Page:The Count of Monte-Cristo (1887 Volume 2).djvu/89

Rh sans. Then amongst these shameless shadows glided like a pure ray, like a Christian angel in the midst of Olympus, one of those chaste figures, those calm, soft visions, which seemed to veil its virgin brow before these marble wantons.

Then, so seemed it to him, these three statues advanced toward him with looks of love, and approached the couch on which he was reposing, their feet hidden in their long tunics, their throats bare, hair flowing like waves, and assuming attitudes which the gods could not resist, but which saints withstood, and looks inflexible and ardent like the serpent's on the bird; and then he gave way before these looks as painful as a powerful grasp and as delighful as a kiss.

It seemed to Franz that he closed his eyes, and thought that in the last look he gave he saw the modest statue completely veiled; and then with his eyes closed upon all nature his senses awoke to impossible impressions, to dreams like those promised by the prophet to his elect; the more he struggled to repulse this unknown power, the more his senses submitted to its charm, and he sank back, breathless and exhausted, under the painful yet delicious enthrallment produced by the hashish, whose enchantment had brought up this marvelous and thrilling vision.