anonymous - The Memoirs of a Voluptuary

"I've just had a letter," he said, when she had entered, "from the Princesse de Beaupre, mother of one of Master Charles' fellow pupils, asking me to allow him to spend the remainder of the holidays with her son.. He is to be in London on Thursday next. Here is the princess' letter! Will you please make all the necessary arrangements?"

I was overjoyed, and began to pour out my thanks, but my father waved me coldly aside and left the room.

The succeeding days I spent in the greatest impatience and I must have proved a considerable source of worry to Mrs. Denison; but she, good soul! never murmured and took the greatest pains in making the necessary preparations for my visit.

The eventful morning came at last Saunders drove me to the station in the dog-cart and I was soon on my way to London. De Beaupre was at the terminus to meet me, and we greeted each other in the heartiest manner possible. A brougham was awaiting us and as soon as my traps had been collected and put on board, we started off to the house in Hill Street which his mother had taken for the season. He had lots to tell me, and rattled away in his best style until we got to the door. His mother was in and he took me straight to her. She was a tall and stately woman, with a very kind manner and at once put me at my ease.

"Gaston has often spoken of you, and I am delighted to make your acquaintance. I am so glad he has made such charming friends. He tells me that you and the little Duke of Surrey and a boy named Rutherford are his principal companions. I know the little duke very well already, and think him a most engaging lad; and I am sure I shall soon be able to say the same of you when we know each other a little more." Arrangements had been made for us to leave by the night-mail, and cross the Channel from Dover. It was fine weather, and I stayed on deck most of the time with Gaston, who was eager to relate how he had been passing the holidays up to now.

"I was down in the country with Jimmy for nearly a fortnight, "he said. "We had an awfully good time. They always put me up in the same room with him when I go there, so you can guess we had some lively games. It wasn't quite so good as the old dormitory for we missed you and Rutherford very much, but we did the best we could. It was beastly rot, Lord Henry being away from England, wasn't it? But I dare say we will have a chance to go there someday. It will be awfully jolly, if we do. I haven't had very much to do with Lord Henry, but I've seen enough of him to know that he's a real good sort. Jimmy and I often used to talk about you. We knew you would not be having much fun, and we would put our heads together to make up some plan for you. We had expected Rutherford would be having you with him, but he seems to be staying longer than he expected up in Scotland. When I heard from him last and found he hadn't been able to send you an invitation, I made up my mind that I would ask you to come with me and I spoke to my mother, who agreed at once."

"It was awfully good of you, Blackie!" I exclaimed, gratefully. "I've been grubbing along in a rotten way at Woodbury, with nobody to talk to, and.I can tell you! I was looking forward to going back to school again."

"Well, you needn't look forward quite so eagerly now," he continued, "as I think I can promise you some enjoyment before we do return. As I told you in my letter, I expected Jimmy would be coming as well. But at the last minute his mother was very anxious for him to stay with her, as she was expecting a visit from some very old friends, whom she wished Jimmy to meet, so that meant I had to leave him behind. He was a bit sick, but what can't be cured must be endured, as they say. Anyhow, we had some fun while we were together. I shall have to tell you all about how we carried on. The last night, especially, we had a rare set-to, and I fairly made his bottom sore for him; he was so tired the next morning I had the greatest difficulty inducing him to get up."

We arrived at Paris in the morning, and a carriage met us at the Gare du Nord. We drove straight to the Beaupre mansion in the Faubourg Saint-Germain, known as the Hotel Foix, and one of the few grand residences still retained by their ancient owners in that historic locality. Here I made acquaintance with Gaston's father, the Prince de Beaupre, who saluted me cordially. He was a man of about fifty, of prepossessing appearance, his hair tinged with grey. He had a very affable manner, but I gathered the impression that he was quite a second person to his wife in the establishment. In this I was not mistaken. The princess was the ruler of the menage, and the prince filled a more or less decorative position as her husband. He was always present when occasion required, but otherwise he resigned the reins to his better half. On the whole each went their own way and followed their own pursuits. The arrangement worked admirably, insomuch that they were a model pair at the times when they were together.

The French capital pleased me greatly, and de Beaupre diligently took me round to see all the sights. Notre Dame, the Jardin, des Plantes, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, all came in for a share of my admiration; and I was not less interested in the varied sights of the streets, so strange to the country- bred Englishman. Gaston was given full charge of me and I spent almost the whole day in his company. He also took me out at night-time, when the crowds and the animation everywhere apparent on the brilliantly lighted boulevards at such a late hour filled me with astonishment, and led me to conclude that Paris never slept.

Gaston knew his city well, and was able to tell me much about the ways and customs of the people we met. Especially he pointed out to me the cocottes, those smartly-dressed women of pleasure, who could be seen parading the thoroughfares with a rustle of silks, and thronging around the fashionable cafes and theatres. He explained to me the system under which they were organised, and; told me of the difference which existed between France and England in this respect. This was a subject as to which I had been completely in the dark up till now, but he quickly dissipated my ignorance, so that it was not long ere I was in the possession of as many facts relating to the matter as he himself, and felt quite a man of the world as I endorsed the practical commonsense which had dictated Continental policy. Gaston enlightened me on the subject of venereal disease, and its prevalence in Great Britain, due to the want of control persisted in by an old-womanly statesmanship. He seemed to have quite a fund of information on the question, and quite horrified me by some of the things he acquainted me with. I wondered, indeed, where he had gleaned all his knowledge from, but he said that he had read several works of authority dealing with the topic. One of these he procured and showed me, but a look through it was quite sufficient to disgust me, and after I had seen some of the ghastly plates I had no desire to read the book. It took some little time to shake off the horror I felt, but I finally consoled myself with the reflection that it was largely due to people's own fault if they contracted such terrible aliments; these might easily be prevented by exercising proper care.

Gaston had a good deal to say about the cocottes, and also pointed out one or two establishments of the class which had a considerable reputation. He told me that there were some places, besides, where boys were to be procured, as well as girls, and also that some women of fashion even gave such houses secret patronage, and made assignations there with men, while a few went to the length of engaging the services of the girls belonging to the institutions.

Some four or five days after our arrival, de Beaupre announced that he intended to take me that afternoon to see Cecile. I was naturally delighted with the proposal, and impatiently waited for the hour of our visit. At the appointed time, we set out for the Avenue Hoche, which we reached in due course. The concierge evidently knew Gaston, for he gave my companion a friendly salute, and informed us that Madame la Duchesse was at home. We proceeded to her appartement, where Marie admitted us, her face lighting up pleasantly as she saw Gaston. She conducted us to the drawing-room, which was large and beautifully furnished in the Louis-Quinze style, and here we found the lady whom we had come to see.