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Working through another C.A. Smith's story, I fail to understand what "even thus" mean. Not even Googling could answer the question because most sources just state the examples with no hints of the meaning.

Flowers of many hues had been strewn upon the bier, and their fragrance filled the air with a drowsy languor, with an anodyne that seemed to drug my heart and brain. Such flowers had been cast on the bier of Mariel; and even thus, at her funeral, I had been overcome by a momentary dulling of the senses because of their perfume.

The whole paragraph is not completely clear because the second sentence seems to just repeat what is in the first one, but maybe the "even thus" phrase will - once I understand it - change it?

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It means

Despite the context of the funeral, I still let myself delight in the fragrance of those flowers.

So the slight paradox there is that the author allowed himself to delight in something that is supposed to be sorrowful.

(even thus = even in such a situation)

Edit: My answer is not correct as I was kindly helped to understand. So please read the comments to this answer to find out the correct meaning of even thus.

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    He seems to be referring to two different funerals. At the present one, the scent of flowers intoxicates him in the same way as the flowers at Mariel's funeral had done.
    – Kate Bunting
    Dec 10, 2020 at 10:51
  • @KateBunting This is an interesting point because the plot of the story is about a man who is trying to escape memories of his lover, lady Mariel, only to end up in a city that apparently prepares funeral rites for (another?) lady Mariel. So he could be remembering the funeral of "his" Mariel but in this paragraph I am not sure it is the case :/
    – John V
    Dec 10, 2020 at 10:57
  • @KateB: yes, well spotted. But I think this doesn't influence the meaning of even thus too much. It is connected to her funeral.
    – fev
    Dec 10, 2020 at 10:57
  • @fev Kate is correct here. This is an older meaning of 'even', which is very frequently found in the Bible (and confuses people not familiar with it). It is also familiar to anyone who speaks German, because eben is used with this older meaning but not with the newer English meaning.
    – legatrix
    Dec 10, 2020 at 11:47
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    @legatrix: Yes, you are right. Now I understand it! I am glad I ventured to answer, I would have remained with the wrong understanding.
    – fev
    Dec 10, 2020 at 11:52

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