January 29, 2020 | Comments: | Views: 1,395
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Almost the entire male sex has gotten it into their heads that every girl must have a mystery . This is a stereotype that passes from one period of social development to another. But in order not to upset their man, girls begin to look for that very mystery in themselves. After all, if she’s not there, it means she’s not an ideal girl. It happens often. That the mystery found deep in the depths of her soul looks more like a defensive reaction, aggression, and in appearance the girl resembles a femme fatale . So, what is this mystery, what should it be and where is it hiding?
The mystery in a woman is what makes a man's heart beat faster. And no one will say when and in whose life such a mystery will appear and what it will be for him. Such a girl is modest, silent, and always hides something . In just a couple of minutes, this woman is able to awaken in a man those feelings that he did not even suspect about. Such a girl appears and disappears into nowhere. You never know where you will find it and where you will lose it.
The girl is a mystery, this is the ideal of women of many writers. This is precisely the ideal described in many works of art. Such girls hide more than they tell. You can talk to her for several hours and know each other for a single day, but when asked about her, remain silent and realize that you still don’t know anything.
The girl is a mystery , it is not character or temperament, and not even the meaning of life, it is the role that the girl plays.
This type of girl is suitable for players, for gambling men . Those who do not like cloying and sweetness. Give them puzzles and riddles. And as soon as the riddle is solved, their excitement disappears.
Don't confuse the mystery with the twist. The mystery is the role, and the highlight is the quality of the person. The highlight refers to modesty, kindness, an embarrassed look or childish naivety .
You can hold your man at arm's length, hold back, disappear, flirt and intrigue, but very often it happens that a man gets tired of this game. He simply gets upset with the girl and leaves. Don't wait too long with the riddle. After all, it's just a game. More than that, men love surprises . Both from small material gifts and higher ones. After all, only a sincerely made surprise can cause such a storm of emotions and joy in an adult young man.
For men, a mystery is not important, they need a real, sincere woman who smells of tenderness in the morning, and who smells of comfort and warmth at home in the evening.
Each girl chooses for herself who she wants to become for her man. But do not forget that you are a woman and that your main function is to love and bring harmony to the family .
The mystery woman - fiction or a real character?
Where do the thoughts come from in the heads of girls that they must certainly have mystery? Firstly, they are sure that it is a magnet for men. Guys, according to their deep conviction, which again is unclear where it came from, cannot stand “simple” young ladies - give them someone “more complicated.”
Secondly, from childhood, someone is taught by their mothers and grandmothers that a mystery woman has a better chance of a successful marriage and, as a result, a successful and prosperous life. Other girls got this attitude from women's magazines and websites, which simply trumpet that a woman must be a puzzle that only a real man can solve.
Such propaganda is based on the theory of the hunting instinct of representatives of the stronger sex, which forces them to “run” all the time in search of something new and fresh. And the constant unraveling of one girl will discourage him from looking around: why, because there is still so much new and unknown ahead!
What do men really want?
A mystery woman is, of course, good and exotic, but only as a lover or girlfriend who is not taken seriously. It’s unpleasant, but this is exactly how, for the most part, adequate men treat “mysterious” women. As a wife or companion, they prefer to see balanced, sane, predictable and reliable young ladies. Why? Yes, because the “female mystery” and normal family life are simply incompatible.
An ordinary man needs good food in the house, fresh and clean clothes, fed and well-groomed children. Moreover, it should always be this way, and not so that today it is, but tomorrow, suddenly at the whim of the wife, it will not be. Expecting a stable life from a mysterious woman is a utopia, since these are mutually exclusive phenomena. Therefore, a normal man will take as his wife an “understandable” and decent girl, focused on building a strong family, and not on turning her into a tangle of secrets and intrigues.
Samson and Delilah
Samson was a mythical hero and leader of the Jews. Having received supernatural power from God, the angel told his parents that he should never have his hair cut or shaved because the power would be lost. Samson defeated the Philistines, the enemies of the Jews, several times, and even killed a lion with his bare hands. He seemed invincible, but unfortunately for him, he fell in love with a girl named Delilah.
At the direction of the Philistine king, Delilah cut off Samson's hair while he was sleeping, thereby depriving him of his strength. His enemies cut out his eyes and Samson was forced to work as a slave. Although it is still unknown what happened to her, to this day every “Delilah” is considered a dangerous seductress.
There must be a mystery in a woman. Why is this stereotype needed?
There is not a single glossy magazine (it doesn’t matter whether it’s printed or virtual) in which its creators would advise their readers to be simple, accessible and predictable girls. On the contrary, the representatives of the fair sex are forced to think that they must be bitches, seductresses, temptresses, insidious and cunning persons who lay out their nets to catch men. The idea is being circulated that a real woman should be a “mystery” for the men around her. Against this background, entire trainings are offered on the topic “How to become mysterious?”
And this is all based on the fact that a man will be much more interested in such a woman, and that he will never leave her. But as we have already said, this has nothing to do with reality.
For the words “secret” and “riddle” on a subconscious level are automatically associated with something fickle, unreliable, one might say, even with a scam. But no one wants to live like on a powder keg, when you don’t know what awaits you at home and what to expect from your wife. So it “doesn’t work” in real life - the one that ordinary people live, and not the one that exists on the pages of glossy magazines.
I'm so mysterious...
But there are still a sufficient number of women who want to become “mysterious”. True, they often cannot figure it out themselves: is this desire brought in and imposed from the outside or does it really belong to them? In the end, it doesn’t matter, since they are interested in the question of how to become a mystery woman and whether it is even possible to do this if by nature you are as simple as doors.
If you wish, you can become anyone, even turn from a gray mouse into an aggressive and bright lioness. Another question is how long you can play a role that is naturally unusual for you. When you see these newly minted “mysterious” young ladies, you just want to say: “I don’t believe it!”
Girls, having read such magazines and their recommendations, try their best to pretend to be femme fatales, who with their mystery should completely defeat men and keep them near them almost all their lives (until they get tired, of course). Having seen the fruits of this transformation, many of them stop pretending to be Cleopatra and Semiramis, while others remain in this role further, sincerely not understanding why their personal lives never work out.
For lovers of puzzles...
Occasionally in life there are men who love to solve riddles and puzzles of female behavior. Such men do not like to communicate with simple-minded girls, they do not like clear and easy communication - they immediately lose excitement and interest. Such lovers of secrets usually like to delve into the souls of lovely ladies, but there are times when in response they receive a portion of irritation. It will not be difficult to charm such a man if you use the knowledge of horoscopes and the occult, or the mysterious concepts of “secret order” and “cosmic origin”, but with all this it is also desirable to be beautiful. A man certainly cannot resist the charms of such a mystery woman!
A woman is a mystery, a challenge, an enigma
The thing is that almost all girls either do not understand the meaning of such a phenomenon as a mystery woman, or, due to imposed stereotypes, interpret it completely incorrectly.
After all, a woman herself is a mystery of nature. Because each one is unique both in terms of external beauty and the structure of its inner world. It can be compared to an unexplored distant planet, endless and all-consuming space, to a separate Universe in which there is a different system of life, priorities and values. A real woman does not need to deliberately become mysterious, because she is already aware of her uniqueness and does not need to prove it with some other far-fetched techniques.
The Mysterious WomanGeorges Aunay
I
The Minister of War walked around the office in excitement. His eyebrows were furrowed; biting his mustache, the statesman twirled his monocle in his fingers - all this spoke of feverish impatience, which did not bode well for anyone who dared to appear before him at that moment. The subordinates undoubtedly knew the reason for the bad mood of the head of the ministry: deep silence reigned in the offices adjacent to the minister’s office. Finally, losing patience, he went to the fireplace and pressed the electric bell. The head of the alarmed duty officer appeared in the slightly opened door.
– Has Colonel Valno returned? - asked the minister in a commanding voice.
The clerk bent down as if he was going to hide under the carpet.
“I don’t think so, Mr. Minister,” he muttered, “but I’ll find out now.”
The general turned purple. A swear word flew out of his mouth like a bomb... then a second one followed... The third was not needed - the door closed, and the duty officer disappeared behind it.
“And why is that damned Valno hanging around there for so long?” - the minister grumbled, tirelessly pacing back and forth in his office. - Well, my assistants are good! Damn them!..
He didn't have time to finish. The clerk on duty reported happily:
- Mister Valno!
A man of about fifty, tall, slender, with blue eyes and a light brown mustache, immediately entered the office. Bowing to the minister, he said rather familiarly:
– You seem to have completely lost your patience, Mr. Minister? I met one officer who was waiting for me at the entrance to the ministry... Well, it was not at all an easy matter!.. And, I swear, I didn’t waste so much time in vain!..
– Are you from Vanva? - the minister interrupted him impatiently.
- Yes, Mr. Minister.
- One?
- No, I took with me one of our agents... the most capable...
- And they did a great job. But are you completely sure of it?
- Yes. He is a former non-commissioned officer... However, I did not tell him what the investigation actually needed; he doesn't know about our concerns. He is simply my assistant in the investigation of this mysterious disaster.
- Wonderful. What did your investigation show?
- Mr. Minister, if you allow, we will divide the information into two parts: in one we will collect all the available facts, in the other - the moral background of the crime. This matter is more complicated than it seemed at first glance, and when I present everything that I have been able to establish, your anxiety will not only not subside, but will, without a doubt, intensify.
- Oh, damn it! was all the minister could say.
He sat down at the desk, rested his chin on his hand and, pointing to the colonel at the chair standing next to him, said:
- Speak, I'm listening.
– The house in which General Tremont lived was located on the top of a hill, not far from the fortress, above the village of Vanves. The fortress guards were the first to sound the alarm, and the fortress garrison organized help when the fire started. The house was destroyed to the ground. Even the foundation of the building collapsed from the explosion of substances in the laboratory. Scattered debris was found within a radius of two kilometers from the explosion site; neighboring gardens belonging to local residents are littered with them... If there were residential buildings in the neighborhood, the consequences would be terrible...
– This is the effect of melinitis [1], obviously?
- Oh, Mr. Minister, this is not at all like that. Even if you increase the effect of gunpowder a hundred times, you will hardly get an effect equal to the destructive power that the explosion in General Tremont's laboratory had.
The minister nodded:
- Yes. Indeed, I remember... He spoke about this the last time we met in the Artillery Assembly Committee; the general talked about a new discovery that would bring our guns to such perfection that victories on the battlefields would be guaranteed to us and our military superiority would become undoubted... Was it not this discovery that caused the disaster?
- So, Mr. Minister, you admit that our enemies have something to do with this event?
- I'm just expressing suspicion. When you finish your report, we will talk... Continue.
“So, Mr. Minister, upon arrival at the scene, we found a military cordon sent by order of the ministry, which guarded access to the possessions of General Tremont. In addition, there was a crowd of three or four hundred people gathered there, and twenty representatives of the press made more noise than the rest of the public, indignant that they were not allowed to the very site of the explosion, to the smoking ruins of the villa. The small, energetic regimental commander dispersed them with purely military determination. We will probably get a fair bit of trouble from the press, but at least for now they left us alone, and that’s worth something... In the ruins we found only the secretary of the prefect, the prosecutor of the republic and the head of security. Our agent and I arrived at the most opportune moment: the inspection had just begun.
- Where? In the house itself?
- In the place where he used to be. There gaped a large crater, in the depths of which a cellar with a collapsed vault could be seen; A blood-red puddle flowed from a broken barrel of wine. There was no trace left of the stairs... I had no idea that such destruction was possible. But by some incredible coincidence, part of the wall remained intact - a small part of the wall of the house with a narrow window, in the iron grating of which some kind of rag was stuck. We all looked in bewilderment at these surviving fragments. The head of the guard was the first to approach the ruins, touched the ugly piece of paper on the grating with the end of his cane and threw it to the ground, but when he picked it up, he screamed in horror: it was part of an arm, from hand to elbow, all bloody and blackened, as if charred. A piece of a shirt sleeve and part of a coat sleeve stuck to it.
- Such a surprise! - exclaimed the minister.
“The impression was terrible,” continued Colonel Valno. “I saw the dead on the battlefield, I saw the seriously wounded in hospitals... In Gravelotte, before my eyes, a cannonball tore off the head of the squadron commander, and this head rolled to my feet, blinking with dust-covered eyelids... In Tonkin, I saw quartered soldiers, whose faces were still disfigured grimaces caused by cruel torture... But I never experienced the horror that took possession of me at the sight of this hand lying in front of us... Who did it belong to? To the unfortunate General Tremont? “The general did not live alone,” noted the head of the security, “he had a cook and a footman. There can be no question of a cook: this is a man's hand. Therefore, this is the hand of the general or his lackey.” - “Unless she belongs...” Silence reigned. These were the first words of our agent. The prosecutor of the republic turned to him: “Well, well, finish the deal.” - “Unless it belongs to the attacker who caused this destruction.”
“Oh,” exclaimed the minister, “so you suspect that a crime could have been committed here?”
- Yes, Mr. Minister. My assistant was the first to make this assumption. While he spoke, he examined the charred hand extremely carefully, then, carefully straightening it, with an effort he removed a ring from his ring finger, which none of us had noticed before. With a triumphant look, our agent exclaimed: “If this ring did not belong to the general, it will be a very valuable piece of evidence that may help us unravel the case.”
- Ring, damn it! I've never seen a ring on Tremont! No, I swear, he never wore jewelry, and certainly would not wear rings: think of wearing a ring to a man who tinkers with chemical reagents from morning to night... Yes, this is ridiculous, damn it! No metal could withstand the substances he used. But what kind of ring was it?
“When they wiped it with a glove, gold glittered under the layer of fat with which it was covered. Our agent turned it over in his hands, then pressed it with his fingernail, and the ring split into two parts. “Look, gentlemen,” he exclaimed, “there are letters carved inside. Now, in any case, we have important physical evidence.”
“And he’s a really smart guy.” We need to present him for an award...
- Excuse me, I haven’t finished yet, Mr. Minister. The prosecutor of the republic took the ring, began to examine it and finally put it in his pocket with the words: “We will study everything in detail later.” We were somewhat annoyed by his intervention. Perhaps he was right in allowing the judicial investigation to clarify this circumstance, but he failed in his attempt to keep the discovered evidence secret: our agent, continuing to examine the terrible find, removed rags of fabric from it. Now it was no longer possible to hide what he discovered: between his hand and elbow there was a blue tattoo - a flaming heart framed by the words “Hans und Minna”, and below them could be seen “Immer” - “forever”. “Gentlemen,” said the prosecutor of the republic, adjusting his pince-nez, “I demand absolute secrecy. Any report of what is happening can cause serious consequences. The case takes a completely unexpected turn: it is very likely that a crime occurred here.”
- Oh, damn it! - exclaimed the minister. - That's the story! Shouldn't the President of the Council be warned?
- Mister Minister, the secretary of the prefect of police has already done this: without waiting for the end of the inspection of the scene of the incident, he went to Place Buvo.
– Now the most important thing is not to let the press talk nonsense.
– We have already taken the necessary measures. It was decided to send reports to all newspapers about the accident that had occurred: General Tremont was a great eccentric, was engaged in chemical research for industry and became a victim of his own carelessness.
- Poor Tremon! Such a serious scientist!.. Of course, the good of the state is above all for us. But it’s still hard to denigrate an old comrade like that...
“Mr. Minister,” Valno interrupted the boss with a smile, “there will be other surprises, which, I have no doubt, will soften your sadness.”
- What are you trying to say? - asked the minister, frowning.
– I will present the facts that I have been able to establish...
– Get to the point, Colonel, and don’t hide anything.
“So, just as the prefect’s secretary was about to convey the official version to the numerous reporters crowded around the villa and notify the Minister of the Interior about the incident, a strange noise was heard from the direction of the village. And a man with his head uncovered and his face distorted with despair made his way through the ranks of the cordon. He ran up to us with a heartbreaking cry: “Oh, my poor master! Oh my God, my God! What happened to the house! My good general! He stopped, sat down on a pile of stones and cried bitterly. We were silent, embarrassed by his behavior. “Who are you, my dear?” - asked the prosecutor of the republic. The poor fellow raised his head, wiped away his tears with his hand and turned to us. “I am the general’s lackey, sir, I served with him for more than twenty years... Oh, if I had been here, perhaps this misfortune would not have happened! At least I would die with him..."
- Beaudoin! - exclaimed the minister. - An honest fellow escaped death... This is very good: we will certainly learn something from him...
- Yes, Mr. Minister, but this will not help clarify the matter, and even vice versa...
- How about the other way around?
- Now you will understand. The day before, about six o'clock, General Tremont was walking in the garden, resting after hard work in the laboratory, when a telegram was brought to him. After reading it, he wandered around the garden for a few minutes in deep thought, then called Beaudoin. “You will go to Paris today,” said the general, “I need some chemicals, you will pick them up from my supplier from Sorbonne Square. Then you will go to Baradier and give him the letter... Have lunch in Paris, and if you want to spend the evening at the theater, here are five francs for you. Tomorrow morning you will return with the necessary reagents.” The servant immediately guessed that the owner simply wanted to remove him from the house for a while; This happened before, and always after Tremont received the telegram. As for the cook, she always remained in the villa - probably because she had the habit of going to bed very early and did not embarrass the owner with her presence. Obviously, the general periodically felt the need for privacy and in such cases removed his faithful servant. What explained this behavior? Moreover, it inflamed Beaudoin's curiosity. The owner noticed his annoyance. "What happened to you? You seem unhappy that I am sending you to Paris? Just think, what a misfortune it is to walk for several hours!” “I don’t want to go for a walk,” answered the faithful servant, “I want to fulfill my duties...” “But that’s exactly what you are doing, obeying my orders... However, enough about that, I need you tomorrow morning, not today.” . - “Your order will be carried out.” But the footman could not calm down; a vague anxiety took possession of him. He went to the kitchen and subjected the cook to a real interrogation, wanting to find out what the general was doing during his last absence from the villa. “Did anything special happen that evening that caught your attention?” The woman stated that she had not noticed anything and was extremely surprised by his questions. Convinced that she really did not know anything, Beaudoin stopped asking questions. Although he sacredly respected the will of his master, anxiety prompted the faithful servant to disobey the order. He decided to pretend that he was leaving and hide somewhere nearby in order to keep an eye on everything that would happen in the house. The weather was delightful; Birds chirped in the garden, roses spread their wonderful aroma in the twilight. Having dressed, Beaudoin said goodbye to the owner, received from him a list of necessary purchases, a letter to Baradier and left home. Having reached the railway station, he had lunch at a nearby tavern and returned to the villa as night fell. The man did not dare to enter the garden, but made his way into the neighboring vegetable garden, which belonged to his friend, and hid in the shack where the equipment was stored. From there he could observe everything and quietly approach the very walls of the general’s villa. Having made himself comfortable, he lit a pipe and began to calmly wait. It was about eight o'clock in the evening when the sound of the wheels of an approaching carriage was heard in the street. Hiding under the fence, Beaudoin peered intensely into the thickening darkness. In the faint light of the lanterns, he saw a carriage drawn by a pair of horses. Probably someone was going to visit the general. The footman ran along the fence all the way to the villa and found himself in front of it at the moment when the carriage approached the gate. The horses, lathered from their fast running, had barely stopped when Tremon himself emerged from the darkness of the night. At the same time, someone impatiently opened the carriage door, and a male voice said with a foreign accent: “Oh, general, did you bother to come out to meet me?” In response, the owner of the villa asked: “Is the Baroness here?” “Yes, of course,” responded a female voice, “did you really doubt it?” The man got out of the carriage first, but the general quickly rushed to the carriage, like a young man, and almost carried the passenger out of it in his arms, exclaiming passionately: “Come on, madam, you have nothing to be afraid of: no one will see you.” The stranger who arrived said, grinning loudly: “Don’t pay attention to me, I’m following.” And all three disappeared into the garden. Beaudoin barely had time to put a ladder that happened to be nearby against the wall. When he climbed up it enough to look into the garden, there was no one there, only the large window of the laboratory glowed brightly in the darkness. The newly minted detective asked himself: “What to do? Spy and disobey your master? But on what basis? Doesn't he have the right to accept whoever he wants? Is it possible for a general to hang out with suspicious people? Undoubtedly, I am racking my brains in vain and committing a reprehensible act towards my master.” With such thoughts, Beaudoin went down the stairs, walked along the fence, left someone else's garden and headed towards the station. In Paris, he carried out exactly all the instructions of the owner. The chemical store was already closed, and he had to visit it again the next morning; having received what was required, the faithful servant went to Vanves, where he came across a military cordon cordoning off the destroyed villa...
Colonel Valno fell silent. Silence reigned in the minister's office. The old soldier seemed lost in thought, resting his chin on his hand.
“Yes, it’s surprising,” he finally said, “and here, undoubtedly, lies the solution.” These two unknown people, one of whom is obviously a foreigner, for some purpose appear under the cover of darkness to General Tremont. Either this is a simple coincidence, and we are dealing with an accident, or a crime has been committed. But what are his motives then?
The minister stood up and walked to the window with a concerned look, then returned to his seat.
“Well, Valno,” he turned again to the colonel, “what happened next after the testimony of this honest fellow?”
“A company was called from the fortress, which, under police supervision, carefully combed the entire affected area. But nothing could be found: everything was completely destroyed; except for a fragment of the wall, no stone was left unturned anywhere. However, after two hours of hard work, the soldiers found under the rubble an iron chest with broken hinges and a bottom with a hundred holes, as if it had been punched.
“These are the consequences of the explosion,” the minister interrupted the colonel. - We need to take this case into account: it is quite possible that the explosion, in fact, occurred in this chest... Was it transferred for storage?
- Yes, to the prosecutor of the republic.
– We’ll see, maybe we’ll have to do an analysis of the substances that caused the explosion... But continue. Where did the carriage that stood at the gate go?
“She probably left before the disaster.” It was never possible to find her trail either on the way to Paris or in the vicinity of the villa. The guards at the outpost claim that at about eleven o'clock in the evening a carriage drawn by a pair of horses was returning to Paris. The customs officer asked his passengers if they had anything subject to duty. A woman's voice answered in the negative. Meanwhile, from the testimony of the serf guards it follows that the explosion occurred at about three o'clock in the morning.
– So the foreigner stayed in the villa after the lady left?
- Very likely.
– And yet you are not sure about this?
“I didn’t wait for the end of the inspection and went to you with a report, leaving our agent at the scene with orders to come here immediately after the inspection was completed.
– Perhaps he’s already here... Call.
Colonel Valenod pressed the electric bell. The duty officer came in.
– Has Laforet returned?
- Just now, Mr. Colonel.
- Bring him in.
Firm footsteps were heard; Having closed the doors tightly behind him and stretched out in a military manner, the agent appeared before his superiors. The minister studied the newcomer for a minute.
“Colonel Valnod told me everything he witnessed. Report what was established later. Sit down, Valno.
“Mr. Minister,” the agent began, “I’ll start with the most important thing: the body of General Tremont has been found.”
- In the ruins? - Valno asked.
- No, Colonel, in the garden. At first we only took care of the house. While exploring the garden, we found the body of a general at the gate...
- How? Was he thrown such a distance?
– The general did not suffer from the explosion. He was in the very place where he was struck by the knife... Tremon was already dead when the explosion occurred, undoubtedly caused by the killer.
– A stranger with a foreign accent? — the minister asked keenly.
- Companion to the lady whom the general called Baroness? - asked the colonel.
After thinking for a minute, Laforet said:
– Yes, by a man who left part of his hand on the ruins of the villa and miraculously survived by opening the chest... In a word, it was done by Mr. Hans.
“But on what basis do you say that he escaped death?” - asked the minister.
“I found traces of blood behind the garden, on the road along which he walked, bleeding... This man obviously has an indestructible will to live.” Of course, it will take time to find traces of him.
“So,” the minister continued, “you claim that the man who came with the baroness is the general’s murderer?”
- Yes, Mr. Minister, and, most likely, this happened when the general was seeing off the visitors: the blow was struck two steps from the gate. The sand is trampled, as if a fight had taken place there, the body is hidden behind the bushes. Perhaps the lady helped her companion... In any case, there is no doubt that after the murder of the owner of the house, she left. The man stayed, he took the keys, which the general never parted with, also took a watch and a briefcase to stage a robbery, then returned to the villa and took care of the laboratory... She was his main goal...
– What led you to this conclusion?
– One phrase from Tremont’s footman. One day, when he was cleaning the general’s office, his master entered, began to walk around the room and, rubbing his hands cheerfully, muttered: “Well, this time success is guaranteed. Let's see what Hans says." For a week now, the general had been busy with an experiment that promised brilliant results.
“Great, let’s assume that your assumption is correct,” said the minister, interested in the agent’s report. - But what role do you think his companion played in this matter?
- Oh, everything is completely clear, Mr. Minister. We have reason to believe that General Tremont, as a passionate admirer of the female sex, fell victim to his weakness. I don’t know what kind of research he carried out in his laboratory, but his experiments were repeatedly mentioned in the newspapers. He was a famous scientist with an impeccable reputation and a member of the Academy of Sciences. Suppose that a general made an amazing discovery that could affect the defense of the state, and that some foreign power wanted to see the significance of his invention, perhaps even get it. In history, women have often found themselves - alas, very often! - the best secret agents. The general, despite his advanced age, was a great connoisseur of female beauty. A young, beautiful lady is sent to him... He supposedly meets her by chance and falls in love. But she is jealously guarded, she must take all possible precautions: she cannot receive her admirer, she can only see him at his place... A devoted friend, relative, perhaps brother, is a mediator between lovers: hiding behind his interest in science, he arranges their dates, accompanies the beauty to appease the jealous man... And while the old man in love coos with the object of his passion, he watches good-naturedly, ingratiating himself with the trust of the one to whom he provides such invaluable services. Love lulls suspicion. A gentle smile and a gentle look push a lover to the edge of the abyss. And then one fine evening a mysterious couple appears to General Tremont, who may have just made a major discovery. The woman tries to find out the secret, but to no avail. Then the man decides to end his life - the general falls under the blow of a dagger. The accomplice runs. The killer returns to the laboratory with the keys, tries to open the chest containing a precious something, but in inexperienced hands the terrible object becomes an avenger for its creator: a terrifying explosion destroys the one who wants to take possession of it. Here, Mr. Minister, is how the events that interest us could have developed. But, of course, this is only a hypothesis... What is certain is that the general was killed, that the murderer was one of the two persons who visited the villa that night, and that the explosion that followed the murder was due to the carelessness of the so-called Hans, who was himself seriously wounded.
The Minister and Colonel Valnot exchanged glances.
“Thank you,” the minister said to the agent, “now this matter has been transferred to civil authorities... In the meantime... go... and don’t say a word to anyone about everything.”
Laforet bowed and with the same calm confidence left the office. Left alone, the minister and the colonel plunged into deep silence, turning over in their minds all the vicissitudes of the terrible drama. The precautions taken by the murderer and his accomplice made it impossible to find them; There was only hope that the wounded man could be found somewhere half dead from exhaustion. The police were already on their feet and began interrogating the local population.
– This Tremon was an amazing man! - said the minister. - But he, just think, was older than me! He retired as a brigadier general in order to devote himself entirely to scientific research. In addition, he constantly needed money: women, my friend, ruined him... Yes, it’s hard to even imagine what a scourge this is for an officer. How many lives have been ruined, how many stupid things are committed by the military - from a young lieutenant to an experienced warrior, an honored military leader - and all because of women!
“Women... that’s right...” the colonel drawled. — We have now touched on the subject that I hinted at at the beginning of my report. Now the facts have been established: it is clear that there was a murder or an attempted theft, in addition, serious damage was caused to a residential building, which led to its collapse... But under what circumstances were these criminal acts committed?
- Oh, damn it, this is what needs to be installed! I understand your point. You believe that there is something more than an ordinary crime behind what happened...
- Yes, Mr. Minister. And therefore, it is not easy to conduct an investigation, because we cannot intrude into diplomacy and politics - in such cases such unexpected complications often arise that we have to maneuver, retreat and often stop the investigation altogether... Do you want, Mr. Minister, for me to list all the cases for you? which have been impossible to finish for several years now?
– Cases of espionage or betrayal? — the owner of the office clarified. - No, no need: I know enough about them. How long have you served in the ministry, Valno?
- Mister Minister, I have been holding various positions for ten years now and I know well what we have to fight with. And the most important crimes have always been committed with the participation of women. That is why, when General Tremont's lackey spoke about the mysterious guest, I thought about other similar cases, compared some things and drew some conclusions.
“I don’t quite understand you,” the head of the ministry noted dryly.
- Mister Minister, I can swear that this mysterious lady, who always suddenly appears and disappears, leaving behind blood and destruction, is not the first time she has attracted our attention. It always acts the same way: it entangles with its charms a person who supposedly owns some military or state secret, seduces him, drives him into a frenzy and, finally, pushes him to betrayal. Then she gets rid of the waste material... An extremely dangerous creature. No man's heart can resist her. Do you remember the unfortunate Commandant Commange, who put a bullet in his forehead one evening? No one ever found out what prompted him to commit suicide. A mysterious lady appeared in his circle, and Commange became her victim. Later it turned out that much of what he knew from his line of service became known abroad. The poor guy swore on his deathbed that his documents were stolen while he was with his lady love. His whole fault was that he brought home some files from the ministry to study them, and carelessly informed his passion about this. But the unfortunate man trusted her so much!.. He was an honest man and a brave soldier...
-What was this woman's name?
- Madame Ferranti. She, too, acted with the greatest precautions, ostensibly because of her family. However, one of our agents recognized her... The poor fellow soon became the victim of an accident: one evening he was returning from Oteil on the top seat of the carriage, and the next morning he was found dead in the tunnel... He was probably not careful enough and did not bow his head in time.
- Oh, damn it! was all the minister could say.
“A year after the incident with Commange, the young captain Fonteneuil - a dear young man, we all loved him very much - became interested in a woman whom his comrades called the mysterious lady; in the end he revealed the code to her. Realizing the seriousness of his offense, he reported it to his boss, who managed to correct the situation by replacing the scheme. Captain Fonteneuil left for Tonkin, he was later killed at the siege of Baknin. The unfortunate man atoned for his crime with death. This is at least the opinion of those who investigated this case: Madame Ferranti Commange and the mysterious lady of Fonteneuil are one and the same person. And Madame Gibson, who appears in the balloon case, is the same mysterious woman who deftly masters the art of seduction.
– How long has she been doing these things? - the minister asked.
- Ten years, at least. But still unharmed and invulnerable.
- Clever beast! We must catch her at all costs.
“It’s not so easy: having committed a crime, it’s as if she disappears from the face of the earth.” You'll see, and in this new business we will have to fight emptiness. For some time, the detectives will still be diligent, looking for the culprits... But they won’t find anything, I’m sure of that. The accomplices will also disappear, as will the main culprit. Little by little, the search will become less active: the police will have other important things to do. This is what usually happens. Unless…” the colonel said with slight doubt.
- Was it just that? So, do you still have hope?
“Well, this time, perhaps, we will be able to pick up the trail of the wounded... And if we manage to find at least some lead, I swear, Mr. Minister, we will achieve the truth, if only for the sake of avenging our poor comrades,” with the visitor said enthusiastically.
– And prevent new troubles. Besides, Valno, we cannot allow all our secrets to be known abroad.
- But, Mr. Minister, we will learn the secrets of other states! - Valno exclaimed. - In essence, this is just a double game that has been going on for a long time. While information about the state of Napoleon's army was being delivered to Russia in 1812, Caulaincourt sent Bonaparte maps of Russia engraved on copper. I cite this incident from history so as not to touch upon modern events. But, in general, our secrets, of course, are not secrets to anyone, and if in wartime we had to rely only on secrecy in preparation...
“The press should be destroyed first of all,” the minister grumbled.
- This is impossible! - exclaimed the colonel. - But let's get back to our business. Everything must be done to bring it to completion.
- Well, now it is in the hands of the police.
- Yes, officially, Mr. Minister. But we can do it ourselves, of course, with extreme caution...
– Do you know, Colonel, what is the moral of this incident? In my opinion, the problem is that the military is too carried away with love affairs.
“Mr. Minister,” the guest said with a smile, “if you know a reliable remedy against this, tell it to me.”
- And how do you think that this old man Tremon is sixty years old! And what an ending, my God! Poor daughter! The unfortunate woman was left completely alone and without a dowry... Thank God, there is Baradier.
– Banker, partner of Baradier and Graf?
- Yes, a true patriot. His son Marcel, a lovely young man, worked in the laboratory of General Tremont. He was mainly engaged in the study of vegetable dyes, applying the results obtained at the woolen textile factory in Ar, owned by his father. But the general gave him access to his laboratory, and it is very likely that Marcel Baradier knew something about his research. I believe this young man will give us some explanations on the matter.
– These Baradiers seem to be very rich?
“The Count, Baradier’s brother-in-law, is in charge of finance, and Baradier himself is in charge of production.” Their fortune is enormous and continues to grow thanks to the successful work of the bank and factories, despite competition from the Lichtenbach banking house. This is their sworn enemy.
“I hope, Mr. Minister, that you do not suppose any connection between this enmity and the death of General Tremont?”
“I would just like to find out whether the general’s research could have any significance for the Lichtenbach house.”
“Of course, Mr. Minister, a substantial fortune could be made from these developments, and Tremont knew this very well. However, the author of the new invention took his secret with him.
- Unless he revealed it to Baradier's son.
- Oh, damn it! This needs to be found out! - exclaimed the minister.
Three o'clock struck. He stood up and picked up his gloves and cane.
- Are you leaving, Mr. Minister?
– Yes, I’m going to Baradier. Madame Baradier is the guardian of Mademoiselle Tremont, and I would like to personally express my sympathy to the poor thing. I loved her father very much, he was my friend. Well, see you tomorrow, Valno, and if you learn anything new on this case, call me.
The colonel accompanied the minister to the stairs, said goodbye to him and returned to the ministry.
Mystery or femininity?
A true woman will always be a “mystery” for her man. And this has nothing to do with those fatal and mysterious beauties that glamor magazines advise you to become.
True femininity is the only quality that has always been and will be valued by normal men. Perhaps many girls simply don’t have enough of it or they think that mystery and mystery are synonymous with femininity.
This is both true and not true at the same time. A real woman possesses all these properties; another question is how she “presents” them to her man. This is precisely what distinguishes her from those who, striving to be femme fatales, actually want to find real femininity.
Medea and Jason
The pre-Homeric Greek ballad "The Argonauts" tells us the story of Medea. King Aeete's daughter Medea fell in love with Jason. When the king, betrayed by Jason and his Argonauts, sent an army to attack them, Medea used her magic to calm the warriors, even killing her own brother to help her beloved escape.
Later, she cleverly convinced the daughters of Pelias to dismember their father and boil him in a cauldron, in the hope that by doing so she could preserve her fading youth. When Jason left her for another, she gave his new chosen one a robe, wearing which she burned in the fire, as did everyone present, including Medea’s father. Medea's notorious wrath even extended to her children, and she took the lives of all 14 children they had in common with Jason.
