The battle continued without interruption until nearly six o'clock, with only one or two interruptions, when, seeking the shelter of a doorway, we extracted tiny fragments of paper from Lilian's beautiful eyes.
I fully entered into the fun of the riotous public romp, and we gradually got away from the best part of the boulevards. As dusk came on, liberty degenerated into license, and I amused myself by making Lilian a little jealous by the sight of my vile behavior to ladies in the crowd. I approached them with hands outstretched, as if to throw confetti, but I only put exploring digits down their necks, or even went to the extent of pressing their breasts, when the bust of an unknown beauty looked tempting. It was a rare treat to mark their cry of stupefaction at being so imprudently outraged by a stranger, and before they could recover, I was off, seeking fresh game.
Tired out, dusty and with her luxuriant locks full of bits of colored paper, Lilian cried, “Enough!” and we made the best of our way to the Eastern railway station where, having a little time to spare, I treated the two young people to refreshment and supplied Raoul with cigars.
In due time we reached Sonis, Lilian being very tender in the train, and Raoul turning out a model of discretion.
I found Papa reading some of my magazines, and whether I was expected by him I know not; but Mamma had not been warned, as I caught her on my arrival in the kitchen, superintending the preparation of the dinner, and attired in a dirty old dressing-gown.
Everything passed off very agreeably, and everybody treated me with the utmost cordiality, while Lilian insisted on putting on her Japanese costume once more, and I made my appearance in the dining-room attired as a Jap as well, Lilian having fished out for me a man's oriental gown, in which I looked as ridiculous as possible. Mamma set her face against Lilian's masquerade, and said it was not convenable, especially before me.
At dinner, Lilian was seated next to her Papa. I was at the lower end of the table, on Lilian's right, and she pulled her clothes halfway up her leg, and threw one over mine, keeping it there during the whole of the meal, without attempting any disguise.
After dinner, all the womenfolk went away with Raoul to prepare for his departure, as he had to return to his regiment by a late train that night, and a large basket of eatables was got ready for him.
During this time, I sat and smoked a pipe with Papa, and his talk as usual took an obscene turn. I promised to bring him a small parcel of books from my little collection, and mentioned The Romance of Lust.
At this moment, he got up to fetch an ash-tray, and turned his back to the door, at which Lilian appeared and, looking at me without uttering a word, threw up her clothes, completely exposing her legs encased in black stockings, and her drawers, which, half-open in front-purposely, no doubt-showed a portion of the liberal growth of black hair which hid the mark of her sex. Papa turned round-she was gone!
Resuming our confab, Papa asked me what The Romance of Lust was about, and I told him a few of the leading incidents, as far as I could remember. He expressed surprise, and I answered him very slowly and deliberately:
“I am never surprised at anything where passion is concerned!”
He did not reply, but I saw the same dull, blank expression that always spread over his face when nonplussed, and neither of us spoke for a few seconds, until Papa rose, and making some excuse, left me alone.
Raoul now took an affectionate leave of his Mamma and Granny, who idolized him, and Lilian, covering up her Japanese costume with an ample waterproof, accompanied Raoul and me to the station, Papa following us.
On the way, she told me that she had arranged for me to be invited on Friday, to have a long day's work at photography with Papa, and suddenly in a mock whisper, said, lovingly:
“I am going to tell you a secret!”
“Proceed, your story interests me!”
“You are a dirty pig!”
“That is no secret!”
“No, but this is: I love you, just because you are an adorable dirty pig. I should hate a man, if he was not horribly naughty, as you are!”
When we reached the platform, she managed to get me into a dark corner and give me one of those delirious, long, wet kisses which she knew how to make thoroughly enjoyable. It was only interrupted by the appearance of Papa, and if I did not know he was short-sighted, I should have thought he saw us.
“Papa! Mr. S…has been telling me about a book on photography he has got for you!”
Papa did not reply, but only grunted, and Lily continued, with a merry twinkle in her eye:
“Oh, Papa, he is such an awfully naughty man, and so vicious!”
There was another awkward pause, until I laughed, and made some joke or the other, and we all said good bye, but not until Papa had forced me to accept an invitation to spend the day of Friday and have a long spell of photography.
The dog Pip was mine now. I took it to Paris either Shrove Tuesday, or the day before, as near as I can now remember, and Lilian seemed very affected at parting with the pretty little animal she had brought up with so much care for Jacky.
I concluded this eventful day for me by a long conversation in the train with Raoul, when I tried all I knew to give him good advice, so that he should not get into any scrapes at Belfort, and he seemed sensible and grateful for my counsel. I could not have said much more had he been my son, as I had been led to believe that Mr. Arvel never took the trouble to speak to him at all.
He went to catch his train to the eastern frontier, and I returned home in a state of wild delight, quite under the spell, and thoroughly convinced that Lilian loved me and was duping her satyr Papa for and with me, or else he allowed her to have me as a lover. I did not take much trouble to fathom the arrangement exactly, as I was quite content to let things be as they were and trust to Lilian.
Friday, February 17, 1899.
Laden, as usual, with quinine wine, perfumery, books, and papers for Papa, and a volume of Justine for Lilian, I was again punctual at the train, but I anticipated a good scolding from the young lady, with whom I was over head and heels in love, having quite forgotten all her past whimsical treachery and deceit in favor of the lascivious sweetness of her present attitude towards me, as she seemed to allow me to become a sharer in the secret of the passion of her stepfather; and it appeared as if I should at some near period be admitted to their sports, a consummation I am abandoned enough to confess I prayed for with all my heart.
I had shown the pretty Pip to a veterinary surgeon, who was a good friend of mine and my mistress, and he, after extolling its beauty, declared it was afflicted with a shortness of breath, which would render its bringing-up very difficult, if not impossible. My poor Lilian, who was passing through a most trying recrudescence of her old rheumatic symptoms, resolved to forgo the pleasure of keeping the little animal, especially as we had three dogs already, my particular Smike and two others; and only dog-fanciers know the trouble it takes to bring up a dog from puppyhood, Pip being, as it will be remembered, only six weeks old. So my devoted invalid covered him up in one of the little woolen shawls she knitted herself, and cried over him as she put him in my arms.