driving so horribly slow?
To my first enquiry he replied that he was going to drive along St. John's Wood-Road, and in the second place he affirmed that he was too compassionate a disposition to vex two handsome creatures that had never done him harm.
I stared at him, for I presumed he referred to the handsome pair of chestnut horses. But when he followed up his remark by gravely saying that it did not matter at what pace he drove for there was 'nobody in the carriage,' I thought at first he must be mad or drunk, but on turning my head round, the whole truth flashed upon me at once!
Sure enough, the carriage was supposed to be empty, for all the blinds were closed!
'Don't you know the peephole,' said my friend John. 'Our coachbuilder made it on purpose to please me, or I ought to say, Lord Pomeroy. He put me up to it and sometimes rides on the box with me and says it's far more pleasure to see his wife fucked by a fine young fellow than to have the trouble to do it himself.'
'You don't mean that,' I replied.
'Yes, no humbug between ourselves! Old Pom only cares for page-boys, lady's-maids, or some other man's wife or daughters. 'Nothing like breaking the Ten Commandments' is his favourite saying. You'll find that hole in the roof. A little bit slides back just behind you.'
Eager to see something of real life, the slide was noiselessly pushed back, till I could see every part of the interior of the brougham. There sat my lady billing and cooing with Miss Courtney. How flushed they looked as their impassioned kisses too plainly told the depth of their feelings.
They were sitting side by side, and the first act of their little love-drama was evidently just over, but the curtain had not yet fallen for the Countess's dress was raised to her navel and I could see the jewelled hand of Miss Courtney groping between her lovely thighs. But that was nothing to the sight of the manly root with which that young lady was furnished at the bottom of her belly, which although rather drooping, was still glistening with the cream of love, as the Countess continued to caress it in her milk-white hand, gently uncovering the fiery-looking red head of her delight, as the motion of her fingers seemed to make a mute appeal to its further gallantry. My curiosity was quite satisfied and we let them enjoy themselves in peace for the rest of the drive.
chapter II.
It was rather late in the afternoon when we arrived home, and I was in my apartment making some slight alteration in my attire before attending my lady at the dinner table, when, enters Justine! Without tapping or giving any other intimation of her approach.
I remonstrated with her, with mock gravity on her great impudence, representing to her that under the present circumstances my attire was grossly disarranged and that there was a great possibility that she might have found me in a state totally unfit to be seen by any young woman whatever.
To which the saucy girl replied that she did not know what state that was, unless I was sewn up to the neck in a strong sack; and even then, she continued, she thought that a loving woman with a sharp pair of scissors might overcome the difficulty and make me a presentable member of society – fit to be seen by herself anyway.
I think I was going to put this experiment to the practical test, and that without the adjuncts of the sack and the scissors, when Justine stopped me by saying that she had a very particular message for me from Her Ladyship.
This appeared to be that I was not to mention to anyone, least of all to the Earl, the circumstances of the Countess's having taken 'Miss Courtney for a drive.'
'For a ride,' said I, correcting her with all possible gravity.
'Well, then, for a ride, if you like, you saucy boy,' replied the sweet girl, giving me a slight box on the ear. 'You know a great deal too much, sir; but you will promise not to tell Ernest, darling, won't you?'
Now, I was resolved to tease her a little. So I said that really I considered Miss Courtney a very fine girl. That she had given me a couple of sovereigns when she got out of the carriage. That she was just the sort of a girl that I was sure His Lordship would like: tall and long-legged, in fact exactly like a young fellow in girl's clothes. He's very fond of boys and would be delighted in finding Adam's needle instead of Eve's bit of old hat, when he put his hand up her clothes- and I was chafing away at a great rate when my pretty visitor stamped her foot with vexation, and then began to cry!
Of course upon this there was only one thing to do, and that was to comfort my young lady in every way that I could, and I succeeded so well that from sobbing, pouting, pushing me away and calling me a tantalizing, cross wretch, she began to return my kisses after the most approved fashion. Then she clasped me round the neck, sighing on my shoulder and murmuring incoherently all the loving epithets that suggested themselves on the spur of the moment, yielding herself as she did so to the loving clasp of my arms.
Almost undressed as I was, my natural feeling got the better of my discretion. It was too plain what the Countess's soubrette sighed for at the moment, and could any young fellow refuse such an appeal to his gallantry, especially when that engine of love which knows no conscience was bursting with impatience.
My hands raised her clothes as I threw her back on the edge of my bed and for a few minutes we revelled in the delights of love.
When we were getting more composed and able to converse like reasonable beings, I gave Justine willingly enough the promise her mistress had told her to get from me. While she informed me that the Earl was particular, almost to jealousy, of anyone using his beautiful chestnuts, unless they who used them belonged to the family.
I could not help wondering if he would be equally jealous of anyone 'using' his beautiful chestnut-haired wife! And whether I was to be considered 'one of the family'?
I could not help hinting something to this effect to Justine, in as discreet a way as the object admitted of. And to my surprise instead of being exposed to a lecture, for my brazen impudence, for daring to entertain such ideas, or a storm of jealous reproaches for my cruelty in so thinking of anybody but herself, after what had just passed between us – and that not for the first time – instead of this I received from the faithful femme de chambre no slight encouragement.
She told me that she was sure the Countess was very fond of me. That she had questioned her (Justine) about my private habits, how I looked when in dishabille.
'You see, Ernest,' said the arch girl laughingly, 'that she supposes that I know all about it.'
Then she told me that the Earl, although not at all an unkind husband, was habitually neglectful, and that, as the girl very shrewdly remarked, ladies considered even worse. That they will bear with a great deal of flirting, infidelity, and other bad conduct on the part of their lovers or husbands, as long as they themselves are not neglected. But that is the one offence not to be forgiven.
I do not mean to say that Justine expressed this sentiment precisely in these words, but this was the sense of what she said, and very good sense, too.
The upshot of her conversation was that I was to be ready and bold; but not too knowing or forward. To look my best, and to watch for a favourable opportunity which she felt sure my Lady would afford me when she could. Indeed, Justine went on to say that the present occasion would not be at all an unfavourable one, when I could take the opportunity of assuring my mistress of my inviolable secrecy as to the 'Miss' Courtney transaction, and my eternal devotion to her service.
'But,' said Justine, 'I dare say my Lady may feel rather fatigued with the exercises she has taken today – and as for you, sir; it is, or ought to be entirely out of the question!'
I begged to assure Justine that she was never more mistaken in her life, for the taste of love she had just given me only whetted my appetite for a fuller feast, which was perfectly true; for what, with the girl's beauty before me, and the peep which I had had that afternoon into the closed carriage, the warm blood throbbed in my veins so that between reality and imagination I was in a highly efficient state; and all of this I might have given Mademoiselle Justine another and immediate proof of, had not the Countess's bell rung just at this juncture.
Our tкte-а-tкte was interrupted, Justine exclaiming: 'Let me go directly, you dear, naughty fellow – don't you hear my Lady's bell? I promised her to be back in five minutes, and here I've been five and twenty! How you have tumbled my dress, to be sure! Do get along with you! But I must kiss the dear boy first, who has given me such a proof of his vigour!'
