Page:Dawn of the Day.pdf/329

Rh —To have been left one minute too long on red-hot coals, and to be just a little burnt, will do no harm, either to men or to chestnuts. This slight bitterness and hardness make the kernel taste all the sweeter. Yes, this is what you say, you who only know enjoyment. Oh, ye sublime cannibals! —Women burn pale at the thought that their lover night be unworthy of them; men turn pale at the thought that they might be worthy of the woman they love. I allude to perfect women, perfect well. Men, as a rule sanguine and self-confident, when under the influence of a strong passion grow diffident, doubtful of themselves: women, on the other hand, though generally conscious of being the weak, devoted sex, in the great exception of love become proud and conscious of their power, they ask, Who is worthy of me? —Many a man is unable to feel enthusiasm for any great and good cause without, in some quarter or other, committing a grievous wrong: this is his kind of morality. —The love of luxury roots in the depth of the