The Art of Seduction (44 page)

debating the virtues of a
house she led him into the room, which, to his delight, was a kind of tem
particular yarn with a
ple of pleasure: there were mirrors on the walls, trompe l'oeil paintings
spinner-woman, she
evoking a forest scene, even a dark grotto, and a garlanded statue of Eros.
resolved that as far as it lay

within her power she
Overwhelmed by the mood of the place, the young man quickly resumed
would have nothing
what he had started in the pavilion, and would have lost all track of time
whatsoever to do with his
if a servant had not rushed in and warned them that it was getting light
beastly caresses. Moreover

she was determined to seek

outside—Monsieur would soon be up.

her pleasure elsewhere, in

They quickly separated. Later that day, as the young man prepared to
the company of one who
leave, his hostess said, "Goodbye, Monsieur; I owe you so many pleasures;
seemed more worthy of her

affection, and so it was that
but I have paid you with a beautiful dream. Now your love summons you
she fell deeply in love with
to return. . . . Don't give the Countess cause to quarrel with me." Reflect
an extremely eligible man
ing on his experience on the way back, he could not figure out what it
in his middle thirties. And

meant. He had the vague sensation of having been used, but the pleasures
whenever a day passed

without her having set eyes
he remembered outweighed his doubts.
upon him, she was restless

for the whole of the

following night.
•

However, the gentleman

Interpretation.
Madame de T is a character in the eighteenth-century
suspected nothing of all
libertine short story "No Tomorrow," by Vivant Denon. The young man is
this, and took no notice of

the story's narrator. Although fictional, Madame's techniques were clearly
her; and for her part, being

very cautious, she would
based on those of several well-known libertines of the time, masters of
not venture to declare her
the game of seduction. And the most dangerous of their weapons was
love by dispatching a
insinuation—the means by which Madame cast her spell on the young man,
maidservant or writing him
making him seem the aggressor, giving her the night of pleasure she desired,
Master the Art of Insinuation • 215

and safeguarding her guiltless reputation, all in one stroke. After all, he was
a letter, for fear of the
the one who initiated physical contact, or so it seemed. In truth, she was the
dangers that this might
entail. But having

one in control, planting precisely the ideas in his mind that she wanted. That
perceived that he was on
first physical encounter in the carriage, for instance, that she had set up by
very friendly terms with a
inviting him closer: she later rebuked him for being forward, but what lin-
certain priest, a rotund,
gered in his mind was the excitement of the moment. Her talk of the
uncouth, individual who
was nevertheless regarded

countess made him confused and guilty; but then she hinted that his lover
as an outstandingly able
was unfaithful, planting a different seed in his mind: anger, and the desire for
friar on account of his very
revenge. Then she asked him to forget what she had said and forgive her
saintly way of life, she
calculated that this fellow

for saying it, a key insinuating tactic: "I am asking you to forget what I have
would serve as an ideal go-
said, but I know you cannot; the thought will remain in your mind." Pro-
between for her and the
voked this way, it was inevitable he would grab her in the pavilion. She sev-
man she loved. And so,
after reflecting on the

eral times mentioned the room in the château—of course he insisted on
strategy she would adopt,
going there. She enveloped the evening in an air of ambiguity. Even her
she paid a visit, at an
words "If you promise to be good" could be read several ways. The young
appropriate hour of the
man's head and heart were inflamed with all of the feelings—discontent,
day, to the church where he
was to be found, and

confusion, desire—that she had indirectly instilled in him.

having sought him out, she

Particularly in the early phases of a seduction, learn to make everything
asked him whether he
you say and do a kind of insinuation. Insinuate doubt with a comment here
would agree to confess her.

•
Since he could tell at a

and there about other people in the victim's life, making the victim feel
glance that she was a lady
vulnerable. Slight physical contact insinuates desire, as does a fleeting but
of quality, the friar gladly
memorable look, or an unusually warm tone of voice, both for the briefest
heard her confession, and
when she had got to the

of moments. A passing comment suggests that something about the victim
end of it, she continued as
interests you; but keep it subtle, your words revealing a possibility, creating a
follows:
•
"Father, as I
doubt. You are planting seeds that will take root in the weeks to come.
shall explain to you
presently, there is a certain

When you are not there, your targets will fantasize about the ideas you have
matter about which I am
stirred up, and brood upon the doubts. They are slowly being led into your
compelled to seek your
web, unaware that you are in control. How can they resist or become de-
advice and assistance.
fensive if they cannot even see what is happening?

Having already told you

my name, I feel sure you

will know my family and

What distinguishes a suggestion from other kinds of psy-

my husband. He loves me

chical influence, such as a command or the giving of a piece

more dearly than life itself,

and since he is enormously

of information or instruction, is that in the case of a sug-

rich, he never has the

gestion an idea is aroused in another person's brain which

slightest difficulty or

is not examined in regard to its origin but is accepted just

hesitation in supplying me

as though it had arisen spontaneously in that brain.

with every single object for

which I display a yearning.

—SIGMUND FREUD

Consequently, my love for

him is quite unbounded,

and if my mere thoughts,

to say nothing of my actual

Keys to Seduction

behavior, were to run

contrary to his wishes and

his honor, I would be more

You cannot pass through life without in one way or another trying to
deserving of hellfire than
persuade people of something. Take the direct route, saying exactly
the wickedest woman who
what you want, and your honesty may make you feel good but you are
ever lived.
•
"Now, there is
probably not getting anywhere. People have their own sets of ideas, which
a certain person, of
respectable outward

are hardened into stone by habit; your words, entering their minds, com-
216
•
The Art of Seduction
appearance, who unless I
pete with the thousands of preconceived notions that are already there, and
am mistaken is a close
get nowhere. Besides, people resent your attempt to persuade them, as if
acquaintance of yours. I
they were incapable of deciding by themselves—as if you knew better.
really couldn't say what his

name is, but he is tall and

Consider instead the power of insinuation and suggestion. It requires some
handsome, his clothes are
patience and art, but the results are more than worth it.
brown and elegantly cut,

The way insinuation works is simple: disguised in a banal remark or en
and, possibly because he is
unaware of my resolute
counter, a hint is dropped. It is about some emotional issue—a possible
nature, he appears to have
pleasure not yet attained, a lack of excitement in a person's life. The hint
laid siege to me. He turns
registers in the back of the target's mind, a subtle stab at his or her insecuri
up infallibly whenever I
either look out of my
ties; its source is quickly forgotten. It is too subtle to be memorable at the
window or stand at the
time, and later, when it takes root and grows, it seems to have emerged
front door or leave the
naturally from the target's own mind, as if it was there all along. Insinuation
house, and I am surprised,
lets you bypass people's natural resistance, for they seem to be listening only
in fact, that he is not here

now. Needless to say, I am
to what has originated in themselves. It is a language on its own, communi
very upset about all this,
cating directly with the unconscious. No seducer, no persuader, can hope
because his sort of conduct
to succeed without mastering the language and art of insinuation.
frequently gives an honest

woman a bad name, even

A strange man once arrived at the court of Louis XV. No one knew

though she is quite
anything about him, and his accent and age were unplaceable. He called
innocent.
•
"
. . .
For the
himself Count Saint-Germain. He was obviously wealthy; all kinds of gems
love of God, therefore, I

implore you to speak to
and diamonds glittered on his jacket, his sleeves, his shoes, his fingers. He
him severely and persuade
could play the violin to perfection, paint magnificently. But the most in
him to refrain from his
toxicating thing about him was his conversation.
importunities. There are

In truth, the count was the greatest charlatan of the eighteenth

plenty of other women who

doubtless find this sort of

century—a man who had mastered the art of insinuation. As he spoke, a
thing amusing, and who
word here and there would slip out—a vague allusion to the philosopher's
will enjoy being ogled and

stone, which turned base metal into gold, or to the elixir of life. He did not
spied upon by him, but I

personally have no
say he possessed these things, but he made you associate him with their
inclination for it
powers. Had he simply claimed to have them, no one would have believed
whatsoever, and I find his
him and people would have turned away. The count might refer to a man
behavior exceedingly

disagreeable."
•
And

who had died forty years earlier as if he had known him personally; had
having reached the end of
this been so, the count would have had to be in his eighties, although he
her speech, the lady bowed

looked to be in his forties. He mentioned the elixir of life. . . . he seems so
her head as though she
young. . . .

were going to burst into

tears.
•
The reverend friar

The key to the count's words was vagueness. He always dropped his

realized immediately who
hints into a lively conversation, grace notes in an ongoing melody. Only
it was to whom she was
later would people reflect on what he had said. After a while, people started
referring, and having

warmly commended her
to come to him, inquiring about the philosopher's stone and the elixir of
purity of mind . . . he
life, not realizing that it was he who had planted these ideas in their minds.
promised to take all
Remember: to sow a seductive idea you must engage people's imaginations,
necessary steps to ensure

that the fellow ceased to
their fantasies, their deepest yearnings. What sets the wheels spinning is
annoy her.
. . . •
Shortly
suggesting things that people already want to hear—the possibility of plea
afterward, the gentleman in
sure, wealth, health, adventure. In the end, these good things turn out to be
question paid one of his

regular visits to the
precisely what you seem to offer them. They will come to you as if on
reverend friar, and after
their own, unaware that you insinuated the idea in their heads.
they had conversed together

In 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte decided it was critical for him to win

for a while on general

the Russian Czar Alexander I to his side. He wanted two things out of the
Master the Art of Insinuation • 217

czar: a peace treaty in which they agreed to carve up Europe and the Mid-
topics, the friar drew him to
dle East; and a marriage alliance, in which he would divorce his wife
one side and reproached
him in a very kindly sort of

Josephine and marry into the czar's family. Instead of proposing these
way for the amorous
things directly, Napoleon decided to seduce the czar. Using polite social
glances which, as the lady
encounters and friendly conversations as his battlefields, he went to work.
had given him to
An apparent slip of the tongue revealed that Josephine could not bear chil-
understand, he believed
him to be casting in her

dren; Napoleon quickly changed the subject. A comment here and there
direction.
•
Not
seemed to suggest a linking of the destinies of France and Russia. Just be-
unnaturally, the gentleman
fore they were to part one evening, he talked of his desire for children,
was amazed, for he had
never so much as looked at