Here the little man stuck his hands under his coat tails as he balanced himself in front of the fire and reminded one strongly of a bantam cock which contemplated crowing.
Our own family doctor looked anxiously towards me. My husband and my papa looked at one another in mute astonishment.
"The necessities of the case would, of course, entail a little sacrifice of time and comfort on the part of her ladyship. There would be the usual antiseptics to administer, which Dr. Proctor would undertake of course-the slight operation to undergo-ahem-let us say, a week's rest, and all would be in order again."
The Earl looked immensely relieved. He regarded me wistfully. Papa wore an expression of anxiety mingled with doubt. I put an end to the suspense.
"I am ready to undergo the operation as soon as the arrangements can be made. Tomorrow if you will; the sooner the better. I have made up my mind. I will take my chance."
My husband actually shed tears of delight. He pressed my hand. The two doctors beamed graciously upon me. Papa hid his emotion behind a well-affected compliment on my courage. Dr. Brooksted- Hoare hastened to reply.
"Be it so-tomorrow at noon-ahem-I will be at your mansion. Oh, yes, I know the address. Leave all the arrangements to Dr. Proctor. He will, I know, have all in readiness."
The little medico made an entry in his notebook. Then he pompously bowed us all out.
A vision of disappointed sisters, of a cousin remitted to his pothouses and his scum of society, and his little bills, flashed across my placid vision as I took my seat in the carriage, none the easier for the disturbances caused by the exhaustive examination I had undergone.
I had now two great reasons to be satisfied with the resolution I had formed. The earlier intimation I had received from my medical friend was proved without doubt to be correct. The operation, I was informed by both physicians, had been perfectly successful.
"Dr. Proctor says I may sit up today, papa, and I may have what I like in the way of diet."
"I have sent for oysters, my dear Eveline, and Mrs. Lockett will send you up a roast grouse-also a custard pudding of her own especial make."
"How kind of you! Today I shall fare like a queen; but oysters, you know, dear papa, are supposed to stimulate other nerves than those of mere digestion."
"Yes, that is so. I believe I have felt the influence myself, especially when near my dear Eveline. No doubt they have a certain effect as an aphrodisiac. I believe it is on account of the large amount of phosphates they contain. Certain kinds of fish have the same result. The skate, that nutritious but much neglected flat fish, is one of them."
I could not help smiling at the serious professional air he assumed while thus lecturing. I let him see a twinkle in my eyes.
"You mustn't eat oysters, and you mustn't eat skate then, dear papa, when you come near your little Eveline. She has made certain very wise resolutions and she intends to keep them."
He drew a face of such abject dismay that I could not repress a little laugh at his expense.
"You are too cruel, Eveline, my dear child, but perhaps you act for the best. You have a will of your own which hitherto has always led you to avoid pitfalls."
"I did not mean that I would be so terribly severe as altogether to exclude those delicacies from my dear papa's dietary-only that- only-you see, papa-well! We must be careful how we handle things now."
"I have thought much on he same subject. I agree with you, my dear child."
"At the same time, my Charlemagne is a great conqueror. He cannot be expected to go altogether without the reward of his victories."
"I do not understand, my darling, quite what you mean."
"I will try to explain myself, dear papa. When the Emperor Charlemagne first indulged in the luxury of a debauch with his young daughters, you may be sure he was not long in arriving at a complete enjoyment of their charms. Then came a time when the pleasures of dalliance succeeded to the hot lust of passionate desire. No doubt those dutiful recipients of the great man's favors were early indoctrinated in all those auxiliary delights which go to make up the full pleasure of sensual gratification. Do you follow me, dear papa?"
He nodded, drew his chair closer to my bed, and I saw my opportunity. I was not slow to take advantage of it. I only dreaded his terrible disappointment.
"We must be careful. I have fully determined there shall be a direct heir to the Earldom of Endover. I believe in myself. In so doing I already win half the battle. But I will have no weak or ailing offspring of a race which has groveled in all the vices of the Georgian period, whose blood is as putrid as their morals are degenerate.
"My dear Eveline! Are you not a little hard on the Endovers?"
"Hard on them! If you only knew all I have learned concerning them! The men, I mean-the father-the grandfather-the progenitors of this noble, unadulterated family. Why, had the grandfather of my husband not had the good fortune to have hit upon an American millionaire and married the pork slaughters' vulgar daughter, there would not have been an acre left, nor a hearth to warm the vapid blood of his son, less his grandson. No, papa, if I bear a child to succeed to the title and the estates, at least he shall be of strong, sound English blood. You may leave the rest to your little Eveline."
"By God! You are right, my child! I have unbounded confidence in you. But how will you compass all this? How carry out your idea?"
"As I said before, dear papa, leave all to me. I believe I shall succeed in all. I have faith in myself-we shall see. I am going down to Chitterlings. Endover goes with me. We are to have a second honeymoon, he says. There will be at least the horns of a new moon for him, and very little honey for me-the less the better."
"You frighten me, Eveline. I trust all may turn out as you hope."
I indulged in a little quiet laugh. I put forward my lips for a kiss. He bent over me; our lips met. For a second my tongue touched his. His eyes lighted up with passion.
"You must not let me change my position, dear papa. Pull up your chair closer yet-so, that will do."
I gently thrust my right hand from out of the side of the bed. I had arranged a little divertissement for him, which I knew would exactly meet the exigencies of the case. A beautiful white kid glove covered my hand and half my arm, fitting like my own skin. On my wrist sparkled a lovely diamond bracelet, his own gift. He looked down. He beheld the snake-like advance of the little gloved hand, the glistening sheen of the perfumed glove itself.
"Oh, Eveline! All that for me? How deliciously inviting is that beautiful little hand."
He seized it-he covered it with hot kisses.
"We must be careful, dear papa, how we handle things now. Come-let me handle yours. Do you understand better now? Let me give my dear papa all the pleasure my active little fingers can bestow. I am to remain still, but Dr. Proctor says I may use my hands and arms. I want to avail myself of his kind of permission. How stiff it is already! How delicious to feel its long white shaft. Oh! How I long to kiss it! But no! I want-I want to see all your sweet sperm come out. I want to bathe my new glove in it. Let me have this pleasure, dear papa!"
I knew him so well. I was quite aware of his peculiar lechery. I grasped his erected member. He leaned over me. I whispered the old indecencies in his ear-the old invitations in so many crude expressions. I bade him not to spare my nice new glove. He flushed- his lips grew dry and hot. The door was locked-no one had a right to disturb us. I slipped my nimble fingers up and down his darling weapon. I squeezed it. I bore back the loose skin.