The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 04: Masterpieces of German Literature Translated into English. in Twenty Volumes
General
The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 04: Masterpieces of German Literature Translated into English. in Twenty Volumes
German literature -- 19th century -- Translations into English; German literature -- 20th century -- Translations into English
"May I not feel * * *. Oh, let me listen to the beating of your heart!
Let me cool my lips in the snow of your bosom! Do not push me away! I
will have my revenge! Hold me tighter! Kiss upon kiss! No, not a lot
of short ones! One everlasting one! Take my whole soul and give me
yours! Oh, beautiful and glorious Together! Are we not children? Tell
me! How could you be so cold and indifferent at first, and then
afterward draw me closer to you, making a face the while as if
something were hurting you, as if you were reluctant to return my
ardor? What is the matter? Are you crying? Do not hide your face!
Look at me, dearest!"
"Oh, let me lie here beside you--I cannot look into your eyes. It was
very naughty of me, Julius! Can you ever forgive me, darling? You will
not desert me, will you? Can you still love me?"
"Come to me, sweet lady--here, close to my heart. Do you remember how
nice it was, not long ago, when you cried in my arms, and how it
relieved you? Tell me what the matter is now. You are not angry with
me?"
"I am angry with myself. I could beat myself! To be sure, it would
have served you right. And if ever again, sir, you conduct yourself so
like a husband, I shall take better care that you find me like a wife.
You may be assured of that. I cannot help laughing, it took me so by
surprise. But do not imagine, sir, that you are so terribly
lovable--this time it was by my own will that I broke my resolution."
"The first will and the last is always the best. It is just because
women usually say less than they mean that they sometimes do more than
they intend. That is no more than right; good will leads you women
astray. Good will is a very nice thing, but the bad part of it is that
it is always there, even when you do not want it."
"That is a beautiful mistake. But you men are full of bad will and you
persist in it."
"Oh no! If we seem to be obstinate, it is only because we cannot be
otherwise, not because our will is bad. We cannot, because we do not
will properly. Hence it is not bad will, but lack of will. And to whom
is the fault attributable but to you women, who have such a
super-abundance of good will and keep it all to yourselves, unwilling
to share it with us. But it happened quite against my will that we
fell a-talking about will--I am sure I do not know why we are doing
it. Still, it is much better for me to vent my feelings by talking
than by smashing the beautiful chinaware. It gave me a chance to
recover from my astonishment over your unexpected compunction, your
excellent discourse, and your laudable resolution. Really, this is one
of the strangest pranks that you have ever given me the honor of
witnessing; so far as I can remember, it has been several weeks since
you have talked by daylight in such solemn and unctuous periods as you
used in your little sermon today. Would you mind translating your
meaning into prose?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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