“Who is that?” “Me.” “Wait a minute sir.” “Open it, or I will break the door open.” “Wait sir, I'm not dressed.” In came the door with a crash. Jim was just by the bed, Kitty standing by Betty, for both got up. At the door was the Master and his sister-in-law. “You damned whoring bitch”, said the Master to Betty, “at day-light out you go from my house.”
The sister-in-law turned down the bed, looked at it, and then at Kitty. “Please Maam it's no fault of mine”, said Kit. “You dirty little hussy, why did you not tell what was going on, — your father shall hear of this.” “Dress yourself”, said the fishmonger to Betty. “Leave them alone till the morning”, said the sister-in-law”, — and both left the room. Jim half-dressed, without speaking a word, had crept down-stairs whilst the talk was going on. The Master did not speak to him at all.
“They will sack us both”, said Betty. Kitty began to cry. “You are a fool, there are lots of places. I hope old Vinegar-Chops liked the look of it”, said Betty lifting up the towel (there were the drippings from Betty's cunt on it), — I dare say the sour-faced beast knows what it is, — don't you cry, you will get a living if your father does turn you out, any girl can so long as she has a good face, and something warm between her thighs.” That was Betty's comfort to Kitty.
After breakfast the Master put Betty outside the door, Kitty's mother was sent for, who boxed her cars all the way home, and the father knocked her down when he came home. “If I thought you'd turn a whore”, said he, “I'd murder you.” She told her mother the truth entirely, but only got her ears boxed still more, — she should have told her Master, the mother said. After this she was again kept at home, a short time after her father died, her mother changed her quarters, keeping her indoors to take care of the children, and had no idea that her daughter was getting fucked to enable her to buy sausage-rolls, as well as for the pleasure of having a male.
Chapter VI
Sausage-rolls, and consequences. • Kitty's home. • The little ones. • A saucy cabman. • Catamenia. • Fucking economies. • Changing money. • Pol and the bargee. • Kit implicated. • A black eye and bruised rump. • A little boy's cock. • Preparation for travel. • Kit's regret. • Bessie in tears. • Amusements abroad. • Home again. • Kitty a strumpet. • An evening at B.w Street. • Kitty's eight months doings.
One day I took some sausage-rolls to the baudy house, she clawed hold of one directly. “Ain't they prime !” said she, and never ceased till she had finished them all—such a lot, — then she turned pale. “I must go home”, she said. “Why?” She began putting on her things. “What is your hurry?” “I can't wait.” “Are you ill?” “Yes, — yes, — I must go.” “Then I won't pay you.” “I'm not well.” “How,-you want to go to the privy!” “I do”, said the girl hanging her head. I rang the bell, told the woman to show the lass where to ease herself. When she came back I could not get her to look me in the face, and thinking of her operation gave me a distaste for her that day, so I let her go without doing anything. Ridiculous that of course, but I tell things just as they occurred.
When it rained, and she could not meet me, how angry she was. “If I buy an umbrella mother will wonder where I got it.” Once she nearly got wet through, and I did not see her that time, because I did not expect her to be out.
She told me where she lived, and I arranged that if it rained I would go to the front of the house in a cab. I did that once only, and the cabman insolently demanded about five times his fare when I got down at E.... r Street, saying I had enticed a young girl into the cab. “Yer haught to be glad to be let orf with ten bob”, said cabby, “think yerself lucky a peeler don't drop on you for taking a young gal like that, — yah ! you're a swell, ain't yer ? — yah !—yah !—poop !” —and off he drove.
She began to deplore her poor dress, bought a pair of white stockings, and I kept them for her, because she was afraid of taking them home. “Oh ! ain't I kept under”, said she, “I hate it, — I have a good mind to bolt.” “Then you will turn gay.” “Well I would like to dress nice, and do as I like, instead of minding children and working.” I persuaded her not.
“Have you had no other man but me for the last two months?” “Only one, she said, “but I'm never out if it rains, and I can't get out of nights cause of mother, and I wash and mend, — so how can I?” “I'll go and ask for some one else at your room, to see if you're in or not.” “Do, — if I don't open the door, mother will, on Monday I'll take the brats into the Waterloo road for a walk.” She did, and I saw he How short her clothes were! a carman as he passed stooped down, and gave her legs a pinch. Her mother was at home.
The girl grew fast, each week she seemed bigger than the week previously, the sausage-rolls agreed with her, the hair on her cunt lengthened, — she was so pleased when I remarked it, — her desire was to have as much hair on her quim as Betty had. Then she began to get heavy, dull, and drooping. One day I had her on the side of the bed, just for variety sake, for sometimes I found it delightful to see my prick up to its roots in her, and the next instant its tip. Her cunt felt very wet, looking at my half-uncunted prick it was covered with blood. I pulled it out, a red stream followed running all over her chemise. I had never seen such a sight before when fucking, and only once I think since, though I have poked women in that state.
“What is the matter?” said I startled for the moment, “you're poorly?”
“Oh !” cried out the girl, “I must go to mother, — oh! let me go.” I tried to comfort her, she took no notice of me, but dressed and ran out of the house quickly, white with terror and without her money. That night I had Brighton Bessie, and told her about it. Bessie said the dirty little bitch ought to be flogged by the hangman; if she had her way all such young bitches should be sent to prison, and the men who had them ought to be punished as well.
Kit's first poorliness had come on, that accounted for her dullness, she had no idea of what was taking place in her, her mother had not warned her. Of course, the girl knew of the ailment common to her sex, but her monthlies had taken her by surprise. I never knew a girl more unaffectedly modest than Kitty was the next time she met me after her accident, as we called it.
Said she one day, “Give me a sovereign for this silver (savings out of the money I had given her), I don't know where to put it, it jingles in my pocket, I am afraid of dropping it, and mother finding it out.” She had put it in a crack between the skirting and the inside of a cupboard lining as near as I could make out, until it was a pound's worth. “What a pity I can't buy some nice clothes, is it not?” said she. Poor Kitty was amusing, but I saw she was brewing mischief after she had had her monthlies, or was what she called “a full woman.” Several times as she took my money she said it was no good to her, as she could only buy things to eat. She was getting restless. When I told her I should be in the Strand one day, if it were not wet. “Oh ! do come, if it's wet or not, — I will meet you.” “But your mother?” “Don't care,-if she says anything I'll tell her I'll run away.”
Said she one day, “Hasn't Pol got it? her mother has nearly murdered her, — oh ! Lor she is bruised all over.” Then she told me that the little dark girl I had had was caught in the privy with a man, — oh ! such a big un, he is much taller than you, — she was standing on the privy-seat with her legs wide open, and he was trying to do it to her.” The mother had suspected, had the little imp watched, and caught the man in the act. “How he could do it I don't know”, said Kit, “but he is a bargeman, — such a big man l—and the little beast stood on the privy-seat too.” Kitty was scandalized at that.
It was some days before I saw her again, then she was slovenly and had a black eye, and began to cry. “It's mother”, she sobbed, “look here.” She pulled off her things, and showed me wales and bruises. “Mother did it”, said she sobbing, “my bottom's bruised, — she held me down, and hit me with a brush, —look”, said Kitty turning up her lily-white arse for me to see. Her young friend who had not long before had my prick up her cunt, and then the bargeman's, had sought to excuse herself by saying Kitty was as bad. Mother told mother, Kitty was battered by her mother, and had been locked up, there had been row after row, till Kitty would not eat, nor wash, nor mend, — she fought her mother, she threatened to run away, and to turn gay. Said the mother, “Your father always said you would, he would turn round in his grave if he knew what you are saying.