Monsieur B. came soon, and telling us of an excursion to a neighbouring village, we sat down to table.
I took care, without being seen, to notice everything which passed between Monsieur B. and my aunt. I must acknowledge I was disappointed and greatly surprised. Not a look to show there was anything whatever between them.
About the middle of the repast my aunt carelessly remarked to my grandmother — "Dear, good mother, I was so forgetful on leaving Paris that I have forgotten several indispensible necessaries. Have I your permission to send my femme de chamhre to-morrow to fetch them? Do not put anyone out.
I am used to attend to myself, and it will only be a short absence."
The day passed quietly, Monsieur B. took a long ride on horseback; we went and sat by the piece of water, amusing ourselves by needlework; some neighbours came to visit my grandmother, and she kept them to dinner.
In the evening we had music, and I sang a duet with my aunt. Although already a good musician, and having a fine voice, I was not equal to my aunt, who gave me some excellent lessons in taste and feeling.
Monsieur B. played whist with my grandmother, and was completely reserved.
I retired about eleven o'clock, and impatient to be alone with my thoughts, so I went to bed quickly and dismissed my femme de chambre. I had no doubt that the next evening would be the time for a serious meeting between Monsieur B. and my aunt. I burned to assist at the delicious scenes which would be enacted. I must find out how to be there.
Knowing all the ways of the house, I thought over the plan of my aunt's apartment. It was situated on the second floor, the same as mine, but at the opposite extremity. A corridor gave communication to all the rooms on this floor; Monsieur B. was also lodged on the same flight, in a turning off the principal corridor.
My aunt had at her disposition a little room in which a bed was made up for her femme de chambre, a beautiful bedroom and a dressing room. I recollected that this cabinet, which occupied about one-third of the side of the room, used to be contiguous to an alcove, now closed by a strong partition, I also remembered a small hole in the upper part of the alcove, only stopped up by a small and very indifferent oil painting of a pastoral scene.
A door in an unoccupied room gave access to this kind of dark closet.
It was on these recollections I arranged my plan, then went to sleep, full of resolution and hope for the following day.
Mdlle. Julie started for Paris, as it had been arranged.
Monsieur B. and my aunt were more reserved than ever.
However, I found out what I wanted to know as the day wore on.
After dinner Monsieur B. leaned negligently on the mantelpiece, pretending to admire the pendulum of a superb ormolu clock; he placed his finger for a moment on the figure XI, then on the figure VI; it was easy to understand that he intended to say half-past eleven. My aunt responded by a slight movement of her eyes. I knew then all I wanted, it only remained then to make my preparations.
When we were seated in the garden Monsieur B. offered to read to us, which was accepted.
I soon slipped away under some pretext, and, sure of being unobserved on the second floor, went to the little door of the dark closet, of which I have spoken.
The Lady Hobart, everyone being sat at the table to dinner, and nobody giving a blessing, but gazing one upon another, in expectation of who should be chaplain — "Well," said my Lady, "I think I must say as one did in the like case, 'God be thanked, nobody will say grace.'"
Everything was in the same state as I have described, but a ladder was necessary, and I knew that there was one to be found in a passage near a linen cupboard. The pair of steps was very heavy, but the burning fire of curiosity that animated my movements doubled my strength. I dragged it into the alcove, found the hole and the canvas that was stretched in front of it, and with a pair of scissors I cut a small piece out of the picture. To my satisfaction, I found I could thus have a good view of the entire room, and above all — of the bed.
I came downstairs quickly, shut the door, took the key, and returned to the garden. Everything had been executed so quickly that no one had noticed the strange fact of my absence. The whole of the day and the evening seemed to me to be mortally long.
At last, about half-past ten, my grandmother retired to rest, and we all followed suit. Monsieur B. wished us good night, and went off to his room; my aunt remained with me for an instant and saw me safely into my bed chamber. I kissed her and said "good evening."
I undressed without delay, and dismissed the maid. Then I drew on my stockings again, put on a pair of velvet slippers and a dressing-gown of dark colour, and waited.
At about a quarter after eleven, I slid like a shadow into the corridor; reached the little door without interruption, opened it, and locked myself in, noiselessly and without difficulty, and then I mounted my ladder, settled myself down as comfortably as possible, and looked through my peep hole.
My success was complete, as I could see distinctly. The clean white bed seemed like an altar decked out for a sacrifice; a lamp placed on the night-table inundated the brilliant linen with an intense flood of light. Bertha was in the adjoining room, where I heard her performing her ablutions. They took some time, and were apparently of varied kinds, if I judge by the sound of a certain instrument that made a noise as if of clockwork being wound up.
She came back into the room at last, with nothing on but her dressing-gown, and going to the bed turned it down, arranged the pillows, and placed the lamp so as to throw a still greater light upon it. Then she took a delicate cambric chemise, trimmed with lace, and advancing towards the fulllength mirror of the wardrobe, looked in the glass for a minute or two, and by a graceful movement of her shoulders let slip the chemise she had on, which arrested in its downward course for a second by the swelling of her hips, soon fell twisted at her feet. She had already put off her gown, and now appeared completely naked before my startled eyes.
No one could dream of anything finer! Her breasts, firm and high, stuck out boldly, and were surmounted by two strawberry nipples of a bright rose-pink; the fall of her back and her backside were both admirable.
At the bottom of her white and polished belly, her luxurious ebony fleece, the length and thickness of which constituted a true rarity, could be plainly seen. The contrast of this enormous black spot upon a body so white gave to Bertha a peculiar appearance of strange voluptuousness.
She drew her lace shift over her head, put on her dressinggown again, loosely tying her girdle, and then walked into her parlour, holding the door ajar. A moment afterwards, I heard cautious footsteps, the door was shut to and double locked, and Bertha and Monsieur B. appeared in the bedroom.
He had slippers on his naked feet, and was dressed in a summer smoking jacket, under which was only his shirt. Bertha made him sit upon a sofa, and she took her place on his left knee. Their mouths met in a lingering kiss, and then they spoke of their marriage, retarded by some obstacle that Monsieur B. could soon overcome.
"My dear angel," said he, "how I thank you for having had sufficient confidence in me, so as not to have made me languish and wait for your precious favours! You lavish them on your true spouse, who will reward you by his everlasting love."
As he spoke he opened the top of Bertha's dressing-gown, and alternately kissed the two pure globes, while my aunt, reclining backwards, shuddered beneath the caresses that seemingly caused her to shiver voluptuously in every vein.
Alfred, profiting by this movement, once more opened the gown, but this time at the bottom, and lifting up her chemise toyed a moment with the lovely black hairs, of which he appeared doatingly fond. Then, slightly opening the nook they were hiding, I noticed his finger slip upwards a little, and renew the playful friction that I had seen my aunt practice herself, and the imitation of which had procured for me such great enjoyment.