‘You can do anything, provided you tell everything’; this is the professed philosophy of this novel of modern love by Adolphe Belot, first published in 1896. Léo is in India for business, Cécile remains in Paris with her new maid; both take the opportunity to explore and experiment, and the novel is unusual in the equality it allows both partners to share their experiences. This is done by way of letters, in which Cécile explains that ‘I am greedy; that’s all there is to it’, and Léo is happy to recount his more conventional affairs.

Luc Lafnet’s illustrations, here produced under the pseudonym Grim, are not his best, but they do show his usual ability to amuse and portray a free sensuality which clearly appealed to the publisher’s intended readership.

The Lafnet-illustrated Les stations d l’amour: lettres de l’Inde et de Paris was published by Maurice Duflou’s Œuvres poétiques de Malherbe, Classiques Duprès. Its place of publication is tantalisingly given as Bénarès. It was published in a limited numbered edition of 350 copies.