But there was no real harm in all that. I remember that he was respected, even by his enemies, even by the worst bulls of the Yard, who were nevertheless low cheap bellyachers, greedy and jealous. I’ve said that he was well thought of, the man was certainly imposing, but there were also the presents, that was his generous side, he scattered gold right and left. Matthew would turn up from time to time with his District Constable, a matter of not being forgotten… to see whether things were going properly.. whether the Boardinghouse was in order.. whether the "license” was in the frame. whether everyone was "registered,” with photos, fingerprints and everything!.. that it was wartime! Be careful!.. He knew the rigmarole!.. it was always reeled off the same way!.. They’d arrive as serious as can be, like that, right after lunch.. looking as if they had a lot on their minds! as if they were after something! a nasty trick! as if they were some phenomenal pot of roses!.. and then bumpitty-bump-bump!. It was only a tin can and eyewash!.. Just that the squeeze was late, and so the sudden concern.. The thing was arranged as usual with the little present. They’d leave happy and spoiled, except for the two or three rough times.. That’s how life went.. But now. no more of that!. the tune was different!. Cascade felt it all, that it wasn’t all easy sailing now that the guys were leaving. Not by a long shot! Take it easy! He wasn’t having any pipe dreams!.. He didn’t find it much fun inheriting eleven girls all at once!. It didn’t thrill him at all!. even if there’d been ten times as many, it wouldn’t have turned his head!.. Don’t get any wrong ideas! For the women it wasn’t the same thing! It’s the moment that counts with them!. All they had to do was drink and smoke! And yowl! And guzzle! And not a damned thing more! there was no more discipline.. they were cuddling together all over the beds as consolation for their sorrows, and their endless sobbing! the widows were managing fine together, there was nothing terrible after all, it wasn’t as killing as all that, the work went on, you just had to see the bright side of things.. and then write often to the men and send them their packages.. arrangements were made.. They’d write once a week.
"We’re widows, Cascade! We’re widows!”
They came sitting on his lap, announcing the fact, nibbling at his mustachios. also wetting him with tears!. so that he’d share their sorrows.. And then another swig! Calva and little cakes!.. Cascade didn’t want them to smoke… no end of arguing! he thought it was plain awful, damned whorish..
“You’ll have teeth like horses! yellow and repulsive! Your customers’ll never get a hard-on! I’d never screw you if you smoked!” And then he asked for the cards again. He was getting back to Joconde..
"Well, you going to work on them, sweetheart?”
He was getting impatient.
"God damn it! You going to start?”
"Why don’t you kizz me any more? Because your zlut is looking at you?”
She let that one fly! right in Angele’s mug! and in front of all the women! Did they laugh! Angele couldn’t let that go by! It was too much of an insult in front of everyone!
"What was that? What was that? You old bitch! You come up here to insult me? You old shit! you old punk! you old rag!. Scram before I throw you out! I won’t take any of your crap! You scum! Back to the sewer!”
That was Angele, red hot! she was wild!. Some of the girls were for, some against! what yelling in both camps!
"She’s got a right! ” some were saying..
Hearing that made Carmen jump!
"A right! a right! a right shit! I’ll show you her right! ”
Steaming away at the nostrils..
"I’m going to turn her inside out! ”
The crying stopped dead!.. Angele was a fury! She set herself against the buffet and was going to jump on the old hag! to tear her hair out then and there!
"Just a little, a little!” the girls were saying. They were working them up. Always standing up for rights!
"A little!.. A little!.. A little what? I’ll show her the rights of my ass! Come on, you witch! ”
That was provocation!
Cascade jumped between them. That got Joconde real excited! she got wilder!
"I want him to kizz me or I won’t do them! ”
That’s how she was talking about the cards. she was showing them!.. spread fanwise! she was fanning herself with them! swaggering!. Cascade didn’t know where to stand!. or what to do, or say!. He’d lost all patience! Then the explosion!
"Gentlemen, this has been going on for twenty years!.. And I’ve been putting up with this kind of nonsense! ”
He was calling us to witness.. Jealousy and pigheadedness!
"I’ve had enough! Bah! I’m getting the hell out!”
His mind was made up.
Then the big hysteria broke loose!.. Angele threw a fit, she was foaming, and with a nervous laugh!.. Boy, she started snorting! and twitching!.. she couldn’t stop.. She was ripping her clothes, shrieking, tearing at herself, kicking in tears, on the floor! at her cruel man’s feet!. What a Trafalgar!.. Her bun came off, and flew apart… He was walking in her hair, tangled in it!. What screams! He didn’t know where to stand!.. She yelled worse!
"My jewel! my darling! my love! Don’t do that! Don’t go away, Cascade!. Don’t go away!. I’ll be nice! Stay with your girl! I beg you, Cascade! I beg you! I won’t pester you! It’s her!. Listen, pet!. Kiss them all! But not her! Not that hag, you hear! Not that hag! She’ll give you the jinx! I know! I know! Take all the girls!. Lay them! I want you to! I’m giving them to you! Wah! Wah! Wah! But not that hag! Oh! not the hag! Oh! dear heart, that! my angel! I couldn’t! I’ll kill her! I’ll find girls for you! Say I’m jealous! Wah! Wah! Since you enjoy it! I’ll bring you one every day! I’ll pimp for you if you want!.. But not that bitch, you hear! not her!.. I’ll get you some from outside! I won’t deny you any pleasure!. but not the bitch! not her! You’re driving me to the limit! You’re breaking my heart! But don’t go away, my darling!”
"You, my jewel, you’re a pest! There! You hear me?. There!. you slut! ”
She bucked right up and awful and let him have it!
“Just look at that broken-down wreck! That grandfather with one foot in the grave trying to cheat on me! He’s a fine one! Who took him out of the gutter? Who’d have rotted away in jail? Who’s he putting on an act with now?.. with a dead mutt! Yes, Madame! you old slob! exactly! if that’s not enough to make you puke! Just look at her!”
She points to Joconde..
Immediate laughter on her side.. Cascade doesn’t look too good!..
"Monsieur wants her to read the cards! That old low-down punk! Monsieur isn’t satisfied now with his vices! now he wants futures!. He’s after minors!. Monsieur Fresh-Meat!. I’ll read the cards for you!.. It’ll be something!.. Let me tell you!”
"Shut your mouth! Come here, Carmen! Here, my little baby! Whoops, darling, in my lap!”
The old one doesn’t wait to be begged!. She dashes forward!. there she is!. some sight!. The two of them necking! Hoop la! Hoop! dada! Perfect love! Fade-out!
What an effect! What a trance! The girls laughed till it hurt!. they were choking! they roared!. they were peeing in their panties! They were splitting so that they couldn’t hold themselves in!
They were yelling at the top of their lungs.. "Encore!.. Encore!” and then the lyric:
Your big gentle eyes
Have enchanted my heart!
For the rest of my li-i-i-ife!
Li-i-i-ife!. that sets it off! Got to get high all together! They’re off-key! floundering! miaowing! roaring away! enough to crack the windows!.. The voices get together again, they start over! Boro gives them the key. he’s an angel when it comes to the piano! never an impatient oath!.. First it’s for Victory!.. They scream it a half-dozen times! Toasts with real cognac! not cheap rotgut! No! sealed, signed six stars from the cellar of the lords at the Savoy. genuine stuff! got it straight from the wine-waiter! They call him Monsieur Gustave, Dry Gustave! A tall, pale chap who comes every Thursday or Friday to be whipped by Mireille.. No whipping unless he brings cognac! That’s the condition, sometimes she sulks at him for a whole month when he’s stingy! Dry Gustave would turn thief for his whipping! Mireille can sting! Ought to see the whip she carries around!. It’s something different from English brandy, that paintshop mixture!.. The bottle goes right around, the lords’ brandy perfumes your whole character! heart, guts, everything!.. Life smoothes off!.. enterprising decisions.. Everyone trying to be most gallant!