The Art of Seduction (66 page)

— N I N A EPTON,

painkillers were used at the time, and as the man began to take out his vari
LOVE AND THE FRENCH

ous instruments, Pauline grew terrified. Despite the pain of the tooth, she changed her mind and refused to have it pulled.

Major Canouville was lounging on a couch in a silken robe. Taking all
In one of the goodly towns

of the kingdom of France
this in, he tried to encourage her to have it done: "A moment or two of
there dwelt a nobleman of
pain and it's over forever. . . . A child could go through with it and not ut
good birth, who attended
ter a sound." "I'd like to see you do it," she said. Canouville got up, went
the schools that he might
over to the dentist, chose a tooth in the back of his own mouth, and or
learn how virtue and honor
are to be acquired among
dered that it be pulled. A perfectly good tooth was extracted, and Canou
virtuous men. But
ville barely batted an eyelash. After this, not only did Pauline let the dentist
although he was so
do his job, her opinion of Canouville changed: no man had ever done any
accomplished that at the
age of seventeen or eighteen
thing like this for her before.
years he was, as it were,

The affair had been going to last but a few weeks; now it stretched on.
both precept and example
Napoleon was not pleased. Pauline was a married woman; short affairs
to others, Love failed not to

add his lesson to the rest;
were allowed, but a deep attachment was embarrassing. He sent Canouville
and, that he might be the
to Spain, to deliver a message to a general there. The mission would take
better harkened to and
weeks, and in the meantime Pauline would find someone else.
received, concealed himself

in the face and the eyes of

Canouville, though, was not your average lover. Riding day and night,
the fairest lady in the
without stopping to eat or sleep, he arrived in Salamanca within a few days.
whole country round, who
There he found that he could proceed no farther, since communications
had come to the city in
had been cut off, and so, without waiting for further orders, he rode back
order to advance a suit-at-

law. But before Love
to Paris, without an escort, through enemy territory. He could meet with
sought to vanquish the
Pauline only briefly; Napoleon sent him right back to Spain. It was months
gentleman by means of this
before he was finally allowed to return, but when he did, Pauline immedi
lady's beauty, he had first
won her heart by letting
ately resumed her affair with him—an unheard-of act of loyalty on her
her see the perfections of
part. This time Napoleon sent Canouville to Germany and finally to Rus
this young lord; for in good
sia, where he died bravely in battle in 1812. He was the only lover Pauline
looks, grace, sense and

excellence of speech he was
ever waited for, and the only one she ever mourned.
surpassed by none.
•
You,

who know what speedy

way is made by the fire of Interpretation.
In seduction, the time often comes when the target has be
love when once it fastens
on the heart and fancy, will
gun to fall for you, but suddenly pulls back. Your motives have begun to
Prove Yourself • 327

seem dubious—perhaps all you are after is sexual favors, or power, or
readily imagine that

money. Most people are insecure and doubts like these can ruin the seduc
between two subjects so
perfect as these it knew

tive illusion. In the case of Pauline Bonaparte, she was quite accustomed to
little pause until it had

using men for pleasure, and she knew perfectly well that she was being used
them at its will, and had

in turn. She was totally cynical. But people often use cynicism to cover up
so filled them with its clear
insecurity. Pauline's secret anxiety was that none of her lovers had ever
light, that thought, wish,

and speech were all aflame

really loved her—that all of them to a man had really just wanted sex or
with it. Youth, begetting
political favors from her. When Canouville showed, through concrete ac-
fear in the young lord, led
tions, the sacrifices he would make for her—his tooth, his career, his life—
him to urge his suit with
all the gentleness

he transformed a deeply selfish woman into a devoted lover. Not that her
imaginable; but she, being

response was completely unselfish: his deeds were a boost to her vanity. If
conquered by love, had no
she could inspire these actions from him, she must be worth it. But if he
need of force to win her.

Nevertheless, shame, which

was going to appeal to the noble sede of her nature, she had to rise to that
tarries with ladies as long

level as well, and prove herself by remaining loyal to him.

as it can, for some time

Making your deed as dashing and chivalrous as possible will elevate the
restrained her from

declaring her mind. But at

seduction to a new level, stir up deep emotions, and conceal any ulterior
last the heart's fortress,

motives you may have. The sacrifices you are making must be visible; talk-
which is honor's abode, was
ing about them, or explaining what they have cost you, will seem like brag-
shattered in such sort that
ging. Lose sleep, fall ill, lose valuable time, put your career on the line,
the poor lady consented to

that which she had never

spend more money than you can afford. You can exaggerate all this for ef-
been minded to refuse.
•
In
fect, but don't get caught boasting about it or feeling sorry for yourself:
order, however, to make

cause yourself pain and let them see it. Since almost everyone else in
trial of her lover's patience,

constancy, and love, she

the world seems to have an angle, your noble and selfless deed will be
granted him what he
irresistible.

sought on a very hard

condition, assuring him

that if he fulfilled it she

would love him perfectly

3.
Throughout the 1890s and into the early twentieth century, Gabriele
forever; whereas, if he
D'Annunzio was considered one of Italy's premier novelists and play-
failed in it, he would
certainly never win her as

wrights. Yet many Italians could not stand the man. His writing was florid,
long as he lived. And the

and in person he seemed full of himself, overdramatic—riding horses naked
condition was this: she
on the beach, pretending to be a Renaissance man, and more of the kind.
would be willing to talk

His novels were often about war, and about the glory of facing and defeat-
with him, both being in
bed together, clad in their

ing death—an entertaining subject for someone who had never actually
linen only, but he was to

done so. And so, at the start of World War I, no one was surprised that
ask nothinginore from her
D'Annunzio led the call for Italy to side with the Allies and enter the fray.
than words and kisses.
•

He, thinking there was no

Everywhere you turned, there he was, giving a speech in favor of war—
joy to be compared to that
a campaign that succeeded in 1915, when Italy finally declared war on
which she promised him,
Germany and Austria. D'Annunzio's role so far had been completely pre-
agreed to the proposal, and
that evening the promise

dictable. But what did surprise the Italian public was what this fifty-two
was kept; in such wise
year-old man did next: he joined the army. He had never served in the
that, despite all the caresses

military, boats made him seasick, but he could not be dissuaded. Eventually
she bestowed on him and
the authorities gave him a post in a cavalry division, hoping to keep him
the temptations that beset

him, he would not break

out of combat.

his oath. And albeit his

Italy had little experience in war, and its military was somewhat

torment seemed to him no

chaotic. The generals somehow lost track of D'Annunzio—who, in any

less than that of Purgatory,

328
•
The Art of Seduction

yet was his love so great

case, had decided to leave his cavalry division and form units of his own.
and his hope so strong,

(He was an artist, after all, and could not be subjected to army discipline.)
sure as he felt of the

Calling himself
Commandante,
he overcame his habitual seasickness and di
ceaseless continuance of the
love he had thus painfully

rected a series of daring raids, leading groups of motorboats in the middle
won, that he preserved his

of the night into Austrian harbors and firing torpedoes at anchored ships.
patience and rose from

He also learned how to fly, and began to lead dangerous sorties. In August
beside her without having

of 1915, he flew over the city of Trieste, then in enemy hands, and dropped
done anything contrary to

her expressed wish.
•
The

Italian flags and thousands of pamphlets containing a message of hope, writ
lady was, I think, more
ten in his inimitable style: "The end of your martyrdom is at hand! The
astonished than pleased by

dawn of your joy is imminent. From the heights of heaven, on the wings of
such virtue; and giving no

heed to the honor, patience,

Italy, I throw you this pledge, this message from my heart." He flew at alti
and faithfulness her lover
tudes unheard of at the time, and through thick enemy fire. The Austrians
had shown in the keeping

put a price on his head.

of his oath, she forthwith

suspected that his love was

On a mission in 1916, D'Annunzio fell against his machine gun, per
not so great as she had
manently injuring one eye and seriously damaging the other. Told his fly
thought, or else that he had
ing days were over, he convalesced in his home in Venice. At the time, the
found her less pleasing

than he had expected.
• most beautiful and fashionable woman in Italy was generally considered to
She therefore resolved,

be the Countess Morosini, former mistress of the German Kaiser. Her
before keeping her promise,

palace was on the Grand Canal, opposite the home of D'Annunzio. Now
to make a further trial of
she found herself besieged by letters and poems from the writer-soldier,
the love he bore her; and to

this end she begged him to

mixing details of his flying exploits with declarations of his love. In the
talk to a girl in her service,

middle of air raids on Venice, he would cross the canal, barely able to see
who was younger than

out of one eye, to deliver his latest poem. D'Annunzio was much beneath
herself and very beautiful,

bidding him make love

Morosini's station, a mere writer, but his willingness to brave anything on
speeches to her, so that

her behalf won her over. The fact that his reckless behavior could get him
those who saw him come so

killed any day only hastened the seduction.

often to the house might

think that it was for the

D'Annunzio ignored the doctors' advice and returned to flying, leading
sake of this damsel and not

even more daring raids than before. By the end of the war, he was Italy's
of herself • The young

most decorated hero. Now, wherever in the nation he appeared, the public
lord, feeling sure that his

own love was returned in

filled the piazzas to hear his speeches. After the war, he led a march on
equal measure, was wholly

Fiume, on the Adriatic coast. In the negotiations to settle the war, Italians
obedient to her commands,

believed they should have been awarded this city, but the Allies had not
and for love of her
agreed. D'Annunzio's forces took over the city and the poet became a
compelled himself to make

love to the girl; and she,

leader, ruling Fiume for more than a year as an autonomous republic. By
finding him so handsome

then, everyone had forgotten about his less-than-glorious past as a decadent
and well-spoken, believed

writer. Now he could do no wrong.

his lies more than other

truth, and loved him as

much as though she herself

were greatly loved by him.

Interpretation.
The appeal of seduction is that of being separated from our

•
The mistress finding that

matters were thus well

normal routines, experiencing the thrill of the unknown. Death is the ulti
advanced, albeit the young
mate unknown. In periods of chaos, confusion, and death—the plagues
lord did not cease to claim

that swept Europe in the Middle Ages, the Terror of the French Revolu
her promise, granted him
tion, the air raids on London during World War II—people often let go of
permission to come and see

her at one hour after