i 3d091ef367b6a8bf by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page A

Victoria who poured out the beer while Bridget divested herself of her breeches and silk shirt and long stockings, leaving herself still in her corsets, bloomers, and habit shirt while waiting to take the glass of cold beer from Victoria, which she then almost drained at one go, after which she closed her eyes and sighed deeply, saying,
    'Nectar!'"Where've you been all afternoon?'
    67'You know where I've been, down to the works. I told you I was going.' 'Yes, but you're not usually as long asthis.''Well, I was held up in the polish factory.' She would never term it 'blacking factory', for she hated the sight of that blacking. 'Old George is having to give up, and not before time. And . , . and Joe, you know, Joe Skinner, he's going to take his place.''Joe Skinner? But isn't he young?''Not so young. Same age as me, twentythree, and, at present, I feel as old as the hills.''Of course you do, dear, because you won't dress properly. Why must you go round like you do? You could look marvelous in the new styles. You could, you could,' and Victoria bobbed her head to emphasize this.'Don't be silly.
    And don't start that again.''I will, and I'll keep on, because you go round like a rag bag most of the time.
    You only look dressed when you're on a horse. And you could look lovely. I know you could. If you'd only let me . . .''Look,' Bridget's voice sounded weary,
    68'this is a subject I get tired of, you know I do. Have I to point out to you again I am not inclined to be in the fashion, any fashion, never have been, never will be. Now if you could give me a bit of your hips and your bust, and . . . and oh yes, your beauty, there might be a chance that I would look presentable.
    But here I am, just as I heard Jessie once describe me, a line of pipe water, not a curve to be seen, neither back nor front.'That's nonsense, and you know it. Now look at Sarah Tweedle. She's thinner than you, much/'Well, she doesn't look it, dear. And we know, don't we, why she doesn't look it. But neither you nor any one else is going to get me to wear a bustle and false breasts. What if they slipped? What if they fell out of the bodice and a gentleman had to pick them up?'They were both sitting on the edge of the bed now, leaning together and rocking with their laughter at the picture her words described.When their laughter had subsided Victoria touched Bridget's face gently with her fingers, 69 saying quietly, 'You could look lovely, you know: you have high cheek-bones and beautiful eyes.''Yes. Yes, I know, dear, and a big mouth, and hair like tow. And I am noted for my brilliant conversation when I am in company.''Oh you!' Victoria pushed her cousin into the pillows, saying, 'Yes, you are right, you are really terrible in company. You would think you had never been in a drawing room in your life, the things you say, and mostly to men . . . Men don't like to be contradicted, you know. As for the ladies, you come out with terrible things. Remember Kitty Porter?''Oh, yes, I remember Kitty Porter.''Well, you were terribly rude to her, you know.''I wasn't as rude to her as she was cruel to Mrs Forrester, all because not one of her five girls was married.' She began to mimic: 'They're all in the maiden lady stage, but you're going to be well comforted when you're old, dear, aren't you?' Then reverting to her normal voice, she said bitterly, 'She's
    70the type of woman that can smile while cutting your throat.''Well, you cut her throat all right that night.
    She nearly had a fainting fit when you smiled back at her and asked why it was that only dogs were called bitches. Eeh!' Victoria put her hand over her mouth, then exclaimed again, 'Eeh! I thought we would have died, I from choking with suppressed laughter and she from mortification. But she'll never forgive you.''That worries me! But there you have the reason I don't want to go to any more balls.''Don't be silly.''And you stop saying, don't be silly; it's a silly thing to say.'Again they were pushing at each