The 48 Laws Of Power

18 LAW 3

tendedoften.Shewouldbeunableto

predict

hismoves.Allofthiswould

push

herintothestateofemotionalconfusionthatisa

prerequisite

forsum

cessfulseduction.

Thesemoveswere

executed,

andtookseveralweeks.Ninon

moni-

toredthe

marquis’sprogress:Through

hernetworkof

spies,

sheheardhow

thecountess would

laugh

alittleharderat his

witticisms,

listenmore

closely

tohisstories.Sheheardthatthecountesswas

suddenlyaskingques-

tionsabouthim. Herfriendstoldherthatatsocialaffairsthe

countess

wouldoftenlook

up

atthe

marquis,following

his

steps.

Ninon

felt

certain

thatthe

young

womanwas

falling

underhis

spell.

It

wasamatterofweeks

now,

maybe

amonthor

two,

butifallwent

smoothly,

thecitadelwould

fall.

Afew

days

laterthe

marquis

wasatthecountess’s

home.

They

were

alone.

Suddenly

hewasadifferentman:This

time

acting

onhisownim—

pulse,

ratherthan

following

Ninon’s

instructions,

hetookthecountess’s

handsandtoldherhewasin

lovewithher.The

young

womanseemed

confused,

3

reactionhedidnot

expect.

Shebecame

polite,

thenexcused

herself.Fortherestofthe

evening

sheavoidedhis

eyes,

wasnot

there

to

saygoodnight

tohim.Thenextfewtimeshevisitedhewastoldshewas

notathome.Whenshe

finally

admittedhim

again,

thetwofeltawkward

anduncomfortablewith

eachother.The

spell

wasbroken.

Interpretation

NinondeLenclosknew

everything

abouttheartoflove.The

greatest

writ-

ers,thinkers,

and

politicians

of

thetimehadbeenherlovers——menlikeLa

Rochefoucauld,Moliére,

and

Richelieu.Seductionwas

a

game

to

her,

tobe

practiced

withskill.

Asshe

got

older,

andher

reputationgrew,

themostim~

portant

familiesinFrancewouldsendtheirsonstohertobeinstructedin

mattersoflove.

Ninonknewthatmenandwomenare

very

different,

butwhenit

comestoseduction

they

feelthesame:

Deep

down

inside,

they

oftensense

when

they

are

being

seduced,

but

theygive

in

because

theyenjoy

thefeel-

ing

of

being

led

along.

Itisa

pleasure

tolet

go,

andtoallowtheother

per-

son to detour

you

into a

strange country. Everything

in

seduction,

however,

depends

on

suggestion.

Youcannot

announce

your

intentionsor

revealthem

directly

in

words.Instead

you

mustthrow

yourtargets

offthe

scent.Tosurrenderto

yourguidance

they

mustbe

appropriately

confused.

Youhave

toscramble

yoursignals——~appea.r

interestedinanothermanor

woman

(the

decoy),

thenhintat

being

interestedinthe

target,

then

feign

indifference,

onandon.Such

patterns

not

only

confuse,

they

excite.

Imagine

this

story

from

thecountess’s

perspective:

After

a

fewofthe

marquis’s

moves,

shesensedthe

marquis

was

playing

somesortof

game,

butthe

gamedelighted

her.Shedidnotknowwherehewas

leading

her,

butsomuchthebetter.Hismoves

intrigued

her,

eachofthem

keeping

her

waiting

forthenextone———sheeven

enjoyed

her

jealousy

and

confusion,

for

sometimes

any

emotionisbe-tierthantheboredom

of

security.Perhaps

the

marquis

hadulterior

motives;

mostmendo.Butshewas

willing

towaitand