Anonymous - The altar of VVenus - The Making of a Victorian Rake

There was something violently sensual about this girl and my pulse quickened as I watched her. My companion broke into my absorption with a dry commentary.

" You seem to be interested in Russian."

" Russian?" I replied, " I thought probably she was Italian. Whatever her nationality is, she is a remarkably beautiful woman."

" I know her well enough to present you if you wish. Russian nobility but better fixed than most of them who have come in since the war. Married a rich Frenchman when she was fifteen. Too fast for the old fellow. Caught her in ' delicto flagrante' and divorced her. But he settled an annuity on her that will keep her in luxury as long as she lives."

His comments augmented, rather than diminished my interests, and I assured him I would be very glad to make her acquaintance. Whereupon he led me across the and after obtaining the lady' s permission, I was duly introduced.

To my delight, the Russian girl has a good knowledge of English so I was spared the ordeal of trying to converse with her in French. She introduced me to her escort, who acknowledged the courtesy with little cordiality and glared at me with a look which seemed to say:

" I' ll thank you to kindly get the hell away from here."

However I did not permit his coolness to interfere with my efforts to make myself agreeable to the Russian girl, whom I found to be even more fascinating at close range than at a distance. She was a woman who exuded sexual magnetism from every pore, one of those women seemingly designed by Nature to appeal to men' s sensual appetites – women born to be dolls and playthings of men rather than wives and mothers.

In the midst of our conversation we were interrupted by a bell announcing the beginning of the picture, and the lights were suddenly extinguished. The four of us groped our way through the semidarkness toward an unoccupied settee and sat down, the Russian girl taking her place between the Frenchman and myself.

The picture which was shown was of a startling and realistic nature, dealing with the methods and operations of white slavers recruiting girls for houses of prostitution, and the violation of one of their innocent victims.

First appeared upon the screen the copy of an advertisement, which translated into English, read about as follows?

WANTED – Girls for dancing and theatrical work. No previous experience necessary. Salary paid while learning. Apply at:

Then was shown a cheaply equipped office, in which a long line of girls stood waiting their turn to make application for the promised employment. Behind a desk a man was sitting, interviewing the girls one by one, filling out a card with the applicant' s name and address, with notations as to age, whether living alone or with parents or guardians, and data as to the applicant' s characteristics and appearance. Each was asked whether, in case of acceptance, she would be agreeable to leaving the city. As quickly as this data was jotted down the applicant was dismissed with a statement to the effect that she would be notified later as t whether she could be placed.

The object of this preliminary was to enable the slavers to select attractive girls and by their adroit questions determine which of these would be the safest subjects for exploitation.

The next episode of the picture finds us viewing the humble quarters of two Parisian misses, evidently sisters, living alone. We recall having observed the younger of the two girls in the line of applicants before the pseudo theatrical agent' s desk. She is a pretty, beautifully formed little blond of innocent, almost Madonnalike features. The furnishings of the room, thought neat and orderly, indicate resources of the most modest nature. At the moment the scene is flashed before us, the younger girl, clad only in a chemise which permits us to admire a pair of shapely legs, is engaged in washing some stockings in a porcelain basin. The elder, dressed for the street, is apparently about to leave when a knock is heard at the door. On the threshold stands a sleek shifty face individual. He glances at a card in his hand and inquires whether this is the domicile of Mademoiselle Eva Thibault. The object of his inquiry, listening to the conversation from behind the door, hurries to drape her naked limbs, and when this is accomplished the visitor is invited to enter.

He is pleased, oh, very pleased, to announce that Mademoiselle Eva has been selected t play a small part in a musical revue, which is to open with a week at Bordeaux. She must prepare to accompany him immediately as some days will be necessary for the young lady to familiarize herself with her part. They are to take the train this very morning and she will greatly oblige him by making immediate preparations.

The modest habitation is thrown into a fever of excitement by the news of this good fortune and the two girls throw things right and left as they hurriedly pack a small grip with articles of apparel and toilet for Eva' s use, while the gentleman obligingly waits outside.

In a very short space of time Eva is dressed and packed and ready to accompany the agent. An embrace and exchange of kisses, an affectionate farewell, and the sisters part.

Eva, accompanied by the agent, enters a waiting cab.

When we see them again, they are leaving the train, presumably in Bordeaux. Another taxi is called and an address given. Now we are taken to an edifice of gloomy aspect, located in what was probably in days gone by a part of the city' s residential section, for the house, grey, weather beaten, dilapidated, is crowded in between a warehouse and a brewery. The windows are closely shuttered and at first glance it seems to be an unoccupied building.

The taxi bearing Eva and the agent now appears and stops in front of this structure.

As they alight Eva glances wonderingly about her but still in the eager enthusiasm of her prospective rise to fame and wealth behind the footlights. She suspects nothing and lends herself docilely to the machinations of the wily procurer.

They ascend the steps, the man explaining that this is a boarding house in which arrangements have been made to house the members of the cast during their stay in the city. He rings a bell, and after a long wait the door opens sufficiently to permit their entry, and closes behind them.

Eva is in the trap.

They are confronted by a heavy faced woman of curiously masculine aspect. She is stoutly built and extremely dark and heavy eyebrows give her an ominously sinister appearance. If it were not for her ponderous breasts and enormous hips, we would suspect this personage of being a man dressed n female apparel. Eva is presented to her as one of the " new girls" and acknowledges the introduction timidly. The woman places an arm about her with exaggerated familiarity and assures her that she will like the place, and that they are going to be great friends, both of which statements we doubt very much.

The agent and the woman now withdraw a few steps, and converse in whispers. A roll of bills changes hands. The man, with a cynical smile on his wolfish features, tells Eva that the " madame" will take care of her from now on, bows and retires. His work is finished.

From this point on the tragedy unrolls with precise and startling realism.

We see Eva, looking curiously about her, confused and timid in the strange surroundings, conducted to an interior room in which are lounging half a dozen other girls in intimate dishabille. Several of these are probably no older than Eva but they do not resemble her in appearance. They are heavily rouged and painted, their faces denote hardened sophistication, their eyes are bold and hard. In fact, they look like typical prostitutes of the cheaper class. A brief pause in this room while Eva is presented to these young ladies. They watch her silently, with much the attitude of a feline watching a mouse as it ventures out of its hiding place. She is hurried into another apartment. Here the madame invites her to remove her cloak and hat, and informs her that a lunch will be served her.