Group+Five



= FANTOMINA: Or, Love In A Maze  = By Eliza Haywood

 Welcome to our Wiki Site, a collaborative effort of Amanda Danskin, Amy Johnson, Melissa Kuhn, Julie Medina, and Marlene Moore. For any of our Wiki visitors unfamiliar with either the story itself or the author, we offer the following preliminary information.

Fantomina was written in 1724 by Eliza Haywood, who, along with two other female writers of her era, Delarivier Manley and Aphra Behn, was part of the "Fair Triumverate", a trio of women writers whose works were of the genre of amatory fiction. This genre was popular in late 17th and early 18th century British literature. It was literature written by women, for women, involving stories of sexual love and romance, and it often portrayed an innocent woman deceived by an indifferent or selfish man. Fantomina is a short story about a young woman whose name is never divulged during the entire story. She disguises herself as multiple characters, the first being Fantomina, followed by Celia, the widow Bloomer, and finally Incognita, in order to seduce one man, Beauplaisir. Fantomina could be viewed as a story of female empowerment. Yet, depending on one's perspective, it could also be seen as portraying the double standard that exists in sexual behavior for men and women, in which case, instead of female empowerment, the message is more of female victimization. We invite you to continue reading as we attempt to explain different aspects of life that existed during the era of 18th century England.

I retrieved some information online from the website [|www.umich.edu] From this website I learned that people of the 18th century in England enjoyed eating a lot of meat. This was true for both upper and lower classes. A direct quote from this site says, "An example of a meal served to Queen Anne in 1705 - selections were: Oleo, Pigeons, Sirloin of Beef roast, Venison, Cyne of Mutton, Turkey, Snipes, Ducks, Partridge." The site also mentions that only those of high status could afford venison. People usually ate their meat cold. It was only heated  if they were having guests. The site informed that only the wealthy could afford fruit. They would always cook the fruit for fear of receiving the plague. The English drank wine, milk that was directly from the cow or watered down, tea, and coffee. They enjoyed some desserts such as pudding and chocolate. Two more things I derived from this site were: "Syllabub: This beverage was popular in the 18th century and contained cider or wine sweetened and flavored with nutmeg, milk and then cream." Secondly, "Gruel: This was oatmeal, butter which was mixed with alcoholic beverages." The website explained that this served a dual purpose to feed the person and keep them warm during the winter.
 * Food and Drink  ** By Amy Johnson

I have derived additional knowledge of food and dining in this era from an article named __High Style in the 18th Century__ written by Sarah Nichols found on the website [|www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmag/bk_issue/1996sepot/feat5.htm]. Dining was becoming a much more formal event by this time. People of wealth were dazzling their guests with beautiful china, lavish silverware, and delicate crystal wine glasses. In addition to this, the table was being lavishly decorated sometimes with beautiful water fountains, and sometimes the food itself was being made into a work of art such as a mock boar's head made out of sponge cake! Dining would sometimes go on for five hours with the numerous courses that were being served. Nichols stated that there were many servants to attend to the guests. There would usually be at least one servant per guest, sometimes more! "There would be many soups, vegetables, boiled fish and meats arranged around a grand centerpiece for the first course." Towards the end of the evening the delicious desserts would appear which consisted of sugared fruits, sweetmeats, jams, jellies and creams, says Nichols.



<span style="display: block; color: rgb(20, 0, 255); text-align: center;">**<span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 208); font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">PROFESSIONS, OCCUPATIONS, AND IDENTITY **<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 208);">By Marlene Moore <span style="display: block; color: rgb(38, 28, 28); text-align: left;">From the late 1700's onward Britain was transformed by the Industrial Revolution. But until then most of the people lived in the country and made their living from farming. The classes of society ranged from nobility at the top, to the gentry (rich landowners), to the mass of the population, the poor, which encompassed craftsmen and laborers. In 18th century England probably half the population lived at subsistence or bare survival level. Educational opportunities were class driven, so that only the nobility, wealthy, and those of distinguished birth were able to afford schooling. That left the poor and lower class unable to obtain education and consequently employment in anything beyond the predictable professions of farming, labor, trades, and the like. There was little opportunity for them to break into the next social class, which determined their fate to be stuck in menial occupations from one generation to the next. The nobility and wealthy, however, had the advantage of educational opportunities and social standing to boost them to the upper end of the occupational ladder.

I have chosen __Aristocratic Government and Society in Eighteenth-Century England, the Foundations of Stability__, a book of scholarly essays, as my resource for obtaining information on professions and occupations in 18th century England, specifically the essay “The Professions in the Eighteenth Century” by Edward Hughes. The essay begins by stating that during this time period there wasn’t yet a major distinction between a ‘profession’ and a ‘trade’. Throughout the 18th century entry to either of these was by the ‘time honored system of apprenticeship’. It was common for apprentices to have to pay a premium, or an amount of money, as their apprenticeship was subject to a stamp duty. These payments were recorded in enormous volumes maintained at what was called the Stamp Office. In reviewing these records, historians are able to get a glimpse into what were the common professions and/or trades at the time. Several of these are: goldsmiths, barbers, schoolmasters, milliners, attorneys, writers, music and dancing masters, and other lesser crafts. In addition to entering a profession through the standard apprenticeship route, other positions required such exceptional responsibility or demanded unusual qualities and skill that individuals were only able to enter them through personal selection. This assumes that those individuals who were personally selected had something unique to offer, which further assumes that they may have had the benefit of special education and schooling or life experiences that qualified them to even be considered for such positions. A person of lesser social class with fewer opportunities in education and training would therefore be less qualified to be personally selected for a position that offered higher respect and monetary compensation. Consequently, social class played a role in determining who was personally selected for a more prestigious occupation versus who entered a more predictable ‘trade’ via the apprenticeship route. Another interesting point is that in the early years of the 18th century ancient families and lesser gentry were experiencing the liquidation of their holdings because of social changes that were occurring. For many of these people undergoing changes in their financial circumstances and personal holdings, a position under government, a living in the church, or a commission in the armed services became almost a necessity for the stability it could offer. Consequently, some major professions emerged during this time: the legal and medical professions, the fighting services, and the civil service.

** <span style="color: rgb(0, 92, 255); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 71, 221); font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Women: Conduct and Sexuality  **  <span style="color: rgb(255, 71, 221);"> <span style="display: block; color: rgb(61, 142, 255); text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 71, 221);">By Julie Medina <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I will be researching women’s conduct and sexuality in this story and in this particular period. I intend to investigate how these issues affected women’s lives, how they shaped literature, and how literature promoted or denounced these aspects of life. Also, I want to explore how both conduct and sexuality influenced Haywood’s work and what kind of ideals her work negates or embraces.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Women throughout history have always managed to make an impact no matter how privileged or oppressed they are. In Eliza Haywood's story, //Fantomina//, our main character takes her life into her own hands. In 18th century England, women were particularly oppressed but our protagonist enjoys an especially privileged lifestyle that allows her to pursue her most personal desires. Lifestyle, position, social and generational differences, and motherhood are some of the aspects that influence the main character's actions and will be closely analyzed. <span style="display: block; color: rgb(38, 28, 28); text-align: left;">

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<span style="display: block; font-size: 80%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">      <span style="display: block; font-size: 80%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">  <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">          <span style="display: block; font-size: 80%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">     <span style="font-size: 80%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Virtue represents one of the most important attributes a woman can have in eighteenth century England, and during this period the literature available reflects this quality. Codes of conduct stated that virtue, submission, obedience, discreetness, and sensibility are ideal qualities every woman should have, and sexual desires are not part of that list. Marriage is the only outlet: women "might create themselves as objects of male desire" but the only way for men to attain that desire is through marriage. This was a common theme in eighteenth century literature and likewise, the most popular method of transmitting proper virtuous conduct was through novels, books, and periodicals. Interestingly, this is also a method of repression: "In these texts, young women are taught 'natural' femininity in terms of negation and repression-silence, submission...[women] are offered the illusion of power based on sublimation and passive virtue" (Jones 15). It is issues like these that have shaped women’s perspective of themselves and societal constructs of what female conduct should be. It has been advocated in literature, especially during the 18th century when works like //Clarissa// and //Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded// victimize women and shame feminine sexuality. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-size: 80%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">   In addition, sensibility and language play a role in female sexuality, proper conduct, and how a woman should carry herself in her married life and in the public eye. Women also tend to promote the patriarchal mindset that represses lives of women. An example of a "code of conduct manual" written by Mary Wollstonecraft in 1788, intended for young female readers, outlines the important duties of a woman: her husband, family, and household. It teaches women how to present themselves and maintain appropriate conduct in public, and what she should aspire to, thus limiting lives of women and encouraging them to endure oppression in a male dominated society.

<span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Asexual virtue was defined as “natural femininity” and it dominated literature in the 18th century. On the other hand, active sexuality was considered suspect in women and it was looked down upon. There was a very distinct dichotomy within women: “good women” were set on a pedestal and considered angelic, representing moral value, and “bad women” were equated with whores, thus representing moral disorder, hence giving importance to “conduct literature and manuals.” These were used in a more political way; they were more like moral political discourses and their “barely disguised” subtext intended to control female sexuality (57). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These types of discourses fall into three main categories, as stated by Jones: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 1. Medical literature (e.g. “sex manuals claiming authorship by a ‘physician’") 2. Anti-female satire 3. Documents dealing with prostitution <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> These works immediately display a sort of overlapping and definite connection. Male sexuality was viewed as the norm among society, and they were fully allowed and even encouraged to act on their desires with little or no moral backlash whereas female sexual desire was considered deviant and also as a “passively functional role.” Even in medical texts “female sexuality is represented as aberrant and mysterious” (58). Not only that but in anti-female literature female sexuality is also seen as deviant. For example, the “illness” known as hysteria was visible in all women except //married mothers//. Even menses was viewed under a shameful light because it is the body’s way of saying that it is constantly ready to conceive. This was all explained in so called medical literature. Thus, “ female sexuality is simultaneously and inseparably constructed as both natural and unnatural, and it's potentially anarchic power contained by reducing it to the socially sanctioned duty of motherhood” (58). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Sexuality in women is seen merely as a way to propagate the human race. The necessity to transmit this belief was an essential duty of the “upwardly mobile middle class,” for they are completely interested in keeping power within themselves. The ideology of sexuality is tied with economic self interest and moral rectitude (59). Consequently, it was a top priority to control female sexuality by constructing the only socially accepted role of //motherhood//.
 * "<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Sexuality "**

<span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The repression of female sexuality is even present in works about prostitution. For example, some writers wrote about prostitutes in two different perspectives. They were either seen as “pestilent whores” or “fallen women” who had no choice but to resort to selling sex. This was a battle between women as sexually guilty and women as [sexual] victims (60). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To conclude, sexuality was constructed in order to control reproduction, and to protect the[economic ] interests of the family and the commonwealth. It wasn't inconvenient for society to have a multitude of independent women who were in control of their own sexual desires because this presented a threat to the state of order created by male patriarchy. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">"<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Sexuality and Conduct in Haywood's Fantomina "

Eliza Haywood [among a few other writers] defied this notion, and works such as “Fantomina” serve as a prime example. She went against popular fictions and “conduct manuals” by creating a character full of vitality and independence. The protagonist of this tale embraces her sexuality: she “indulges her sexual desires with remarkable freedom, creativity and sensual enjoyment” (Croskery 69). With this work, Haywood creates a paradigm shift for understanding the politics of seduction. She disputes the traditional beliefs of “good conduct” and “asexual virtue” because her heroines “are rarely punished simply for experiencing sexual desire…[or] for acting upon it” (70). The main character suffers only briefly, only to recognize that she has the power in her hands to control the desire of this young man, Beauplaisir. Haywood, however, does acknowledge that our young heroine is dislocated because she “loses her virginity” while masquerading as this first personage of prostitute. Intriguingly enough, “her loss of innocence is purely voluntary” (83). These actions weaved within the story display a certain radicalism on Haywood’s behalf, for she was giving women (and female sexuality) a presence: “she recognizes the power of desire to create fictions of desire” (86).

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<span style="display: block; font-size: 120%; color: rgb(85, 143, 241); text-align: center;">**<span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(0, 98, 255); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 56, 219); font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Clothing and Consumerism ** **<span style="display: block; color: rgb(8, 54, 231); text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 56, 219);">by Melissa Kuhn  **

Clothing has always been an important part of one's identity, and in Eliza Haywood's "Fantomina, or Love in a Maze", it takes on a special significance. Haywood implies that clothing was so vital to a woman's identity that by adjusting one's character along with one's outfit, one could become almost completely unrecognizable. The young woman who is central to the story is, in fact, never given a name except for the ones that she adopts as a part of her disguises. Status was reflected in many ways by one's clothes in this time, and as such, it is important to look at the fashions of the time.

The average woman in the 18th century usually owned no more than 4 outfits according to the Memorial Hall Museum's website. They were typically made of linen or wool and sewn by hand, and they were rarely washed. Elbows and knees were to be covered at all times, and a woman's cleavage was not to be exposed with the exception of formal occassions. Outfits consisted of multiple layers: the typical woman started with a "shift", which functioned as both a nightgown and a slip, knee high socks, "stays", or corsets, kerchiefs to cover up one's chest, separately attached pockets to be worn under up to five skirts depending on the weather, a "stomacher", which covered up the front of one's stay and made their outfit a bit fancier, a gown, a cap that was worn at all times, and a cape when it was cold. Click [|HERE]to get a layer by layer look at each piece of clothing. In general, fashions changed less often during this time period according to James Laver. Some common parts of the looks for both upper and lower class women according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art were corsets and open gowns which revealed underskirts and folded back into bustle shapes. In court, panniers, or large hoops made of metal or whalebone, were worn under gowns and gave one the appearace of having truly unnaturally large hips and thus a smaller waist.

It is also important to note that in 18th century Europe, women were taking on a larger role as consumers, as described in Helen Berry's "Prudent Luxury: The Metropolitan Tastes of Judith Baker, Durham Gentlewoman". More shops were going into business and they were beginning to be more than just small wood shacks - glass displays become more commonplace, and so on. The shopping that middle and upper class women did helped to bring the economy into a properous state. The popular idea of the times that happiness could be found in material goods aided this as well, along with the fact that since the average woman had little chance of inheriting any real property of her own, she often used the possessions she bought to give her life meaning. Things were often advertised in "feminised language" and descibed as being "genteel" to appeal to middle class women and give the impression that owning such a thing would make them more sophisticated and give them status.

Luxury was both prized and looked down upon according to Berry - it was important for one's status to have certain amount of luxury present in their life, but many women were "overly fond of luxury" and spent far more than they could afford to, sometimes to the point of ruining their families. There was also a fear that becoming too consumed with luxury would lead to a loss of morality in people. It was also observed that those who "profited from the sale of luxury clothing were seldom personally rich, due to the whimsy of fashion" because it changed so quickly and it was hard for them to keep up.

However, many women did live within their means and even kept close accounts of all purchases. In fact, this was not considered unusual, and it "may have been the case that one of the marks of a true gentleman was that he never knew his bank balance, but it was more than likey that his wife did" Berry states, showing that women played a very important role in the consumerist lifestyle. It was a show of status if one could use their connections to buy things from far away from their homes through the use of a network of friends, family, and neighbors as well.

<span style="display: block; font-size: 120%; color: rgb(85, 143, 241); text-align: center;">**<span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(0, 98, 255); font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 46, 213); font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Education ** **<span style="display: block; color: rgb(8, 54, 231); text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 46, 213);">by Amanda Danskin  ** This is Amanda Danskin and I plan to research education in the period of this story. I am planning to research how important a proper education was to being successful in society. Also, how education was different for men and women in that time period, and lastly how readily available education was due to time, finances etc. I believe knowing how important education is in society is a huge part of learning about the culture of the time. Education has always seemed to be a sign of wealth and upper class. The inability for the lower class to get a decent education plays a huge role in why certain people pick certain professions. This in itself could be a topic, especially with this story. People's professions help to create their identity and when a person changes their outward identity so often, there is bound to be some confusion.

The idea that education is most likely different for men and women at this time is important to consider because of the interaction between genders. If there is a difference in their ability to receive a quality education, there will be a difference in the kind of jobs they get, and therefore, there will be certain perceptions of them. Because men were able to receive better education, they got more reputable jobs. When/if women ever attempted to do a similar feat, they would run into a wall because of their gender.

Another topic that draws different aspects of education together is looking at how readily available education was. If something is a challenge, not a lot of people will attempt to do it. Because education was more challenging to pursue, less people came into the working lifestyle with an education. This would change the dynamics of the work area and the social issues in the work place. Here we can see that though women in well off families could attend schools, it wasn't seen as the most important part of their lives to focus on. When they were in school, the basics like math and English weren't stressed as much as more trade skills that would be helpful as a housewife. Not only was it challenging for women but it was controversial as well.

An article on UCLA's website discusses quotes made by famous authors about women's education in the 18th century. Anne Bradstreet writes, "Let such as say our sex is void of reason, know it is slander now but once was treason. " Daniel Defoe wrote in 1692, "one of the most barbarous customs in the world, considering us as a civilised and a Christian country, is that we deny the advantages of learning to women. ... Their youth is spent to teach them to stitch and sew, or make baubles. They are taught to read, indeed, and perhaps to write their names, or so; and that is the height of a woman's education. ... What is a man (a gentleman, I mean) good for, that is taught no more?" Bradstreet and Defoe show two different ways society was looking at women's education and women becoming intellectuals in society. These quotes were attained from http://cwp.library.ucla.edu/articles/WL.html.

=<span style="color: rgb(253, 68, 223); font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Works Cited =

Bain, Angela G. "Women's Clothing from 1700." __Memorial Hall Museum Online__. The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association. 9 Nov. 2008 <http://memorialhall.mass.edu/activities/dressup/1700_woman.html>.

Berry, Helen. "Prudent Luxury: The Metropolitan Tastes of Judith Baker, Durham Gentlewoman." __Women and Urban Life in Eighteenth-Century England: On the Town__. Ed. Rosemary Sweet and Penelope Lane. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, Ltd., 2003. 131-56

Croskery, Margaret Case. pp. 69-94 IN: Saxton, Kirsten T. (ed. and introd.); Bocchicchio, Rebecca P. (ed.); "Masquing Desire The Politics of Passion in Eliza Haywood's Fantomina." __The Passionate Fictions of Eliza Haywood: Essays on Her Life and Work__. Lexington, KY: UP of Kentucky; 2000. ix, 367 pp.

Cullen, Oriole. "Eighteenth-Century European Dress." __The Metropolitan Museum of Art__. 9 Nov. 2008 <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/eudr/hd_eudr.htm>.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Haywood, Eliza. “Fantomina, Or Love in a Maze.” __The Norton Anthology: English Literature.__ Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, et al. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006, 2566-2854. Hughes, Edward. "The Professions in the Eighteenth Century." __Aristocratic Government and Society in Eighteenth-Century England: the Foundations of Stability.__ Ed. Daniel A. Baugh. New York, NY: New Viewpoints, A Division of Franklin Watts, Inc. 1975. Chapter VIII. p. 183-201.

Jones, Vivien. __Women in the Eighteenth Century__. New York: Routledge, 1990. 14-61

Laver, James. "English Costumes of the Eighteenth Century." __AmericanRevolution.org__. 9 Nov. 2008 <http://www.americanrevolution.org/clothing/clothing.html>.

Nichols, Sarah."At Table: High Style in the 18th Century."2008.carnegie museum.24 Sept. 2008.<http://www.carnegiemuseusms.org/cmag/bk_issue/1996/sepoct/feat5.htm>

Prest, Wilfrid. "The Professions and Society in Early Modern England." __The Professions in Early Modern England.__ Ed. Wilfrid Prest. New York, NY: Croom Helm Ltd. 1987. Intro. p. 1

"Types of Food in Eighteenth Century England"2008. Umich. 15 Sept. 2008 [|www.umich.edu/student_projects/food/foods.htm]

"Overview on Women's Education in England and the United States". 4 December 1999. www.ucla.edu. http://cwp.library.ucla.edu/articles/WL.html. 15 October 2008.

=<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 200);">MISSING PASSAGE - Compatible with the original text =

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 200);">
<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 200);"> As was mentioned previously in our introduction above, the young lady in the story engaged in risky sexual behavior by continuing to have sexual relations with Beauplaisir. Most likely, the thought of having 'protected' sex and taking precautions to avoid an unwanted pregnancy never even entered her mind. As is to be expected, she got pregnant. After the birth of her baby, the young lady's mother sent her off to a monastery. It is at this point that we take up the story and provide an insight as to what may have transpired as Fantomina is banished from the life that she knows:

While it might seem the end of this whole mess, the mother had no way of knowing that the monastery actually provided her daughter the anonymity necessary for continuing her schemes and whims and furthering her dalliances. Can a young lady so accustomed to lying and scheming and misrepresentations so suddenly put an end to her very nature? Of course not! It would be foolhardy to even believe this was the end of her conniving. But, as is the nature of any female after childbirth, what with physical exhaustion and emotional volatility, the young lady, not knowing what future schemes lay dormant in her mind, could concentrate only on her immediate concerns: whatever to do with an infant? Not ever having been, for any length of time, in the near vicinity of a baby, she was incapable of knowing the reality of having to care for a creature so totally and fully dependent on her. Having seen herself for so long as young, beautiful, and full of charms, with skin so soft and smooth, with a bosom so taut and fair, she could not for a moment believe that the reflection she saw in her mirror was in fact her: she was worn and haggard from being kept awake all night by the child; her bosom, once full and round, was now consistently sucked dry each day by an infant so ravenous for nourishment. And her skin, once so smooth, was now loose and marked around her abdomen and certainly not the soft flesh that Beauplaisir so hungrily caressed during their previous pleasures.

And what of Beauplaisir? The very thought of him sent her mind into fits of rage! He had partaken of her virginity, had plucked her, had gratified all his fleshly lusts on her, yet it was she, not he, that now had to deal with the very real consequences of their previous affairs, manifested in this screaming baby girl. But then, swirling around in her mind were thoughts of pleasure when she remembered their intimacies! Oh, what wretchedness! Could it be that she wanted to be with him again, disguised as some new young thing, simply to partake of the physical pleasures they shared? Yet at the same time she hated him for impregnating her! Her conflicting thoughts, emotions, and desires were more than she could bear! She would just have to leave it all tucked into a corner of her mind while she dealt with a more pressing matter that could not wait, that demanded her full attention: assuming the full responsibility for the care and upbringing of her new daughter. [**<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Marlene Moore **]

The baby interrupted her thoughts with its obsessive screaming again. She put her hands over her ears and wished it would stop. The baby just screamed louder. Angrily, she walked over to it. The moment she picked up the baby it stopped crying. Looking at it with careful attention, she noticed how cute it looked. The baby girl gave her a tiny smile and cooed. A calming effect engulfed her. She continued holding the baby while they walked around the monastery. It is not so bad here (//thought she//). It is somewhat pretty in a simple way. It is neat and clean with pretty candles and warm fireplaces scattered from room to room. It also has the simplicity which is needed when one’s mind is overloaded with too many thoughts.

She continued to stroll outside, still holding the little girl. She walked down the steps of the monastery into a beautiful garden of bright green grass and blue, red, and yellow flowers all over. She picked a flower to smell and showed it to the tiny infant, who again rewarded her with a lovely smile! She continued walking to the back of the garden where she came upon a small forest with a bubbling brook. The sound of the water was so soothing to her soul. There were a few large rocks scattered around the river that seemed to be placed there strategically. Holding the baby close to her, she sat on one of the rocks, closed her eyes, and felt the warm sunshine. She finally was at sincere peace. She and her baby were both very happy, sitting, basking in the sunlight, listening to the beautiful bubbling brook. [**Amy Johnson**]

She began to go to the garden with her child quite often as she settled into motherhood at the monastery. Though she dearly missed the life that had once been hers and the freedom it had offered her, love rose in her for the little girl. Surely all had not gone as planned and she had lost her beloved Beauplaisir (oh, now it did pain her!), but she wondered if perhaps all of her wildness had not led her to a better life; maybe in being here she could regain her honor and heal her heart. After all, was it not so that he had never stayed true to any one of the imagined ladies that she had conjured up? Truly he was not a proper gentleman and would only have hurt her more if he had married her in the end, as both she and her mother had quietly hoped he would in spite of the circumstances. But oh, the loneliness she felt in the nights when her daughter lay quietly sleeping and all she could see were thick stone walls around her - she felt that she was trapped forever in this new role, and might not so easily slip out of it as she had done with all of the others she had played.

One day, however, while resting by the brook, she thought that she could hear a familiar voice approaching, calling to her - could it be? She turned to see who walked up the path to the lovely garden and there he was - her darling Beauplaisir! All of her previous resentment disappeared; just as she had begun to feel that no escape would be possible from this life, a sudden hope surged in her. He had come to take her away from this awful, secluded life, and soon all would be as it was before! She jumped to her feet, suddenly feeling the weight of her little girl in her arms - perhaps not all would be as it was, but with Beauplaisir as her husband (as he must have meant to be after traveling all this way), she could regain her previous position and perhaps even advance into a life that would alleviate her of some of her motherly duties. But as Beauplaisir neared and the worn state of his former lover came clear, his expression darkened - she ran to him to place kisses all over his face, but they were not so lovingly welcomed, and confusion and anger began to rise. [**Melissa Kuhn**]

Confused by his gestures, she reached for a warm embrace, for he seemed disinterested in her kisses. She justified his distance to the awkwardness of the situation. She had fooled him three times over, ended up with child, and was now locked up in a monastery. She couldn’t imagine why he must have come to her after it all turned awry. She tried kissing him once more, but ever so gently he put his fingers over her lips. With apparent nonchalance, he responded that he had some comforting news. He had a child and as a man of good standing, he felt obligated to partake in her upbringing. He promised her that within a few weeks’ time he would fetch her and their daughter, promising a new life. With a convincing smile she believed his words and happily agreed, for anything he offered would have been better than the cold stone walls that surrounded her.

A million schemes ran through her mind as she imagined her new life with Beauplaisir. She imagined he would devour her with as much eagerness and ecstasy as before. But she would have to conjure up new ideas to keep his interest from wandering because to her mind came thoughts of Celia, and the widow, and how quickly he had lost interest in them as well. Only the challenge of a new conquest seemed to entice and satisfy his insatiable appetite. This did not worry her much however, because soon those thoughts were chased away by the image of him coming to her at the monastery to rescue her.

Weeks went by and there was no word from Beauplaisir. She grew more and more impatient and irritable with each passing day. She had left her daughter in the care of the nuns, for she could not bring herself to look at her daughter without seeing his face.

Two months’ time went by and still Beauplaisir had not appeared. Had he betrayed her? Had he forgotten about his promise? Did something happen to him? Surely he would come, and night after night she found new reasons to calm herself. She could not imagine what must have caused him to deceive her. Had he found a new lover? Had he left the country with someone else? Surely it must have been a new, more beautiful young girl than she who had stolen his heart, that had caused him to forget about her and their daughter. Jealousy and doubt poisoned her mind and her heart slowly began to fill with rage. She could not justify what had happened and slowly the anger began to consume her. [**Julie Medina**]

She knew she needed to find him. She wanted revenge. She wanted him to feel the pain he had caused her. With his old love letters in hand she ran through the gardens and to the back gates. One hesitant gaze back and her anger pushed her forward. Where? She didn’t know, but she would find him. In hopes that he had stayed close, she stayed the evening at a nearby inn. Out her window she noticed a crowd of people at a place across the way. She didn’t think much of it until she heard a familiar laugh. This was it. She could finally seek her revenge.

She stormed down the stairs, furious that he had been so close but had never come back for her. She entered through a small doorway swarmed with people and instantly her eyes fell on his familiar face. As she was ready to run over and strangle him, he confidently walked over with that smile that had always made her melt. Suddenly she felt her face inches from his and before she could say anything differently, she felt his ever familiar lips passionately against her own. She felt herself retreating back into his warm embrace, but she couldn’t tear herself away. He had a power over her that no amount of her anger could break. Beauplaisir slowly pulled away and told her that he had missed her so. She meekly responded by asking why he hadn’t come to take her away. With a distant glance he simply told her that work had kept him too busy. Already trapped back into his addictive circle, his undisruptive answer seemed to appease her. At the end of the evening he told her to stay at the inn ‘til midweek, as he would have his work caught up and they could finally be together. His kiss reassured her and sent her off to sleep.

Before she knew it, she was well past working age and again, she was waiting for him. She had followed him through all of his many adventures, across the various countries and cities he had traveled to, just waiting for him to commit to her. The few weeks at a time that she would get to spend with him kept her resentment at bay and her love for him strong. She was far beyond knowing how to get out of this mess she had weaved. She was plagued by her feelings for him, and no matter how hard she tried she was stuck. No amount of anger or hurt could pull her away. She would forever keep her hurt locked up in the circle that he had trapped her in. [**Amanda Danskin**] And thus ended an intrigue, which, considering the time it lasted, was as full of variety as any, perhaps, that many ages has produced.

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(255, 0, 210); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">MISSING PASSAGE - Rewritten in modern day English

Yeah, let’s put an end to this big fat mess and send the girl off to live with the nuns, or so her mother thought. Even sending the girl to a monastery wasn’t going to be enough to stop her from carrying out her crazy plots and schemes. It had been far too easy for her to lie about who she was and way too much fun to hang out at clubs, looking for some dude to fool, just so she could use him for her latest sexual games. Once a liar, always a liar. Once a schemer, always a schemer. This was just a part of who she was. A change in location certainly wasn’t going to reform her.

But dang! Was she TIRED. And her emotions were all over the place. In spite of her fatigue, though, her head was spinning with all kinds of potential schemes: ideas to ditch the monastery; ways to hand off the baby to the nuns; how to get her hands on some money! Okay, so her mom kicked her out but she’d put some new plan into action. First priority: what to do with this crying baby? Up to this point in her life it had been all about her: her good looks; her boyfriends; her nights out; her agenda! A baby definitely cramped her style. And this baby was sucking her boobs dry. She wasn’t getting enough sleep and she had stretch marks all over the place, even on her butt! What happened, she wondered? She sure didn’t look like the cute thing that had tempted Beau all those dark and steamy nights.

And what about him anyway? Every time she thought about him it drove her crazy! She had just ‘given it away’ to him. Yeah, it had been good, but was it worth having to deal with this baby? What a double standard - it’s so unfair. “I just want to kill him“, she thought. “But we DID have fun!” “Oh, Come On!!! Make up your mind!” She couldn’t decide if he was the biggest jerk or the best guy in bed. And scream, //scream//, SCREAM!!! //STOP THE SCREAMING!!!!!!!!!!!// All this baby does is scream!!! [**Marlene Moore**] The baby interrupted her thoughts with it’s off-the-scale screaming - she could hardly take it! She stuffed her ears with cotton; she placed her hands over her ears; anything, ANYTHING to escape the constant crying! The baby just screamed louder. In spite of her anger and frustration with the baby, she decided it might be better to take a different approach: instead of trying to escape the baby and escape the noise, why not pick her up. The moment she had the baby in her arms, it stopped crying! The baby actually gave her a tiny smile and made a few gurgling sounds. She stood there for a moment just holding her baby, studying her face, looking into her pale blue eyes, noticing the long curly lashes. It actually smelled so sweet and fresh. It was wrapped in a beautiful blanket that one of the nuns had knitted for the baby when she had first arrived at the monastery. Why had she never noticed this blanket before? What about those blue eyes? She had not yet bothered to take the time to study her daughter’s face.

Suddenly, she felt a certain calm come over her, kind of like something new was happening inside her. She decided to take a little walk around the monastery and after a short time realized that it was actually a nice place. The grounds were well taken care of and there were fragrant candles and cozy fireplaces in every room. It also had a certain simplicity to it, just what was needed for someone whose mind is overloaded with the stress of life. She walked down some steps and found herself at the entrance to a beautiful garden - “Oh my gosh! It’s gorgeous!” She couldn’t remember ever having seen such colorful flowers! Red, blue, yellow - everywhere! She picked a flower and was struck by it’s fragrance. She showed it to the baby, who again rewarded her with a lovely smile! As she continued her walk she found a small forest and heard the faint sound of water - yes, it was a tiny river flowing through the grounds of the monastery. The sound was so soothing to her soul. She noticed a few strategically placed rocks scattered on the edge of the river and realized that someone must have put them there for someone like her - someone who needed to slow down a bit, maybe even stop and get their bearings, and perhaps take a different look at life, maybe even embrace it. Holding the baby close to her, she closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the sun, felt her baby’s tiny breaths, felt the weight lifting from her - she was finally at peace. She and her daughter were happy, sitting there, taking in the warmth and listening to the sound of the brook. [**Amy Johnson**]

She started to go the the garden all the time with her baby after that. She was finally starting to feel a bit like a real mom. As much as she missed being able to do whatever she wanted, she could feel herself beginning to really love her little girl. Of course, nothing had gone quite the way she had wanted it to - she had lost Beau and her heart was still broken over it. But maybe this ways a good thing, maybe she had been a little too wild and crazy. Maybe being here was what she really needed to feel like a normal person again. Anyways, Beau was a jerk - he took every chance he got with every girl she came up with without even thinking. If they had gotten married after all, he probably would have just cheated on her and left her alone no matter what. Though she did her best to comfort herself and believe that she was better off, she couldn't help feeling lonely when she laid down at night in her little room at the monastery. It seemed like all she could see were thick stone walls around her. She felt trapped in her new role here, and she wasn't so sure that she would be able to find a way out of it like she had with all the others she had played.

Then, one day, when she was out in the garden by the brook, she swore she could hear a familiar voice calling to her. She turned in disbelief - "No way, it can't be..." - bu there he was, walking up the path into the garden - Beau! Suddenly, she forgot all of the anger she had felt. This was her chance! She wouldn't be stuck after all! Obviously, Beau was here to take her away from this stupid monastery, to get her back into the real world, and everything was going to be okay. As she jumped up, she could feel the weight of her baby in her arms - well, okay, not everything was going to be the same, but what did it matter? Beau was going to marry her (seriously, why else would he come all the way to France?) and they would have plenty of money to hire a nanny or something so they could still go out and enjoy themselves. But the closer he got to her, the more his face started to look strange. She ran up to him, tried to kiss him, but he seemed to pull away. What the hell was going on? [**Melissa Kuhn**]

He was completely rejecting her kisses so she thought maybe a hug would suffice. He wasn’t showing any interest, and she could understand why. After all, she played with him, making him think she was three different women, ended up pregnant and paid the consequences by being thrown into a monastery. She had no idea why he had come but she wasn’t complaining, she was glad he came to see her. He seemed completely cold and indifferent towards her, and simply said that he had come because he wanted to help her out with their little girl, so he was going to take them back to the city. Anything is better than being in this prison, she thought, so she agreed. In the meantime, she dreamt up new ideas and kept thinking about her new life with her love. She was so anxious to be in his arms and feel his touch and his kisses she couldn’t help herself but get excited. The only thing that scared her was that he might wander off like he did before, or he might lose interest in her because he had done it before. Once a dog, always a dog, she thought. But she was confident that she would think up of new ways to keep him interested. She was clever enough. Plus, he had come for her after all that mess happened, so why wouldn’t he stay? She waited and waited and didn’t hear from him. Impatience was killing her inside, she was so irritable, and she couldn’t even look at her little girl. All she could see was his face in hers, so she had the nuns watch her. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two months later Beauplaisir had not shown up. She felt that he completely stood her up and left with some other girl. She knew that a man like that would easily get distracted with any girl wearing a short skirt, so she imagined that that must have been the reason why he had left her with the nuns. He definitely has a new girl, that has to be it, she thought. And each of those thoughts infuriated her. She couldn’t think of any other logical reasons as to why he dumped her, and she could feel within her anger and rage were eating her alive. [**Julie Medina**]

Where the hell was he? She had to find this guy that had broken her heart. She needed cold-blooded revenge. She grabbed the ridiculous letters he had written, still not sure why she couldn’t make herself just toss them, and ran though the gardens she once thought were so peaceful. Now the only thing that made her feel peaceful was the thought of this man paying for his actions. She stayed at a tiny motel, hoping he would be so stupid as to not have gone far. Sitting on her dingy motel bed, she heard a laugh she hadn’t heard in weeks. She looked outside at the rowdy bar across the street and knew this was her chance to catch him.

She swung the bar door open, walked furiously through the crowd until she saw him. She wanted to walk up and slap him (or worse) but the way he walked towards her made her hesitate. “Why the heck did you leave me there?” she yelled. He simply gave her that smile that made her knees weak, pulled her forward and kissed her. It took all she had to stop him. Why did he have to have this affect on her every time? Couldn’t she just be strong enough to hate him? Every time he looked at her, she gave in. She would forget what a horrible guy he really was. And tonight would be no different. He told her he’d be back for her once he got all this work stuff wrapped up. His ever-reassuring words made her justify his actions once more.

Years had past and she still couldn’t figure it out. He never came back for her that night. She had wanted him to so badly. All those fairy tales she had read as a kid told her that he would come back. She ended up following him around the country for years and he told her every time they met, just wait and Ill be there. She had given up her life for him and got nothing in return. Now, old and graying, she sat alone still wanting him, unable to learn that he would never give her what she wanted. **[Amanda Danskin]**