such a grand establishment--everything in the house excited his curiosity. Just inside the door was a great hollowed-out foot of some kind that held umbrellas and parasols and canes and walking sticks.
'I sure wouldn't want to get stomped by a foot this big,' he said.
'No, you wouldn't ... it's an elephant's foot,' Madame Scull said. 'That tusk over the mantel came from the same beast.' Sure enough, a gleaming ivory tusk, a little yellowish and taller than a man, was mounted over the mantel. The whole house was full of curious objects and gadgets that he would have liked to look at, but Madame Scull gave him only a moment. In the next room a lovely yellow girl was polishing a long dining table with a cloth.
He smiled at the girl but she didn't acknowledge his smile.
'Don't bring the tea into the bedroom, Felice, just leave it outside my door,' Inez said. 'And don't rush us, please.
Captain McCrae and I have some serious matters to discuss. Do you take jam with your biscuits, Mr. McCrae?' 'Why, yes, I'd approve a little jam, if it's no trouble,' he said.
'Why would it be trouble?' Madame Scull said. 'Let us have a few dollops of jam, Felice.' 'Yes, ma'am,' the girl said.
Augustus wondered what it would be like to work with a blunt woman such as Madame Scull, but he was allowed no time to do more than nod at the girl.
Madame Scull was ascending the long staircase and she seemed to expect him to follow.
On the second floor there was a long hall with high windows at both ends. A yellow bench stood against one wall. Gus was doing his best to hobble down the hall in his awkward boots when Madame Scull pointed at the bench and ordered him to sit.
'I've had enough of your hobbling, Captain, or may I call you Gus?' she asked.
''Gus'' will do, ma'am,' he said, taking the seat she pointed to.
'Let's get those boots off--I can't stand a hobbler,' Madame Scull said.
'I can take 'em off, ma'am, but it won't be quick,' he said, a little surprised. 'They're tight as gloves.' 'I'll help you, Gus ... stick out your leg,' the lady said.
'What, ma'am?' he asked, confused.
'Stick out your leg, sir,' Inez demanded; when he obeyed she turned her back to him, straddled his leg, and took his boot in both hands.
'Now push,' she demanded. 'Push with your other foot.' Augustus did nothing of the sort; he was intensely embarrassed. Of course the rangers often helped one another off with recalcitrant boots by using that method-- witha little pushing on the helpful ranger's backside, the boot would usually come off.
But Madame Scull wasn't a helpful ranger--she was the wife of Captain Scull.
Besides, she was a female and a lady: he couldn't stick up a dusty boot and push on her backside.
'Ma'am, I can't, I'd be embarrassed,' he said.
Inez Scull showed no inclination to relinquish the foot she held between her legs. Her black skirt was bunched up around Gus's ankle.
Gus was so embarrassed he was blushing, but Inez Scull had her back to him and didn't see the blush.
'Push with your other foot and push now!' she demanded. 'I'm damned if I'll tolerate any guff from you, Gus. I've helped Inish off with his boots a thousand times in this way. He says I'm better than a bootjack and I expect I am--s push!' Gus wiped his foot a few times on the floor and gingerly set it against Madame Scull's backside. He pushed as commanded, but not very hard, as Madame Scull tugged.
'You're right, they're a close fit, push harder,' Inez said.
Gus pushed harder, and Madame Scull tugged. To his relief the boot finally came off. She dropped his foot and he immediately withdrew his leg.
'The other one don't fit as close--I can get it off myself,' he said.
Madame Scull was looking at him boldly --he had never had a woman look at him with quite such boldness.
'Give me the other foot and shut up!' she demanded. 'Stick your leg out--let's have it!' Again, she straddled his leg. Since he had only a sock on his other foot now, Augustus was not quite so reluctant to push--he thought the best thing to do was finish the business of the boot removal and hope it would soon be time for tea.
He pushed, and Madame Scull quickly got the second boot off and dropped it beside its mate. She didn't release his foot or his leg, though--not this time. Instead she held his foot tightly and began to rub herself against the leg that was now between hers. Augustus couldn't see her face, but, again, he was deeply embarrassed. Why would the woman forget herself in that way?
He didn't say a ^w. He preferred to pretend that his officer's wife wasn't astraddle him, rubbing his bony leg against herself.
It was a predicament so unexpected that he could not think clearly.
Madame Scull continued with her activity for what seemed like several minutes. Gus began to hope, desperately, that a servant would wander upstairs on some chore, in which case surely she would stop her rubbing.
Just when he thought Madame Scull might be ready to stop she suddenly peeled off his sock.
Once she had it off she stroked his bare foot for a minute and then threw the sock across the room.
'That sock's too filthy to wash,' she said.
