This coyness, of course, can only constitute a love play when it is
manifested in the struggle with sexual instinct—that is, when it
becomes coquetry or flirting. As in the female spider, this impulse
is converted into rage which endangers the life of the wooing male,
so there are among women Brunhild natures for whom the process of
courtship can never be playful. But the effect is different when
repulsion is so balanced by attraction that there is alternate motion
to and from, approach and then flight; though this alone does not
constitute it a play, as the conflict of opposed instincts may be very
serious. When, however, women enjoy the varying moods for their own
sake, playful exercise of instinct easily ensues, and is somewhat akin
to the fighting and hunting play, yet clearly differentiated from them.
“In Paraguay,” says Mantegazza, “where intercourse between the sexes
is very free, an impatient youth who has good grounds to believe that
he is regarded favourably repeats in all possible variations of tone,
now tender, now passionate, now beseeching, now wrathful, the one word,
‘To-day!’ and the lovely creole who has never heard of Darwin answers
laughingly: ‘No, indeed; not to-day! You have only known me ten days!
Perhaps in two months.’”[512] Here the natural shyness has so little
of fear or anger that the young girl actually enjoys controlling her
lover and putting him off, and yet such coquetry as this is far from
being the heartless behaviour so commonly designated by that word. Even
this latter I regard as a love play, however, for we must suppose the
genuine coquette to be heart whole. She finds her chief pleasure in
her relations with the other sex, even the satisfaction of her vanity
being of another quality from that which has no such connection. If we
inquire what are some of the special forms of this playful coquetry we
find them parallel with self-exhibition in men, except that the display
is constantly held in check and veiled by modesty. While man makes much
of his courage and strength in the presence of women, women are apt to
take occasion to parade their weakness and helplessness. Genuine love
involves, as I have occasion to remark, a combination of the sexual and
fostering instincts; therefore woman’s need of his help is a strong
attraction to a man, which is quickly recognised and turned to account
by the female. A young girl is usually very much alive to the fact when
one of her rivals makes a display of her timidity or delicacy to make
herself interesting. On the other hand, women too like to show where
their capabilities lie, and they exploit their housewifely qualities.
This is amusingly shown among the company collected in one of the
mountain clubhouses where all must go to strengthen and refresh the
inner man. Great zeal is displayed by the women, aforetime so weary, in
getting out the dishes, laying the table, cooking and serving the meal,
and then in clearing away and tidying up. It is all done with laughter
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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