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

A table is prepared, and a slovenly servant appears with food and drink. Eva eats a few mouthfuls and is urged to take a glass of wine to refresh herself from the journey. Within a few minutes after taking a portion of the liquor offered, her head begins to droop. She tries to straighten up, an expression of fright crosses her face, but the drug she has unknowingly consumed renders her powerless and she falls sidewise in her chair. Like a hawk, the madame is upon her and seizes her just in time to prevent her from falling to the floor. Lifting hr as easily as though she were an infant, she carries the unconscious girl from the room, up two flights of stairs and into a small alcove, windowless except for a glass skylight overhead.

Eva is now in a drugged stupor, her eyes are close, her form limp and yielding. Her hair, which has become unloosened, falls in a golden cascade over her shoulders. The madame lays her upon a bed. She stands for a moment looking down on the unconscious child. What thought are passing through her mind, as she gazes upon that innocent face? Does she feel a pang of remorse for the pure beauty which is to be offered up on the altar of lust? Or is she simply calculating the probable profits which will accrue to her, through the defilement of that lovely body? Most likely the latter, for her face betrays no indication of pity, but rather gloating satisfaction, as she proceeds to disrobe the girl. First she removes the little high heeled slippers, then the filmy silk stockings which on being withdrawn disclose a pair of white symmetrical legs upon which we have previously gazed. Now, lifting the girl to a sitting position, she draws up and removes her outer garment. Then follows a short underskirt, a chemise, a dainty brassierre, a pair of little silk panties, and Eva is disclosed to us all in her virginal nudity.

With the last article of clothing removed the madame pauses again to examine the prostrate form. Leaning over it she feels the diminutive but plump little breasts, as though to prove their firmness. Her hands descend, she seizes the child' s knees and pulls her legs apart. The next instant her finger is inserted within the sexual cleft. The expression on her face indicates that she is pleased with the result of this profane exploration. Eva' s maidenhead is intact and will bring lucrative return in cash. She gathers up the girl' s clothing, and taking it with her, leaves the room, locking the door behind her.

Outside the door she stops, slides back a small panel, and stands for an interval peering through this aperture at the girl, still lying motionless and unconscious upon the bed. She closes the panel and proceeds downstairs.

Now we see two persons engaged in telephonic conversation. One of these is the madame. The other is a man of middle age whose face bears the stamp of dissipation and cruelty. The printed text in French tells the client of a new acquisition, of superlative charm, and virginal integrity. The gentleman is being offered Eva' s maidenhead. An appointment is made, and the picture dissolves from our view.

A sign is flashed upon the screen announcing a five minute intermission and the lights are turned on. During the course of the picture which I have briefly outlined, and which consumed possibly some thirty minutes in the showing, the Russian girl had remained silent. Now she turned to me with a smile, and inquired as to how I was enjoying the picture. I replied that t was very impressive, more so as it was the first film of this nature I had ever seen. She seemed surprised and began t question me as to how I had been entertaining myself while in Paris. I mentioned a number of the places I had visited, and found she was familiar with most of them.

" Do you know," she broke in, irrelevantly, " you' re quite good looking?"

Somewhat taken aback, I replied with assumed seriousness.

" And not a bit conceited!" she continued, smiling.

Further conversation wsa interrupted by a bell which announced the continuance of the film, and the lights were turned off.

It is night now, and we return to the room in which Eva, victim of white slavers, is held prisoner. Eva, naked, is sitting on the edge of the bed, weeping. In the position in which she is sitting, directly before us, we are able to appreciate her physical beauty in all its extension. Between her slightly separated thighs, below a little cluster of golden curly hair, the flower of her sex is partially visible.

The scene is emotional, and not a sound is heard in the saloon except the whir of the film as it is fed into the projecting machine.

Under cover of the darkness, the Russian girl places her hand upon my knee. Her fingers squeeze the flesh lightly and the contact sends an electric thrill vibrating through my body. Between this, and the effect of Eva' s nakedness, my cock begins to harden. I sense its rapid increase in size under the constriction of my clothing. The hand upon my knee begins to travel upward, and comes to rest exactly over the spot where my clothing is most distended. And through the texture of the garment, the clasp of warm, soft fingers becomes apparent. I drop my hand down over hers, and press it expressively.

The picture changes, and we are taken back to another room in which the madame and the hard faced man we previously saw at the telephone are in conference. They sit on either side of a small table, between them a bottle of wine and glasses. At intervals script in French conveys to us the import of the conversation, which revolves about the price of Eva' s maidenhead.

" Are you sure?"

" I couldn' t get this in!" replies the woman, holding up the index finger of her right hand.

" Well, how much?"

" To you, five hundred francs."

" Five hundred francs?" exclaims the man angrily, springing to his feet. " Five hundred francs? Too much!"

" Five hundred francs," replies the woman, stolidly. " Five hundred to you. A thousand to anyone else. I can get it. She' s the prettiest little piece you ever laid eyes on. Breasts like this:" and she cupped her hands expressively.

" I won' t pay it!"

" Coma and look!" answered the procuress, cunningly, rising to her feet.

The man glared at her a moment in silence, then he too rose, and followed her.

They proceed to the room in which Eva is confined. The small panel is slid back, and the man peers through. For a long interval he stands motionless, his gaze riveted on the spectacle of Eva' s nudity.

" I' ll pay it!" he whispers, closing the panel.

They return t the room in which we previously saw them, and the man removes a wallet from his pocket, counts out the stipulated amount, hands it to the madame, and in return receives the key to Eva' s prison.

They drink a glass of liquor to the successful termination of the transaction, and the madame, wit a suggestive leer, wishes him a pleasant night.

Across the screen appears another notice, announcing a brief suspension of the picture in order to present a symbolical dancing act or terpsichorean fantasy entitled " Deux Femmes Modernes."

Short, but spectacular, it brought enthusiastic applause from the audience. Across the stage, now bathed in a flood of changing lights of red, green, violet and gold, whirled two beautiful young girls, except for hose and slippers, stripped stark naked. More than naked, for the black silk hose accentuated a hundred- fold the white nudity of their torsos. In an embrace so close they seem but one body, they writhe, twist, undulate and whirl about the small stage.

The flashing lights and the shifting melody of color lend an eerie fantastic effort to the nude bodies difficult to describe, while their close knee to knee, thigh to thigh, breast to breast contact, act on every fiber of the sensual emotions. Their steps increase in rapidity; one places her knee between the legs of her companion, their movements become so swift the eye can scarcely follow them. Dizzily whirling, pirouetting, literally flying, under the changing colors of the spotlight they seem like the weird figures of an erotic dream.