Eveline

going into professional particulars, let me tell you: You should sit for a friend of mine who is an artist, as our mother Eve, for your figure is the perfection of all that is desirable for the procreation of the race.'

'Oh, you wicked serpent! But seriously, is that your solemn declaration? Much may depend upon your reply.'

'It is, my Eve, my most serious opinion, which you may have confirmed any day you please.'

He had placed me in his easy chair. He now came and sat beside me. His face wore an anxious and dejected look.

'So you are going to be married. I might have guessed so beautiful a young girl with so much self-possession, forgive me for saying so, with so much force of character, would not be long without a choice of husbands.'

'You may be right, but what then? We are already very good friends.'

'There, my darling, we are good friends, and if I could think-well, let me explain. If you would not give me up altogether, but if you would come to me sometimes, I-well, I should not be jealous.'

I felt piqued. I hardly knew why. He seemed almost to catch at the idea of my marrying as something to be desired, and yet he was not at his ease. He waited a moment. He evidently saw my perplexity. Then he continued: 'To be plain with you, my sweet little friend, you are the most delicious girl I ever had in all my life. I have always had a fancy for married women. If only you were really married you would drive me mad with lust to enjoy you. Your enchantment would simply be doubled.'

'Is that so? If that is your whim, I will not fail to gratify it. You shall have me all to yourself as soon after I am married as I can contrive it. Are you satisfied?'

He took me in his arms. He became furiously indecent. His face, his voice, his movements all united to betray the desire which raged within him.

'Oh, my darling, my love! You have given me such pleasure. You promise me? You will? You will let me have you first after your marriage?'

'I promise!'

We were standing face to face. He pushed me towards the wall. He pressed himself lewdly upon me. He covered my face with hot kisses and took me in his arms. In a second his trousers were open and my hand closed on his limb.

'Oh, how stiff you are! What a size! Do you really like married women? Are they so nice? Is it a part of your enjoyment to know you are committing a real adultery?'

'It is horribly-awfully delicious to enjoy a married woman. Your promise maddens me. I consider you are one already. Come, let me have you! I must! I want you so bad! What lovely legs! Don't try to stop my hand! Oh, yes, skin back my thing. That is so nice, your fingers are so warm and soft. Kiss-kiss me! Give me your tongue. You would like to suck it? So then-take it between your pretty lips. What a stupid fool your husband must be! I am going to spend into his wife's belly.'

He seized me in his arms. He lifted me panting, my lips exhaling the ambrosia of his huge tool. He laid me on the sofa. He was evidently madly excited with his strange, lecherous idea. I determined to encourage it.

'But what would he say? I am his property now. I cannot really let you abuse me. Oh, stop! Fie, take your hand away! oh! You are so strong-so cruel to me.'

He forced me down. He pressed his long and powerful form upon me. My thighs were easily parted. His stiff limb wagged between them. I felt him divide the moist lips. The next moment he was into me.

'Oh, Christ! What a lovely girl you are! How tight it is! There! There! Now take it quite in! Does that please you? Is that better than your husband's? What a fool! What an idiot! I'm going to spend into his wife!'

'Oh, shameful! Let me go-you must not finish! Take it out! What would he say! Don't you know you are committing adultery?'

'Yes, that's it! Adultery! Oh, how tight you are, my little married friend! No-I shall not take it out! I shall spend into you-do you hear? Right up into your delicious little womb.'

'Oh, my poor husband! You are killing me with your great thing! What will he say? Oh! Oh! You are going to spend! You are coming! Oh! Oh, so-so-am I! Oh! The syringe! Oh! What a stream! Oh! Oh!'

A few hours later, my wedding was fixed to take place within three months. Lord Endover left me in a transport of pleasure. He declared his intention to come very frequently if I would allow him to do so. I was most amiable. He received every assurance of my affectionate consideration.

I think I have already demonstrated that I am a hypocrite. Society obliges everyone to be a hypocrite. The difference is only in degree; the necessity is universal. I never care to do things by halves. I am therefore a very great hypocrite. The higher your position in society, the more consummate must be your hypocrisy. The attribute begins with the highest. Is not every evasion of the truth a smooth-a plausible hypocrisy? Nobody believes it all the same; that is the strangest part of it. It is offered and accepted. Everybody excuses it, weighs it at its own fictitious value, and passes it on. 'Tell the truth and shame the devil! — that somewhat shabby proverb goes a certain way. I almost think, after a careful study of the subject, that society would be more ashamed, in spite of its usual disregard of that sentiment, if it had to tell the truth. Weighing one opinion with the other, I fancy His Satanic Majesty is decidedly in the background. He could set to work to render his own society so much more select if he only would-there being so much material to choose from. A just sense of the value of hypocrisy, of its judicious use, its employment, is absolutely necessary if you would shine in the flickering light of society. Yet I am not afraid of criticism. I defy criticism to do me any harm. It could certainly not do me any good. No more than Marie Corelli herself. But I have no necessity to rack my brains to produce demons and divinities. I find, in my exalted position, enough of both in society itself. I meet in every salon, in every boudoir, the saintly canon who cannot keep his fingers off his choristers; the elderly lording who ages the vices of a Domitian or a Nero; the minister of religion who ministers to the lambs of his flock in more senses than one; and the blatant, pretentious man about town who divides his attention between his exaggerated shirt collar and his simpering partner. He would delight to be 'the very devil himself,' if he only knew how! There, too, are the lonely, loving hearts, who in that never resting vortex watch long and sadly for the coming of the one they dreamed of in days now gone, or who mourn unceasingly the one who will never return-whose hope never flags, whose faith is intact beneath the false mask they must wear- who will be as content as I shall be to give up all-to submit to the inevitable when it comes.

Chapter 3

'At last I have my darling girl again with me! It has been a terrible time, my dear Eveline. You were quite right to remain in town as I directed.'

'My dear papa had only to express his wishes. Eveline is always ready to gratify them.'

'I hope you got on well here in this lonely house, dear child.'

'Yes, papa. Mrs. Lockett was very sympathetic. John got on too very nicely. I managed to keep things together. We felt it acutely.'

Over a week had passed since the news had been telegraphed to me. All was now over. The house had resumed its wonted appearance. Lord L- had returned. Percy was to the Depot. Only our somber costumes which conventional habits enjoin betrayed to outsiders the changes which had taken place so recently.

'You have brought Johnson back with you, papa, of course? How is Goorkha? Does he look after him? Do you know, papa, I am not overly pleased with Jim, as you call him.'

'Why so, Eveline? I thought he was rather a favorite with you.'

'Yes-well, as he was-but to tell the truth, I mistrust that young man Johnson. I believe he is inquisitive. I had occasion more than once to be careful when you and I were riding together, dear papa. He tries to overhear our conversation. I am sure of it.'

'Is that so? Then Jim must go.'

'Did I not see your old friend, Sir Currie Fowles, was going out to take up his new appointment in Madras?'

'By Jove, yes! And he asked me to find him a groom to take out with him. He knows I am like him, averse to natives and prefer an Englishman in charge of my stables in India, so he came to me. Johnson would suit him exactly. I will see to this at once.'