I soon discovered that Smith was heels over head in love with Kate Stephens, shot through the heart, as Mercutio would say, with a fair girl's blue eye! And small wonder, for Kate was lovely; a little above middle height with slight, rounded figure and most attractive face: the oval, a thought long, rather than round, with dainty, perfect features, lit up by a pair of superlative grey-blue eyes, eyes by turns delightful and reflective and appealing, that mirrored a really extraordinary intelligence. She was in the senior class and afterwards for years held the position of Professor of Greek in the university. I shall have something to say of her in a later volume of this history, for I met her again in New York nearly fifty years later. But in 1872 or '73, her brother Ned, a handsome lad of eighteen who was in my class, interested me more. The only other member of the senior class of this time was a fine fellow, Ned Bancroft, who later came to France with me to study. At this time, curiously enough, Kate Stephens was by way of being engaged to Ned Bancroft; but already it was plain that she was in love with Smith, and my outspoken admiration of Smith helped her, I hope, as I am sure it helped him, to a better mutual understanding. Bancroft accepted the situation with extraordinary self-sacrifice, losing neither Smith's nor Kate's friendship: I have seldom seen nobler self-abnegation; indeed, his high-mindedness in this crisis was what first won my admiration and showed me his other fine qualities. Almost in the beginning I had serious disquietude: every little while Smith was ill and had to keep his bed for a day or two. There was no explanation of this illness, which puzzled me and caused me a certain anxiety. One day in midwinter there was a new development. Smith was in doubt how to act and confided in me. He had found Professor Kellogg, in whose house he lived, trying to kiss the pretty help, Rose, entirely against her will. Smith was emphatic on this point: the girl was struggling angrily to free herself, when by chance he interrupted them. I relieved Smith's solemn gravity a little by roaring with laughter. The idea of an old professor and clergyman trying to win a girl by force filled me with amusement: «What a fool the man must be!» was my English judgment; Smith took the American high moral tone at first.
«Think of his disloyalty to his wife in the same house,» he cried, «and then the scandal if the girl talked, and she is sure to talk!» «Sure not to talk,» I corrected. «Girls are afraid of the effect of such revelations; besides a word from you asking her to shield Mrs. Kellogg will ensure her silence.» «Oh, I cannot advise her,» cried Smith. «I will not be mixed up in it: I told Kellogg at the time, I must leave the house, yet I don't know where to go! It's too disgraceful of him! His wife is really a dear woman!»
For the first time I became conscious of a rooted difference between Smith and myself: his high moral condemnation on very insufficient data seemed to me childish, but no doubt many of my readers will think my tolerance a proof of my shameless libertinism!
However, I jumped at the opportunity of talking to Rose on such a scabrous matter and at the same time solved Smith's difficulty by proposing that he should come and take room and board with the Gregorys-a great stroke of practical diplomacy on my part, or so it appeared to me; for thereby I did the Gregorys, Smith and myself an immense, an incalculable service. Smith jumped at the idea, asked me to see about it at once and let him know, and then rang for Rose.
She came half-scared, half-angry, on the defensive, I could see; so I spoke first, smiling. «Oh Rose,» I said, «Professor Smith has been telling me of your trouble; but you ought not to be angry: for you are so pretty that no wonder a man wants to kiss you; you must blame your lovely eyes and mouth.» Rose laughed outright: she had come expecting reproof and found sweet flattery. «There's only one thing, Rose,» I went on. «The story would hurt Mrs. Kellogg if it got out and she's not very strong, so you must say nothing about it, for her sake. That's what Professor Smith wanted to say to you.» I added. «I'm not likely to tell,» cried Rose. «I'll soon forget all about it, but I guess I'd better get another job: he's liable to try again, though I gave him a good, hard slap,» and she laughed merrily. «I'm so glad for Mrs. Kellogg's sake,» said Smith gravely, «and if I can help you get another place, please call upon me.» «I guess I'll have no difficulty,» answered Rose flippantly, with a shade of dislike of the professor's solemnity. «Mrs. Kellogg will give me a good character,» and the healthy young minx grinned,
«besides I'm not sure but I'll go stay home a spell. I'm fed up with working and would like a holiday, and mother wants me-» «Where do you live, Rose?» I asked with a keen eye for future opportunities.
«On the other side of the river,» she replied, «next door to Elder Conklin's, where your brother boards,» she added smiling.
When Rose went I begged Smith to pack his boxes, for I would get him the best room at the Gregorys' and assured him it was really large and comfortable and would hold all his books, etc.; and off I went to make my promise good. On the way, I set myself to think how I could turn the kindness I was doing the Gregorys to the advantage of my love. I decided to make Kate a partner in the good deed, or at least a herald of the good news. So when I got home I rang the bell in my room, and as I had hoped Kate answered it. When I heard her footsteps I was shaking, hot with desire, and now I wish to describe a feeling I then began to notice in myself. I longed to take possession of the girl, so to speak, abruptly, ravish her in fact, or at least thrust both hands up her dress at once and feel her bottom and sex altogether; but already I knew enough to realize certainly that girls prefer gentle and courteous approaches. Why? Of the fact I am sure. So I said, «Come in, Kate,» gravely. «I want to ask you whether the best bedroom is still free, and if you'd like Professor Smith to have it, if I could get him to come here?» «I'm sure, Mother would be delighted,» she exclaimed. «You see,» I went on, «I'm trying to serve you all I can, yet you don't even kiss me of your own accord.»
She smiled, and so I drew her to the bed and lifted her up on it. I saw her glance and answered it: «The door is shut, dear,» and half lying on her, I began kissing her passionately, while my hands went up her clothes to her sex. To my delight she wore no drawers, but at first she kept her legs tight together frowning. «Love denies nothing, Kate,» I said gravely; slowly she drew her legs apart, half-pouting, half-smiling, and let me caress her sex. When her love-juice came, I kissed her and stopped. «It's dangerous here,» I said, «that door you came in is open; but I must see your lovely limbs,» and I turned up her dress. I hadn't exaggerated; she had limbs like a Greek statue and her triangle of brown hair lay in little silky curls on her belly and then-the sweetest cunny in the world. I bent down and kissed it.