The Art of Seduction (83 page)

treated him cruelly, had apparently been determined to make him unhappy. IN CHODERLOS DE LACLOS,

Well, this was the end, they were separating for good, since that was how
D A N G E R O U S LIAISONS,

she wanted it. Tourvel argued back: she was a married woman, she had no TRANSLATED BY P . W . K . STONE,

IN M I C H E L FEHER, ED.,

choice. Valmont softened his tone and apologized: he was unused to having
THE LIBERTINE READER

such strong feelings, he said, and could not control himself. Still, he would never trouble her again. Then he laid on a table the letters he had come to return.

Don't you know that

Tourvel came closer: the sight of her letters, and the memory of all the
however willing, however

eager we are to give
turmoil they represented, affected her powerfully. She had thought his de
ourselves, we must
cision to renounce his libertine way of life was voluntary, she said—with a
nevertheless have an
touch of bitterness in her voice, as if she resented being abandoned. No, it
excuse? And is there any

more convenient than an
was not voluntary, he replied, it was because she had spurned him. Then
appearance of yielding to
he suddenly stepped closer and took her in his arms. She did not resist.
force? As for me, I shall

"Adorable woman!" he cried. "You have no idea of the love you inspire.
admit that one thing that

most flatters me is a lively
You will never know how I have worshipped you, how much dearer my
and well-executed attack,
feelings have been to me than life! . . . May [your days] be blessed with all
when everything happens

of the happiness of which you have deprived me!" Then he let her go and
in quick but orderly
turned to leave.

succession; which never

puts us in the painfully

Tourvel suddenly snapped. "You shall listen to me. I insist," she said,
embarrassing position of
and grabbed his arm. He turned around and they embraced. This time he
having to cover up some
waited no longer, picking her up, carrying her to an ottoman, overwhelm
blunder of which, on the
contrary, we ought to be
ing her with kisses and sweet words of the happiness he now felt. Before
taking advantage; which

this sudden flood of caresses, all her resistance gave way. "From this mo
keeps up an appearance of
ment on I am yours," she said, "and you will hear neither refusals nor re
taking by storm even that
which we are quite
grets from my lips." Tourvel was true to her word, and Valmont's suspicions
prepared to surrender; and

were to prove correct: the pleasures he won from her were far greater than
adroitly flatters our two
with any other woman he had seduced.
favorite passions
—
the

pride of defense and the

pleasure of defeat.

— M A R Q U I S E DE MERTEUIL IN

Interpretation.
Valmont—a character in Choderlos de Laclos's eighteenthCHODERLOS DE LACLOS, century novel
Dangerous Liaisons
—can sense several things about the Prési
D A N G E R O U S LIAISONS,
dente at first glance. She is timid and nervous. Her husband almost TRANSLATED BY P.W.K. STONE

IN M I C H E L FEHER, ED.,

certainly treats her with respect—probably too much of it. Beneath her in
THE LIBERTINE READER

terest in God, religion, and virtue is a passionate woman, vulnerable to the lure of a romance and to the flattering attention of an ardent suitor. No one, not even her husband, has given her this feeling, because they have all
What sensible man will
been so daunted by her prudish exterior.
not intersperse his coaxing \

With kisses? Even if she

Valmont begins his seduction, then, by being indirect. He knows

doesn't kiss back, \ Still
Tourvel is secretly fascinated with his bad reputation. By acting as if he is
force on regardless! She
contemplating a change in his life, he can make her want to reform him—a
may struggle, cry
desire that is unconsciously a desire to love him. Once she has opened up

"Naughty!" \ Yet she

wants to be overcome. Just

ever so slightly to his influence, he strikes at her vanity: she has never felt
Master the Art of the Bold Move
•
409

desired as a woman, and on some level cannot help but enjoy his love for
take care \ Not to bruise
her. Of course she struggles and resists, but that is only a sign that her emo-
her tender lips with such
hard-snatched kisses, \

tions are engaged. (Indifference is the single most effective deterrent to
Don't give her a chance to
seduction.) By taking his time, by making no bold moves even when he has
protest \ You're too rough.
the opportunity for them, he instills in her a false sense of security and
Those who grab their

kisses, but not what

proves himself by being patient. On what he pretends is his last visit to her,
follows, \ Deserve to lose
however, he can sense she is ready—weak, confused, more afraid of losing
all they've gained. How
the addictive feeling of being desired than of suffering the consequences of
short were you \ Of the
adultery. He deliberately makes her emotional, dramatically displays her let-
ultimate goal after all your
kissing? That was \

ters, creates some tension by playing a game of push-and-pull, and when
Gaucheness, not modesty,

she takes his arm, he knows it is the time to strike. Now he moves quickly,
I'm afraid . . .
allowing her no time for doubts or second thoughts. But his move seems to — O V I D ,
THE ART OF LOVE,
arise out of love, not lust. After so much resistance and tension, what a TRANSLATED BY PETER GREEN

pleasure to finally surrender. The climax now comes as a great release. Never underestimate the role of vanity in love and seduction. If you seem impatient, champing at the bit for sex, you signal that it is all about
I have tested all manner of
pleasures, and known every

libido, and that it has little to do with the target's own charms. That is
variety of joy; and I have
why you must defer the climax. A lengthier courtship will feed the target's
found that neither intimacy
vanity, and will make the effect of your bold move all the more powerful
with princes, nor wealth
and enduring. Wait
too
long, though—showing desire, but then proving
acquired, nor finding after
lacking, nor returning after

too timid to make your move—and you will stir up a different kind of inse-
long absence, nor security
curity: "You found me desirable, but you are not acting on your desires;
after fear and repose in a
maybe you're not so interested." Doubts like these affront your target's
safe refuge
—
none of these
things so powerfully affects

vanity (if you're not interested, maybe I'm not so interesting), and are fatal
the soul as union with the
in the latter stages of seduction; awkwardness and misunderstandings will
beloved, especially if it
spring up everywhere. Once you read in your targets' gestures that they are
come after long denial and
continual banishment. For

ready and open—a look in the eye, mirroring behavior, a strange nervous-
then the flame of passion
ness in your presence—you must go on the offensive, make them feel that
waxes exceeding hot, and
their charms have unhinged you and pushed you into the bold move. They
the furnace of yearning
will then have the ultimate pleasure: physical surrender and a psychological
blazes up, and the fire of
eager hope rages ever more

boost to their vanity.

fiercely.

— I B N H A Z M ,
THE RING OF

The more timidity a lover shows with us the more it con-

THE DOVE: A TREATISE ON THE

cerns our pride to goad him on; the more respect he has for

ART AND PRACTICE OF ARAB

our resistance, the more respect we demand of him. We

L O V E ,
T R A N S L A T E D B Y A . J .

would willingly say to you men: "Ah, in pity's name do

not suppose us to be so very virtuous; you are forcing us to

have too much of it."

I knew once two great

— N I N O N DE L'ENCLOS

lords, brothers, both of

them highly bred and

highly accomplished

Keys to Seduction

gentlemen which did love

two ladies, but the one of

these was of much higher

Think of seduction as a world you enter, a world that is separate and
quality and more account
than the other in all

distinct from the real world. The rules are different here; what works
respects. Now being entered
in daily life can have the opposite effect in seduction. The real world fea-
both into the chamber of
410
•
The Art of Seduction

this great lady, who for the
tures a democratizing, leveling impulse, in which everything has to seem at
time being was keeping her
least something like equal. An overt imbalance of power, an overt desire for
bed, each did withdraw
power, will stir envy and resentment; we learn to be kind and polite, at least
apart for to entertain his

mistress. The one did

on the surface. Even those who have power generally try to act humble and
converse with the high-born
modest—they do not want to offend. In seduction, on the other hand, you
dame with every possible
can throw all of that out, revel in your dark side, inflict a little pain—in
respect and humble saluta-

tion and kissing of hands,
some ways be more yourself. Your naturalness in this respect will prove se
with words of honor and
ductive in itself. The problem is that after years of living in the real world,
stately compliment, without
we lose the ability to be ourselves. We become timid, humble, overpolite.
making ever an attempt to
Your task is to regain some of your childhood qualities, to root out all this
come near and try to force

the place. The other brother,
false humility. And the most important quality to recapture is boldness.
without any ceremony of

No one is born timid; timidity is a protection we develop. If we never
words or fine phrases, did
stick our necks out, if we never try, we will never have to suffer the conse
take his fair one to a
recessed window, and

quences of failure or success. If we are kind and unobtrusive, no one will
incontinently making free
be offended—in fact we will seem saintly and likable. In truth, timid peo
with her (for he was very
ple are often self-absorbed, obsessed with the way people see them, and not
strong), he did soon show

her 'twas not his way to
at all saintly. And humility may have its social uses, but it is deadly in seduc
love à l'espagnole, with
tion. You need to be able to play the humble saint at times; it is a mask you
eyes and tricks of face and
wear. But in seduction, take it off. Boldness is bracing, erotic, and ab
words, but in the genuine
fashion and proper mode
solutely necessary to bring the seduction to its conclusion. Done right, it
every true lover should

tells your targets that they have made you lose your normal restraint, and
desire. Presently having
gives them license to do so as well. People are yearning to have a chance to
finished his task, he doth
play out the repressed sides of their personality. At the final stage of a se
quit the chamber; but as he
goes, saith to his brother,
duction, boldness eliminates any awkwardness or doubts. In a dance, two
loud enough for his lady to
people cannot lead. One takes over, sweeping the other along. Seduction is
hear the words: "Do you
not egalitarian; it is not a harmonic convergence. Holding back at the end
as I have done, brother

mine; else you do naught at
out of fear of offending, or thinking it correct to share the power, is a
all. Be you as brave and
recipe for disaster. This is an arena not for politics but for pleasure. It can be
hardy as you will else-
by the man or woman, but a bold move is required. If you are so con
where, yet if you show not
your hardihood here and

cerned about the other person, console yourself with the thought that
now, you are disgraced; for
the pleasure of the one who surrenders is often greater than that of the
here is no place of cere-
aggressor.

mony and respect, but one

As a young man, the actor Errol Flynn was uncontrollably bold. This
where you do see your lady

before you, which doth but
often got him into trouble; he became too aggressive around desirable
wait your attack." So with
women. Then, while traveling through the Far East, he became interested
this he did leave his brother,
in the Asian practice of tantric sex, in which the male must train himself
which yet for that while did

refrain him and put it off to
not to ejaculate, preserving his potency and heightening both partners'

another time. But for this
pleasure in the process. Flynn later applied this principle to his seductions as
the lady did by no means
well, teaching himself to restrain his natural boldness and delay the end of
esteem him more highly,

whether it was she did put
the seduction as long as possible. So, while boldness can work wonders, un
it down to an overchilliness
controllable boldness is not seductive but frightening; you need to be able
in love, or a lack of courage,
to turn it on and off at will, know when to use it. As in Tantrism, you can
or a defect of bodily vigor.

create more pleasure by delaying the inevitable.

— S E I G N E U R DE BRANTÔME,

In the 1720s, the Duc de Richelieu developed an infatuation with a

LIVES OF FAIR & GALLANT

L A D I E S ,
TRANSLATED B Y A . R .

certain duchess. The woman was exceptionally beautiful, and was desired