Two Flappers In Paris

'Now, tell me, Evelyn,' I said, 'does your friend know about our conversation on the boat?'

'Oh!' said Evelyn laughing a little nervously, 'if she didn't she wouldn't be here!'

Nora blushed deeply but began to laugh too.

'Capital!' said I. 'Now tell me frankly. Are you both prepared to pass a decidedly. .

unconventional afternoon?'

The two girls were now equally red and they were none the less charming for that.

'We are prepared for anything!' said Evelyn.

'Is that correct, Nora?'

'Quite correct!' said Nora after a moment's hesitation.

'And the more. . “unconventional” the better,' said Evelyn, hiding her face behind one of the little fans which I had just handed to her.

'That's right,' said I. 'Now we must come to certain arrangements. Nora, like you, must call me

“Uncle Jack”: You are my two nieces, do you understand?'

'Oh, yes, yes!'

'And next, you must not be surprised at anything, but must have complete confidence in me. I can promise you one thing; that you will come through all the experiences that we are about to encounter as intact, physically I mean, as you are at the present moment. You understand what I mean?'

Both of them seemed to tremble a little, but after a quick glance at each other Evelyn answered,

'Yes, we understand, and that's just what we should have wished.'

'Capital!'

'There's only one thing that concerns us,' said Nora, who was becoming more and more at her ease with me; 'and that is to know more than the girls of the Lesbian Society, and to be able to. . to. .

what do the French say? a word. . '

'To epater them?' I asked.

'Yes, that's it! To epater them!'

“Very well, my dear nieces! I will guarantee that you shall be able fairly to epater them if you relate faithfully to them all that you are going to see and learn this afternoon. And now we ought to be on the move.'

I settled the bill and sending for a taxi, very pleased with ourselves, we set off for the rue Ch-.

CHAPTER THREE: The Devil in Hell

As had been arranged we were received by Madame R, who showed us into her private sitting-room. There was nothing to give a hint to my 'nieces' as to the occupation of the lady of the house, and accordingly they were very curious as to who and what she might be. Madame R having left us alone for a few moments to attend to the details of the arrangements, Evelyn and Nora began eagerly to question me.

'Where are we? Who is the lady? Dear Uncle Jack, do tell us; oh, please do!'

The champagne assisting, they became so pressing that I felt my own feelings beginning to rise. The contact with this young and charming pair, the idea of their absolute virginity in which wholly unknown sensations were so soon to be aroused, their eager and warm looks, the pressure of their hot and soft little hands, all this seemed to endow me with all my youthful vigour, and I felt standing up inside my trousers the delicate and sensitive instrument of flesh by which man measures in himself the degree of his sensual pleasure, as hard and stiff as it would have been had I knocked off fifteen of my thirty-five years.

'My dear children,' said I, 'restrain yourselves. I am here only to instruct and, I hope, amuse you. The house belongs to a lady friend of mine. She is the manageress of a temple to which one can come to adore, in return for a liberal remuneration, the Goddess of Pleasure!'

'Oh, Uncle Jack, how you do tease!' said Evelyn with a delightful little pout. 'Do put things more plainly!'

“Very well then! There are certain houses where men, by paying liberally, can enjoy all the pleasures of the senses. In these houses. . '

'Then,' broke in Nora eagerly, 'it is this lady who provides these pleasures?'

I began to laugh.

'Not exactly the lady herself,' I said. 'She has some assistants- charming girls and young women who have not taken a vow of chastity, who are no longer virgins and who make themselves agreeable to gentlemen who are nice to them and pay them well.'

'Oh, I never. .!' broke in Evelyn with astonishment. 'How can they? For my part, I shall love one man. . perhaps two, but not a whole lot!'

'That's right,' I said. “You are very sensible, Evelyn; but these girls are sensible and practical too. They know what you are ignorant of at present but have come here to learn. Thanks to their instructions you will presently be more learned, not only than all your companions of the Lesbian Society, but also than most ladies, even if they have been married for twenty years and to a husband who lets himself go in his marital relations!'

Evelyn clapped her hands with pleasure, but Nora, who had got up from her chair and was making an inspection of the room, called out to us and beckoned us to approach.

She was examining a fine eighteenth-century engraving which bore this delightful tide 'The Whipping of Cupid'.

The artist had represented the chubby, well-developed boy half-lying across the divine knees of his mother, Venus, who, with a bunch of roses instead of a rod, was applying to his bottom the charming punishment.

The two girls examined the picture, blushing scarlet.

'This is symbolical,' I said. 'Love is often whipped!'

'Oh,' said Evelyn, 'but why?'

Well, you will know later on! The birch, nicely applied by a skilful hand, is the most delightful caress, don't forget that! But I hear steps, let us sit down again.'

Scarcely had we resumed our seats when the door opened and Madame R appeared.

'If you will be so good as to follow me,' she said, 'I will show you the cinema-room. I have arranged a little entertainment for you.'

We got up and followed her.

The room was small but comfortably furnished. Facing the stage, or rather the screen, were five boxes, the partitions of which nearly reached to the ceiling. In the one that we entered were three chairs and, behind them, a small sofa. We took our places on the chairs, I of course sitting in the centre, and Madame left us, saying as she retired: 'If you require me, touch the bell and I will be with you in a moment.'

Then we were left alone.

Suddenly words appeared on the screen and we read: Before the representation of The Devil in Hell we present a slight sketch 'Miss Barbara, Schoolmistress'

And at once this first film, which I had not been expecting, was set in motion.

The picture represented a classroom fitted up in the usual way with a teacher's desk, blackboard, maps and pupils' desks, etc. One of these desks was occupied by a nice-looking, well-made boy of about fifteen. At first he was writing but suddenly he rose from his place and made for the teacher's desk where he immediately proceeded to upset the inkstand, he then went to the blackboard and, with a piece of chalk, drew a ludicrous head of a woman with a huge chignon and large goggle eye-glasses. Having done this he resumed his seat and a moment later the door opened and Miss Barbara, schoolmistress, sailed into the room. She was a fine young woman of about thirty, with a learned and severe expression. She soon discovered the condition of her desk and the drawing on the blackboard. Examining the boy's fingers she found direct evidence that he was the culprit. An inscription appeared on the screen:

'So you have been up to your tricks again, Billy! Very well, sir, I shall have to give you another whipping. Prepare yourself!'