received many presents from me, hurried off to bring a man to us. I'll never forget the expression on his face when I greeted him. I saw his eyes sweep over me, for I was naked.
'You want to earn a hundred marks?” I asked in a low tone, for I didn't want the others to hear. “And you will forget all about it afterward? Never mention to anyone what you will see or do?” He agreed to everything.
'Then strip off your clothes; I want you to be stark naked!'
I believe I never saw a man undress so quickly. Grasping me in his arms, he said, “I wouldn't need a hundred marks to fuck you, young lady!'
'Very well,” I said. “Then do as you are told; forget everything afterward, and you'll have not only the hundred marks, but I'll promise to let you fuck me before you leave!'
I thought this the best way to win him over to our needs. The fellow looked as if he would have gone through fire and water for a promise like that.
But another surprise awaited him when I led him into the bedroom and he caught sight of the other three girls lying about one nude man.
'I shouldn't wonder you'd want another man,” he said, a wild gleam in his eye.
Then I explained his duties. He seemed surprised, but went willingly enough to the bed, and straddling over Ferry's chest, quickly surrendered his prick to Ferry's lips. No foolishness here. Ferry had been sincere. It was, to his everlasting credit, the very first time he had ever had a man like that. Like most men who try it, he was awkward at first, but he grew to like it. Indeed, he sucked off the man three times that night.
The following morning, long after the others had departed, leaving Rose and me alone with him, Ferry said, “I suppose you'll think me a brute, dear, but I'm looking forward to another affair with a man some time. It was the most thrilling thing I've ever done.'
I sympathized with him. Although he was everything I could ever want in a man, I still enjoyed my dalliances with choice females.
And so we bid farewell to our friends in Pest. Anna and Nina took Rose and made a lady of her. I learned some time later that she married a handsome man and was well-to-do.
I wonder if she ever thinks of me.
CHAPTER XI
Ferry had many friends, and during our journey south, which was to take us into the Balkans where we visited several countries, we talked of them. In Vienna, I expected to head a company in a new opera, but Ferry had asked me to hold off, and because of him, I did so. In Belgrade we were hailed like incoming heroes; everybody had heard of my affairs in Pest, and everyone, or so it seemed, was anxious to greet me.
Installed in the leading hotel in the great city, I began receiving guests, and one of the first to call was a lady of the Austrian court. She bore a letter from an official high in governmental affairs, and the letter stated that my presence was wanted at court at the earliest possible moment.
'What does this mean?” I asked Ferry, handing him the letter.
'You'd better go,” he answered, “or the old boy'll be sore.'
I could gain nothing by questioning the messenger, so I answered saying that I'd be happy to attend the following day.
Frightened half out of my wits, I entered the palace only to find that my presence was needed, not by the man who had written the letter, but by the emperor himself.
Now it must be remembered that I visited the Court of Austria at a time when the whole country had gone mad over some sort or other of cult, free-love cults being more in vogue than any known other.
Presiding over the court was a Duc (it is best to hide his name), who was considered by everyone as a leader in this cult craze. It was also whispered that he was, besides being a despoiler of maidenheads, a man-lover with several handsome young men he kept about the court for his special entertainment when he was so moved.
I had learned, too, that the court ladies were made up of the prettiest women in Belgrade, that their love affairs were carried on under the very eyes of the emperor who sanctioned it, and that they were maintained within the summer palace chiefly due to their unusual beauty and because of their willingness to adapt to the unusual undress worn by the ladies of the court.
At last, after a ten-minute wait, I was delivered into the hands of the famous Duc. I found him charming enough, and had it not been for the fact that I already had a lover, I could have fallen in love with him.
Finally, after leading up to the subject by degrees, he said, “Our emperor is planning a great ball at the summer palace here and desires your esteemed presence. Having heard your remarkable voice and witnessed one of your performances as Juliette some time ago, he is desirous of having you as part of his entertainment.” After a short pause, as though he were waiting for this to sink in, he continued. “You have no objection to appearing in such a scene wearing your stage costume?'
I smiled at this. “Why-I don't know,” I answered. “The costume you refer to is-well, rather, what shall we say-brief, and I'm afraid such a costume would hardly do for a private theatrical. You see…'
'That,” he interrupted me, “is the very reason our emperor desires your presence. The costume, as you refer to it, should, if you wish to please our monarch, be even more brief.'
I laughed outright this time. “Then I'm afraid it will be a near thing,” I answered. “If I were to wear any less, I'm afraid the emperor would have me thrown out.'
'The emperor would enjoy it if you would consent to appear in the nude.'
'And where is this entertainment to be held?” I asked.
He seemed to take this question as an acceptance on my part, for he said, “The performance is to be held here in the palace. Your partner-Romeo, if you prefer-is a handsome young actor, and a great favorite of the emperor. You will like him, I'm sure.'
'And his costume?” I asked, smiling.
Instead of answering this directly, he reached over and patted my hand in an affectionate manner, then: “You do not seem to understand our emperor, my dear. We have at the moment the Russian Ballet, consisting of sixty members; an act consisting of fifteen persons; a comedy act consisting of six more, and they all perform in the nude. Does that shock you, my dear?'
I laughed. “Pardon me,” I said. “I wasn't laughing at that; I was just thinking how strange I would look wearing a costume, when the others perform stark naked. I would be out of place.'
'Then it's agreed?” he asked, leaning across the table.
I shrugged my shoulders. “Is one in the habit of denying your emperor?'
He seemed to take this question as acceptance.
The Duc, I mention here, was a Frenchman, his close connection with the nobility having been brought about by his willingness and eagerness to seek out and provide the most startling entertainment for the court. Knowing the vast hordes of beautiful women about the palace were nothing more or less than whores who, like the emperor and his right-hand man, the Duc, were more than willing to do their part toward assisting in the scandal forever creeping out to a suffering public, I became more bold. I said, “I would prefer not to attend alone. You have no objection to my lover escorting me to and from the palace?” This was part suggestion and part question.
He pouted, inclining his head. “Is it necessary?” he asked. “You are expected to assist in the private entertainment for our emperor, after your formal appearance, and-well, wouldn't the presence of your lover, as you prefer to refer to him, be somewhat uncomfortable?'
Such, my friend, was the state of affairs one found within the “circle” during those days.
Without going further into the details of the whole affair, let me close this part of the history by saying that I attended the “party” in honor of the emperor, and that two days afterward, Ferry and I made a timely exit from the fashionable city, to the great disappointment of the entire court.
We had intended on spending a few more days there, but, as I have said, we thought it best to leave. It wasn't that I objected to the attention paid me; it was because I knew it hurt Ferry.
And because there are other things to relate, events of far greater importance to tell you, let us skip all this and take up the thread of the story as to what happened a few days later.
We crossed the border into Serbia, and while the court here was no less impure than that of Austria, there
