My Secret Life

The group took no notice of me, neither did the very few passers by. The sight gave me a spasmodic, voluptuous throb in my pego, for I was very fit that evening, and with sexual instinct — I suppose — slowly I walked up the narrow street, as any other pedestrian might, and turning the corner saw the couple struggling together, he snatching at her petticoats as before, she hitting him. “Let's feel it, Jenny.” “Get away you blackguard.” — “I've felt it.” “You ain't, yer liar,” came clearly to my ears as I turned the corner. — My appearance immediately stopped the fun, and with a parting slap from her the lad ran off, leaving her alone with me, no other person was in the passage — A foot-way only — indeed excepting at market hours few passed that way.

Quickly as thought and to begin a conversation with her, — almost anything does for that, — I asked her the way to a place and she began to tell me. — “Shew me the way, you are so lovely and I'll pay you.” — The opportunity had come so suddenly that I'd not time to think about a course of action. Civilly she began to ex-plain the road, then thanking her I said, “How lovely you are, I've been watching you and longing to be him.” — “What? — and she laughed. “Yes — come with me and I'll give you two sovereigns.”

“Whart?” — said she again standing amazed with staring eyes. — Just then some one approached. “Is it that way?” said I as a blind. — Amazed as she had seemed by my offer, she took the hint, and began explaining the way, pointing to it. — In a few seconds the pedestrian had vanished and again I said “I'll give you two sovereigns to come with me.” Again she repeated, “Whart?”

Then reflecting she added, — “Ain't you just a cheeky one.” — “I will by God, and more, you are so lovely.” — She laughed, then in a strangely confused and half ashamed manner, looked at me hard and shook her head. — “Do.” — “No thankee Sir I can't.” — “Do, I'll be back here to meet you in a quarter of an hour and I'll give you two bright sovereigns.” — 'No.” Again she shook her head, again I pressed and repeated my offer. At length — “I'm so dirty.” — “Never mind, you're lovely, and it will be dark.” — Twilight was al-ready coming on. “Mind two sovereigns?” “What for? And I've got no bonnet.” “Never mind, in a quarter of an hour be here, will you? We'll go in a cab.” — “Yer ain't alying?”

Another pedestrian passed whilst these few words were being exchanged, and as she — a woman now — appeared, I pointed again as if seeking direction, and the girl did the same. None are so cunning as those in lust, and I think she was a little so now.

Just then the lad reappeared at the corner and I began pointing as before as a blind. She saw the lad might suspect, and not wishing to be caught by him talking to a gentleman, bawled out, “The gent wants to know the way to * * * *.” He approached and told me — pointing in another direction. — “Show me and I'll give you twopence.” He went ahead. “In twenty minutes here,” — said I in a low voice, and followed the lad cursing him in my heart for interrupting us, and wondering if the two sovereigns would bring back the wench to the meeting place. I saw that the offer of two sovereigns had quite staggered her, she who perhaps had never been paid five shillings for her pleasures — if paid at all — for she evidently was no strum-pet. But all women are paid for their favours either in meal or malt.

As soon as I was well away from the place I gave the lad threepence, and off he went. A few minutes after, I got into a four wheeled cab, and setting myself well back told the driver, to go at walking pace along the street where the group had been standing. There stood the same lot seemingly about to separate as the cab passed them, they didn't see me. In three or four minutes I went back again at a trot. The lads were gone, the girls going in another direction. I was delighted. I've many times been helped in my amours by cabmen, and through the window said, “Follow those girls — don't lose sight of them, I don't want to be seen.” “All right, Sir.” — At the end of the street where it joins a large thoroughfare, he drove past but never lost sight of them, and stopped as they did.

I could then see the three girls standing together and talking for ten minutes. Then to my delight two went off leaving my wench alone, who retraced her steps very slowly, stopping from time to time and looking back, then turned towards the place of rendezvous at the corner of the narrow street. She stopped there for a second as if considering, wiped her face with a dirty handkerchief, arranged her hair with her hand, then quickly went up it and round the corner — I got out of the cab, paid him, told him to wait and went after her. It was now quite dusk. There she stood and when I'd joined her, said she was afraid to come, she thought she'd tell me to prevent my waiting uselessly. After a few words of persuasion and the two sovereigns offered again, she was in the cab with me and off we drove.