble. The performance lasts four hours. She receives
visits from her cavaliers, though while I grit my teeth
with rage. It is way beyond midnight when my mistress
bell sounds for the last time. Fire she orders abruptly,

(20:18):
and when the fireplace crackles tea. When I return with
the samovar, she has already undressed, and, with the aid
of the negress, slipped into a white, negligy Haydee. Thereupon
leaves hand me the sleeping first, says Wanda, sleepily, stretching
her lovely limbs. I take them from the arm chair

(20:39):
and hold them while she slowly and lazily slides into
the sleeves. She then throws herself down on the cushions
of the ottoman. Take off my shoes and put on
my velvet slippers. I kneel down and tug at the
little shoe, which resists my efforts. Hurry, hurry, Wanda exclaims,

(20:59):
your hurting me. Just you wait, I will teach you.
She strikes me with the whip, but now the shoe
is off. Now get out, still a kick, and then
I can go to bed. To night, I accompanied her
to a soiree in the entrance hall. She ordered me

(21:21):
to help her out of her furs. Then, with a
proud smile, confident of victory, she entered the brilliantly illuminated room. Again.
I waited with gloomy and monotonous thoughts, watching hour after
hour run by. From time to time, the sounds of
music reached me. When the door remains open for a moment,

(21:42):
several servants tried to start a conversation with me, but
soon desisted since I knew only a few words of Italian. Finally,
I fell asleep and dreamed that I murdered Wanda in
a violent attack of jealousy. I was condemned to death
and saw myself strapped on the board. The knife fell,
I felt it on my neck, but I was still alive.

(22:06):
Then the executioner slapped my face. No, it wasn't the executioner.
It was Wonder, who stood wretfully before me, demanding her furs.
I was at her side in a moment and help
her on with it. There is a deep joy in
wrapping a beautiful woman into her furs, and in seeing
and feeling how her neck and magnificent limbs nestle in

(22:29):
the precious soft furs, and to lift the flowing hair
over the collar. When she throws it off, a soft
warmth and a faint fragrance of her body still clings
to the ends of the hairs of sable. It is
enough to drive on mad. Finally, a day came when

(22:50):
there were neither guests, nor theater nor other company. I
breathed a sigh of relief. One that sat in the
gallery breathing and apparently had no orders for me. At dusk,
when the silvery evening mists fell, she withdrew. I served
her at dinner. She ate by herself, but had not

(23:10):
a look, not a syllable for me, not even a
slap in the face. I actually desire a slap from
her hand. Tears fill my eyes, and I feel that
she has humiliated me so deeply that she doesn't even
find it worth while to torture or maltreat me any further.
Before she goes to bed. Her bell calls me, you

(23:33):
will sleep here to night. I had horrible dreams last
night and am afraid of being alone. Take one of
the cushions from the ottoman and lie down on the
bearskin at my feet. Then Wanda put out the lights.
The only illumination in the room was from a small
lamp suspended from the ceiling. She herself got into bed.

(23:54):
Don't stir so as not to wake me. I did
that she had commanded, but could not fall asleep. For
a long time. I saw the beautiful woman, beautiful as
a goddess, lying on her back on the dark sleeping furs,
her arms beneath her neck with a flood of red
hair over them. I heard her magnificent breast rise in deep,

(24:17):
regular breathing, and whenever she moved ever so slightly, I
woke up and listened to see whether she needed me.
But she did not require me. No task was required
of me. I meant no more to her than a
night lamp or a revolver which one places under one's pillow.

(24:40):
Am I mad or is? She does all this arise
out of an inventive, wanton woman's brain, with the intention
of surpassing my superstantial fantasies. Or is this woman really
one of those Newronian characters who take a diabolical pleasure
in treading under foot like a worm? Human beings who
thoughts and feelings and will like theirs? What have I experienced?

(25:04):
When I knelt with a coffee tree beside her bed?
Wanda suddenly placed her hand on my shoulder, and her
eyes plunged deep into mine. What beautiful eyes you have,
she said, softly, and especially now since you suffer? Are
you very unhappy? I bowed my head and kept silent
severin Do you still love me? She suddenly exclaimed passionately.

(25:29):
Can you still love me? She drew me close with
such vehemence that the coffee tree upset, The can and
cups fell to the floor, and the coffee ran over
the carpet. Wander my wonder, I cried out, and held
her passionately against me. I covered her mouth, face and
breast with kisses. It is my unhappiness that I love

(25:53):
you more and more madly. The worse you treat me,
the more frequently you betray me. Oh, I shall die
of pain and love and jealousy. But I haven't betrayed
you as yet. Severin, replied Wanda, smiling. Not Wanda, don't
dress so mercilessly with me, I cried, Haven't I myself

(26:15):
taken the letter to the Prince. Of course, it was
an invitation for luncheon you have since we have been
in Florence, I have been absolutely faithful to you, replied Wanda.
I swear it by all that is wholly to me.
All that I have done was merely to fulfill your dream,
and it was done for your sake. However, I shall

(26:37):
take a lover. Otherwise things will only be half accomplished,
And in my end you will yet reproach me with
not having treated you cruelly enough, my dear beautiful slave.
But to day you shall be severeign again the only
one I love. I haven't given away your clothes. They
are here in the chest. Go and dress as you

(26:58):
used to in the little carpace health resort, when our
love was so intimate. Forget everything that has happened since. Oh,
you will forget it easily. In my arms. I shall
kiss away all your sorrows. She began to treat me tenderly,
like a child, to kiss me and caress me. Finally,

(27:20):
she said with a gracious smile, Go now and dress,
I too will dress? Shall I put on my fur jacket? Oh? Yes,
I know, now run along. When I returned, she was
standing in the center of the room in her white
satin dress and the red cazabaika edged with ermine. Her
hair was white with powder, and over her forehead she

(27:43):
wore a small diamond diadem. For a moment she reminded
me in an uncanny way of Catherine the Second, but
she did not give me much time for reminiscences. She
drew me down on the ottoman beside her, and we
enjoyed two blissful hours. She was no longer the stern,
capricious mistress. She was entirely a fine lady, a tender sweetheart.

(28:07):
She sold me photographs and books which had just appeared,
and talked about them with so much intelligence, clarity, and
good taste that I more than once carried her hands
to my lips and raptured. She then had me recite
several of Lermanhoff's poems, and when I was all afire
with enthusiasm, she placed her small hand gently on mine.

(28:29):
Her expression was soft, and her eyes were filled with
tender pleasure. Are you happy not? Yet. She then leaned
back on the cushions and slowly opened her kazabaika. But
I quickly covered the half bared breast again with the aermine.
You are driving me, mad, I stammered. Come. I was

(28:53):
already lying in her arms, and like a serpent, she
was kissing me with her tongue, and again she whispered.
Are you happy? Infinitely? I exclaimed. She laughed aloud. It
was an evil, shrill laugh, which made cold shivers run
down my back. You used to dream of being the slave,

(29:14):
the plaything of a beautiful woman, and now you imagine
you are a free human being, a man, my lover.
You fool a sign from me, and you are a
slave again. Down on your knees, I sang down from
the ottoman to her feet, but my eye still clung
doubtingly on hers. You can't believe it, she said, looking

(29:38):
at me with her arms folded across her breast. I
am bored, and you will just do to whall away
a couple of hours of time. Don't look at me
that way. She kicked me with her foot. You are
just what I want, a human being, a thing, an animal.
She rang The three negresses entered tie his hands behind

(30:01):
his back. I remained kneeling and unresistingly let them do this.
They led me onto the garden, down to the little
vineyard which forms the southern boundary. Corn had been planted
between the espeliers, and here and there a few dead
stalks still stood. To one side was a plow. The

(30:22):
negresses tied me to a post and amused themselves ticking
me with their golden hair needles. But this did not
last long before Wander appeared with her ermine cap on
her head and with her hands in the pockets of
her jacket. She had me untied, and then my hands
were fastened together on my back. She finally had a

(30:43):
yoke put around my neck and harnessed me to the plow.
Then her black demons drove me out into the field.
One of them held the plow, the other one led
me by a line. The third applied the whip and
venus and furs stood to one side and looked on.

(31:05):
When I was serving dinner on the following day, Wanda
sent bring another cover. I want you to dine with
me to day, and when I was about to sit
down opposite her, she added, no over here close by
my side. She is in the best of humors, gives
me soup with her spoon, feeds me with her fork,

(31:27):
and places her head on the table like a playful kitten,
and flirts with me. I have the misfortune of looking
at Hadi, who serves in my place, perhaps a little
longer than is necessary. It is only now that I
noticed her noble, almost European cast of countenance, and her
magnificent statuesque bust, which is as if hewn out of

(31:49):
black marble. The black devil observes that she pleases me,
and grinning shows her teeth. She has hardly left the
room before Wanda lee up in a rage. What you
dare to look and another woman besides me? Perhaps you
like her even better than you do me. She is

(32:09):
even more demonic. I'm frightened. I have never seen her
like this before. She suddenly pale even to the lips,
and her whole body trembles. Venus in furs is jealous
of her slave. She snatches the whip from its hook
and strikes me in the face. She then calls her

(32:31):
black servants, who bind me and carry me down to
the cellar, where they throw me into a dark danks
of terranean compartment, a veritable prison cell. Then the lock
of the door clicks, the bolts are drawn. A key
sings in the lock. I am a prisoner, buried. I

(32:52):
have been lying here for I don't know how long,
bound like a calf about to behold to the slaughter,
on a boundle of damp's straw, without any light, without food,
without drink, without sleep. It would be like her to
let me starve to death if I don't freeze to
death before then, I am shaking with cold or is

(33:15):
it fever? I believe I am beginning to hate this woman.
A red streak like blood floods across the floor. It
is a light falling through the door, which is now
thrust open. Wonder appears on the threshold, wrapped in her sables,

(33:38):
holding a lighted torch. Are you still alive? She asked?
Are you coming here to kill me? I replied with
a low, hoarse voice. With two rapid strides, Wonder reaches
my side. She kneels down beside me and places my
head in her lap. Are you ill? Your eyes close? So?

(34:00):
Do you love me? I want you to love me?
She draws forth a short dagger. I start with fright.
When its blade gleams in front of my eyes, I
actually believe that she is about to kill me. She
laughs and cuts the ropes that bind me. Every evening,
after dinner, she now has me called I have to

(34:23):
read to her, and she discusses with me all sorts
of interesting problems and subjects. She seems entirely transformed. It
is as if she were ashamed of the savagery which
she betrayed to me, and of the cruelty with which
she treated me. A touching gentleness transfigures her entire being.
And when at the good night she gives me her hand,

(34:46):
a superhuman power of goodness and love lies in her eyes.
Of the kind which calls forth, tears in us and
causes us to forget all the misery of existence and
all the terrors of death. End of section five, October
two thousand eight.