Tipping the Velvet (42 page)

God's sake, leave her alone!'

Zena hesitated. Then she said, 'Please, m'm, do you mean, The room fell silent at once. Zena gazed at me in fright, and sewing bags?'

Diana turned, and blinked. She said: 'You wish to raise the At that, the ladies gave a roar of laughter, which made Zena skirt yourself?'

flinch, and blush worse than ever, and put a hand to her

'I want you to leave Blake be! Go on, Blake,' I nodded to throat. Diana said, very slowly, 'No, child, I did not mean Zena. 'Go on back to the kitchen.'

sewing bags. I meant, that we thought you must have turned

'You stay where you are!' cried Diana to her. 'And as for frigstress, in your little cell. That you must have frigged you,' she said, fixing me with one narrow, black, glittering yourself until your cunt was sore. That you must have eye, 'do you think you are mistress here, to give orders to frigged yourself so long and so hard, you frigged yourself a my servants? Why, you are a servant! What is it to you, if I cock. We think you must have a cock, Blake, in your ask my girl to bare her backside for me? You have bared drawers. We want you to lift your skirt, and let us see it!'

yours for me, often enough! Get back behind your velvet Now the ladies laughed again. Zena looked at them, and curtain! Perhaps, when we have finished with little Blake, then at Diana. 'Please, m'm,' she said, beginning to shake, 'I we shall all take turns upon Antinous.'

don't know what you mean!'

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Her words seemed to press upon my aching head - and again, but spoke, still, as if to her guests. 'She will go then, as if my head were made of glass, it seemed to shatter.

upstairs,' she said levelly, 'until she is sorry. Then she will I put my hand to the garland of wilting flowers at my throat, apologise to the ladies she has upset. And then, I shall think and tore it from me. Then I did the same with the sable wig, of some little punishment for her.' Her gaze flicked over the and flung it to the floor. My hair was oiled flat to my head, remains of my costume. 'Something suitably Roman, my cheeks were flushed with wine and anger -I must have perhaps.'

looked terrible. But I didn't feel terrible: I felt filled with

'Roman?' I answered. 'Well, you should know about that.

power and with light. I said, 'You shall not talk to me in How old are you today? You were there, weren't you, at such a way. How dare you talk to me like that!'

Hadrian's palace?'

Beside Diana, Dickie rolled her eyes. 'Really Diana,' she It was a mild enough insult, after all that I had said. But as I said, 'what a bore this is!'

said it, there came a titter from the crowd. It was only a

'What a bore!' I turned to her. 'Look at you, you old cow, small one; but if there was ever anyone who could not bear dressed up in a satin shirt like a boy of seventeen. Dorian to be tittered at, that person was Diana. I think she would Gray? You look more like the bleedin' portrait, after Dorian rather have been shot between the eyes. Now, hearing that has made a few trips down the docks!'

stifled laugh, she grew even paler. She took a step towards Dickie twitched, then grew pale. Several of the ladies me, and raised her hand; she did it so quickly, I had time laughed, and one of them was Maria. 'My dear boy - !' she only to catch the flash of something dark at the end of her

'Don't "dear boy" me, you ugly bitch!' I said to her then.

arm - then there came what seemed to be a small explosion

'You're as bad as her, in your Turkish trousers. What are at my cheek.

you, looking for your harem? No wonder they are off She had still held Dickie's book, all this time; and now she fucking each other with their enormous parts, if they have had struck me with it.

you as their master. You have had your fingers all over me, I gave a cry, and staggered. When I put a hand to my face, I for a year and a half; but if a real girl was ever to uncover found blood upon it - from my nose, but also from a gash her tit and put it in your hand, you would have to ring for beneath my eye, where the edge of the leather-bound spine your maid, for her to show you what to do with it!'

had caught it. I reached for a shoulder or an arm, against

'That's enough!' This was Diana. She was gazing at me, which to steady myself; but now all the ladies shrank away white-faced and furious, but still terribly calm. Now she from me, and I almost stumbled. I looked once at Diana.

turned and addressed the group of goggling ladies. She She also had reeled, after dealing me the blow; but Evelyn said: 'Nancy thinks it amusing, sometimes, to kick her little was beside her with her arm about her waist. She said heels; and sometimes, of course, it is. But not tonight.

nothing to me; and I, at last, was quite incapable of speech.

Tonight, I'm afraid, it is only tiresome.' She looked at me I think I coughed, or snorted. There came a splatter of blood 359

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upon the Turkey rug, that made the ladies draw even further If only Zena had not forgiven me my harshness in the hall -

from me, and give little moues of surprise and disgust.

had not come creeping to my door, to ask me, was I very Then I turned, and staggered from the room.

hurt, and was there anything that she could do, to comfort At the door stood Maria's whippet, Satin, and when he saw me.

me he barked. Maria had set him there, with a dog's head of When I heard her knock, I flinched: I was sure it must be papier mach6 fixed to each side of his collar, to represent Diana, seeking me out to torture me or-perhaps, who the hound that stood on guard at the gate of Hades.

knew?-to caress me. When I saw that it was Zena, I stared.

The marble floor of the hall, as I have said, we had

'Miss,' she said. She had a candle in her hand, and its flame scattered with roses: it was terribly hard to cross it, in bare dipped and fluttered, sending shadows dancing crazily feet, with my ringing head and my hand at my cheek.

about the walls. 'I couldn't go up, knowing you was here all Before I had reached the staircase, I heard a step behind me, bruised and bleeding- and all, oh! all on my account!

and a bang. I turned to see Zena there: Diana had sent her I sighed. 'Come in," I said, 'and close the door.' And when from the room in my wake, then had the door shut on us.

she had done that, and stepped nearer to me, I put my head She gazed at me, then came to put a hand upon my arm: in my hands and groaned. 'Oh Zena,' I said, 'what a night!

'Oh, miss . . .'

What a night!'

And I - who had saved her from Diana's wildness only, as it She set down her candle. 'I've got a cloth,' she said, 'with a seemed to me then, to have that wildness turned upon little bit of ice in it. If you'll just - permit me -' I lifted my myself - I shook her from me. 'Don't you touch me!' I cried.

head, and she placed the cloth against my cheek, so that I Then I ran from her, to my own room, and closed the door.

winced. 'What a corker of an eye you'll have!' she said.

And sat there wretched, in the darkness, nursing my oozing Then, in a different tone: 'What a devil that woman is!' She cheek. Below me, after a few more minutes of silence, there began to wipe away the blood that was crusted about my came the sound of the piano; and then came laughter, and nostril - lowering herself upon the bed, at my side, and then shouts. They were carrying on their revelling, without placing her free hand upon my shoulder to brace herself me! I could not credit it. The sport with Zena, the insults, against me, as she did so.

the blow and the bleeding nose - these seemed only to have Gradually, however, I became aware that she was made the marvellous party more gay and marvellous still.

trembling. 'It's the cold, miss,' she said. 'Only the cold and, If only Diana had sent her guests home. If only I had placed well, the bit of fright I had downstairs . . .' But as she said my head beneath my pillow, and forgotten them. If only I it, I felt her shudder harder than ever, and she began to had not grown miserable, and peevish, and vengeful, at the weep. 'The truth is,' she said through her tears, 'I could not sound of their fun.

bear the thought of lying up there in my own room, with 361

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them wicked ladies roaming about the place. I thought, that

'Go on, you shan't be seen. They are all in the drawing-they might come and have another go at me . . .'

room, and you can go by the back stairs. And if anyone

'There now,' I said. I took the cloth from her and placed it does see you, and asks, you can say you are fetching it for on the floor. Then I drew the counterpane from the bed, and me. Which is true.'

set it about her shoulders. 'You shall stay here with me,

'Well

where the ladies cannot get you . . .' I put my arm around

'Go on! Take your candle!' I rose, then took hold of her her, and her head came against my ear. She still wore her hands and pulled her to her feet; and she - infected at last by servant's cap; now I took the pins from it and drew it from my new recklessness - gave another giggle, put her fingers her, and her hair fell to her shoulders. It was scented with to her lips, then tip-toed from the room. While she was burning roses, and with the spice from the wine, Smelling gone I lit a lamp, but kept it turned very low. She had left it, with Zena warm against my shoulder, I began suddenly her cap upon the bed: I picked it up and set it on my own to feel drunker than I had all night. Perhaps it was only that head, and when she returned five minutes later and saw me my head was reeling, from the force of Diana's blow.

wearing it she laughed out loud.

I swallowed. Zena put a handkerchief to her nose, and grew She carried a dewy bottle and a glass. 'Did you see any a little stiller. There came, from the floors below, the sound ladies?' I asked her.

of running feet, a furious thundering upon the piano, and a I saw a couple, but they never saw me. They were at the scream of laughter.

scullery door and - oh! they was kissing the guts out of each

'Just listen to them!' I said, growing bitter again. 'Partying other!'

like anything! They have forgotten all about us, sitting I imagined her standing in the shadows, watching them. I miserable up here..."

went to her and took the bottle, then peeled away the lead

'Oh, I hope they have!'

wrapper from its neck. 'You've shaken it up,' I said. 'It'll go

'Of course they have. We might be doing anything, it off with a real bang!' She put her hands over her ears, and wouldn't matter to them! Why, we might be having a party shut her eyes. I felt the cork squirm in the glass for a of our own!' She blew her nose, then giggled. My head gave second; then it leapt from my fingers, and I gave a yell: a sort of tilt. I said: 'Zena! Why shouldn't we have a party,

'Quick! Quick! Bring a glass!' A creamy fountain of foam just the two of us! How many bottles of champagne are had risen from the neck of the bottle, and now drenched my there left, in the kitchen?'

fingers and soaked my legs -I was still, of course, clad in There are loads of 'em.'

the little white toga. Zena seized the glass from the tray and

'Well, then. Just you run down and fetch us one.'

held it, giggling again, beneath the spurting wine.

She bit her lip. 'I don't know ..."

We went and sat upon the bed, Zena with the glass in her hands, me sipping from the frothing bottle. When she 363

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drank, she coughed; but I filled her glass again and said: After that, I pulled the counterpane over us, and we drank

'Drink up! Just like those cows downstairs.' And she drank, more champagne, taking turns to sip from the bottle. I put and drank again, until her cheeks were red. I felt my own my hand upon her. I said: 'Did you used to frig yourself in head grow giddier with every sip I took, and the pulse at my the reformat'ry?' She gave me a slap, saying, 'Oh, you are as swollen face grow thicker. At last I said, 'Oh! How it bad as them downstairs! I nearly died!' She pushed the hurts!', and Zena set down her glass to put her fingers, very blanket back, and squinted at her quim. 'To think of me gently, upon my cheek. When she had held them there for a with a cock! What an idea!'

second or two, I took her hand in my own, and leaned and

'What an idea? Oh, Zena, I should love to see you with one!

kissed her.

I should love -' I sat up. 'Zena, I should love to see you in She didn't draw away until I made to lie upon the bed and Diana's dildo!'

pull her with me. Then she said: 'Oh, we cannot! What if That thing? She's made you filthy! I should die with shame, Mrs Lethaby should come?'

before I ever tried such a thing!' Her lashes fluttered.

'She won't. She is leaving me, as a kind of punishment.' I I said, 'You are blushing! You've fancied it, haven't you?

touched her knee, and then her thigh, through the layers of You've fancied a bit of that kind of sport - don't tell me you her skirts.

haven't!'

'We cannot. . .' she said again; but this time, her voice was

'Really, a girl like me!' But she was redder than ever, and fainter. And when I tugged at her frock and said, 'Come on, would not gaze at me. I caught hold of her hand, and pulled take this off - or shall I tear the buttons?' she gave a her up.

drunken sort of laugh: 'You shall do no such thing! Help me

'Come on,' I said. 'You have got me all hot for it. Diana will nicely, now.'

never know.'

Naked she was very thin, and strangely coloured: flaming

'Oh!'

crimson at the cheeks, a coarser red from her elbows to her I pulled her to the door, then peered into the corridor fingertips, and palely white - almost bluish-white - on her outside. The music and laughter from downstairs was torso, upper arms, and thighs. The hair between her legs -

fainter, but still loud and rather furious. Zena fell against you can never guess at that kind of thing in advance - was me, and put her arms around my waist; then we staggered quite ginger. When I dipped my lips to it, she gave a squeal: together, quite naked, and with our hands before our faces