The Grip of Desire

The Grip of Desire, by Hector
France, et al

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Title: The Grip of Desire
Author: Hector France
Release Date: February 6, 2004 [eBook #10963]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE GRIP OF DESIRE
THE STORY OF A PARISH-PRIEST
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF HECTOR FRANCE

[Illustration: Début d'une série de documents en couleur.]

Love is a familiar; love is a devil; there is no evil angel but love. Yet
was Samson so tempted, and he had an excellent strength; yet was
Solomon so seduced, and he had a very good wit.
Love's Labour Lost.

With an engraved portrait of the Author

Other Works in English
By HECTOR FRANCE
Mansour's Chastisement, the Loves and Intrigues of an Arab Don Juan,
done into English by ALFRED ALLINSON, and embellished with
Seven fine Engravings by THEVENIN, after Drawings by
BAZEILHAC.
Musk, Hashish and Blood, with Twenty-One Engravings by PAUL
AVRIL. (In the Press.)
The Attack on the Brothels, A Realistic Account of the Civilizing of
"Barbarians". With Illustrations. (In Hand.)
The Daughter of the Christ; The most original and philosophic work of
the last twenty years. This work will be sumptuously illustrated by

leading French Artists. (In Preparation.)

[Illustration: Fin d'une série de documents en couleur.]

[Illustration: the author.]

[Illustration]

TO THE READER
The truth, the bitter truth.
DANTON.
Oh, sons and brothers, oh, poets When the thing exists, speak the word.
V. HUGO.

I do not assert that all the personages in this story are models of virtue.
To some of them has been given a part which severe morality reproves.
But I am a realist and not an idealist, and for that I beg the reader a
thousand pardons. I have tried to paint what I saw and not that of which
I dreamed. If my figures are not chaste, the fault is not mine, but of
those who passed before me and whose features I sketched as my pen
ran on.
You are warned therefore, Madam, that when you open this book, you
will not find a "Treatise on Morality". Here are only the simple and
pastoral loves of a poor and obscure village priest. An idyll in the shade
of the parsonage limes and under the motionless eye of the
weather-cock on the belfry.

If then you come across any word which offends your chaste ears, any
picture which distresses your modest eye, blame only your own
curiosity.
HECTOR FRANCE.

LIST OF CHAPTERS.
Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are Defiled and
Unbelieving is nothing pure: but even their mind and conscience is
Defiled. They profess that they know God; but in Works they Deny
Him, being Abominable and Disobedient, and unto every good work
Reprobate.
ST. PAUL.

LIST OF CHAPTERS.
I. The Curé II. The Confessional III. The Parsonage IV. Expectation V.
The Meeting VI. The Look VII. The Salute VIII. The Fever IX. During
Vespers X. In Parenthesis XI. The Flesh XII. The Temptation XIII. The
Resolution XIV. The Captain XV. Memories XVI. The Epaulet XVII.
The Voltairian XVIII. The Visit XIX. Hard Words XX. Kicks XXI.
The Past XXII. The Servant XXIII. The Letter XXIV. The First
Meeting XXV. Love XXVI. Of Young Girls in General XXVII. Of
Suzanne in Particular XXVIII. The Shadow. XXIX. Other Meetings
XXX. Seraphic Love XXXI. The Virgin XXXII. The Death's-Head
XXXIII. Frenzy XXXIV. The Prohibition XXXV. The Shelter XXXVI.
The Hot Wine XXXVII. Tête-à-Tête XXXVIII. The Kiss XXXIX. The
Devil in Petticoats XL. Little Confessions XLI. Moral Reflections XLII.
Memory Looking Back XLIII. Espionage XLIV. The Garret Window
XLV. Treacherous Manoeuvre XLVI. The Letter XLVII. Good News
XLVIII. Reconcilliation XLIX. Confidences L. Mammosa Virgo LI.
Chamber Morality LII. The Posset LIII. The Leg LIV. Mater Saeva
Cupidunum LV. In the Foot-Path LVI. Double Remorse LVII. The

Explosion LVIII. Provocation LIX. Acts and Words LX. Talks LXI. Le
Père Hyacinthe LXII. The Happy Curé LXIII. The Miracles LXIV. The
Two Augurs LXV. Table-Talk LXVI. Good Counsel LXVII. In A
Glass LXVIII. The Rose Chamber LXIX. The Gust of Wind LXX. The
Ambuscade LXXI. The Breach LXXII. The Assault LXXIII. Audaces
Fortuna Juvat LXXIV. Before Mass LXXV.