“Not without milk!” said the Countess, staying her hand.
Having now sufficiently admired the historical jewel, they next inspected another, which was enclosed in one of the velvet cases. This was a common dildoe, of the same description as those manufactured in France or England, but more artistically made than those which were designed at the time for Italian and Spanish convents, where a couple of millions were sold every year.
This one was similar to that of Diane de Poitiers, of the ordinary size, about five or six inches in length and flesh-coloured, but the contrivance for the emission of the liquid was not so complicated; as this one was not so artistic as the first, the two women paid less attention to it than to the beautiful instrument which had had the honour of being used by Diane de Poitiers.
They now went on to the third. On beholding this Florence gave a shriek of surprise and terror. No wonder, for it measured from seven to eight inches in length and five or six in circumference.
“Oh!” said she. “That one is not of Diane's. It is rather of Pasiphae!”
The Countess laughed.
“Therefore do I call it 'The Giant'. It is a curiosity from South America and gives us an idea of what the requirements of the ladies of Rio de Janiero, Caracas, Buenos Ayres and Lima may be.”
“But see how marvellous are the works of this affair.”
“Indeed it was a marvellous piece of workmanship, and was formed of some kind of gum highly-polished, each hair was set as if by one of the best hairdressers in Paris, and assuredly it had been cast, according to the practice of the sculptors, in a good mould from nature.”
“Why,” said Florence, who could not encompass it in her tiny hand. “This is a monster, and I do not believe there is a woman alive who could give a reception to such a huge thing.”
Odette smiled, but said nothing.
“But do reply,” said Florence, with impatience, “and do not laugh at me any more.”
“I am not laughing at you, my little Florence,” said Odette. “Now listen.”
“I listen,” said Florence.
“Should a woman wish to amuse herself with a jewel of that size, deliberately and without preliminary excitement, it could not be used without the greatest exertion, but supposing that two women mutually excite one another by all kinds of caresses, that the one who plays the lover, brings the other, the mistress to the highest pitch of salaciousness, she then applies the dildoe well coated with cold cream, and pushes it in gently, the thing will find an easy ingress and, once fairly home, will give the greatest possible pleasure.”
“Impossible!”
“Will you make the experiment?”
“Who shall I try it on?”
“On myself.”
“I shall split you open!”
“Am I split open?”
“Well; yes. Yes; I am willing,” cried Florence.
“Wait a moment.”
The Countess, who no doubt expected this event, had put some cream to warm in a small silver teapot on a spirit lamp.
She fetched the largest of the jewels, and drew from the same velvet bag an elastic belt.
“Come here,” said she to Florence, with quivering nostrils that told their tale.
“Why?” inquired Florence, quite frightened.
“That I may make a man of you.”
Florence drew near, the Countess encircled her waist with the belt, to which the dildoe was affixed in the proper position, and she placed in her hands the Renaissance jewel, prepared with lukewarm cream; then, kissing Florence, who trembled, and who now resembled a youth monstrously well treated by nature, she took off the counterpane and threw herself on the bed.
“Do what I tell you,” said she, “and obey all my instructions.”
“Have no fear,” said Florence, as excited as the Countess. “If you told me to tear you open I would do it.”
“Your mouth…”
Florence cast Diane's lover on the floor and began using her clever tongue to some purpose.
She felt this caress ought to vie with the rough caresses which were to ensue.
Odette replied with all the expressions of Lesbian tenderness. Florence was her friend, her angel, her heart, her life, her soul. The whole scale of sensual exclamations came one by one from her quivering lips, until, quite panting, she could only say: “Diane! Diane!”
Florence understood her, picked up the royal jewel, slipped it under her lips so there could be no interruption in the pleasure; and, in effect contrived in such a clever manner that the scale was unbroken, but went on with a. new degree of intensity. Florence kept her eyes fixed on the jewel. She saw it enter; glide out. The Countess now did not speak, but only gave utterance to little shrieks. Suddenly she cried:
“Themilk!…themilk!…”
Florence pressed the spring and a deep sigh showed that the Countess was experiencing the pleasure which is only given by coition, because that alone can satiate and calm. But the Countess knew that after this sensation another one was to come which only awaited the signal, and Florence in the midst of the plaintive ejaculations of her victim, made out the words: “The giant!… the giant!…”
Florence was expecting this request with impatience. The moment had come when she was to play her real part; she threw on the floor Diane's jewel, and began to play the part of a man with the greatest vigour. The Countess shrieked but strung herself up for the pain.
“Go-go on!… Oh! you are splitting me open! Go On! Ah! It is in!”
The Countess was not mistaken, it was indeed in, and the paroxysm of enjoyment was come. Then, quite maddened, she uttered cries of passion, shrieks of rage, among which might be heard almost inarticulate requests:
“Your mouth… your tongue… take my breasts; kiss the nipples. Oh gracious! how nice it is! Now the spring… Ah! my handsome giant!… Again! Again! Again!”
At last the Countess begged for mercy. Florence unclasped the belt and let it fall to the floor with its appendage.
The Countess lay stretched out full length and motionless on the bed.
Florence felt half mad with excitement. She filled again the ivory jewel with milk; leant back in the easy chair, and inserted the end of the dildoe until it touched her maidenhead. But soon she perceived that in this posture she lost part of her strength; so she sought another. She placed two pillows side by side on the easy chair, on which she rested her elbow, and she began to use the jewel in a manner which gave evidence of her skill and long habit; she harmonized the motion of her loins with the progress of pleasure; then, feeling it coming, she pushed the instrument home, gave a shriek of pain and of pleasure, and, imparting to the royal jewel the necessary movements, she fell back, almost fainting away with the exquisite sensation.
The beautiful Countess sat up on the bed and looked with astonishment. The proud young woman had kept her word. She had sacrificed her virginity to herself and herself alone.
We were three days and three nights without seeing the Countess, and on the fourth day she came to say that Violette might begin her lessons with Florence. After a scene of jealousy very well acted by the Countess, Florence gave her word that she would never interfere with Violette, limiting her attention to the development of her natural talent.
The union of the two disciples of Lesbos was consecrated, and the Countess acquired a marked liking for her new relations, without, however, in any way neglecting Violette, who for a long time continued in her studies with Florence and made a very successful debut.
Our delightful life of love thus went on for a few years; then, then… Ah! it is sad to say what happened. I wished to conclude here one of the most charming episodes of my existence. But since I have begun I must go to the end.
One evening, the Countess, who was always ready to take Violette away from me, found means to keep her in her box after a reception.
