ding
her. Failing apparently she left her, but turned back, spoke to her
again, and both came on together. Then I turned into the back-street,
the two girls appeared at the corner of that, and then stopped and
talked for a minute. Tired of waiting I thought I had made a mistake,
and going slowly back heard the bigger one say, "You _are a foule_."
"Oh! you _foule_." "Come he wants us." "You _foule_."

"I don't want her," said I, "but you,--come,"--and returning entered a
baudy house, the outer-door of which stood open, thinking the bigger one
would follow, and sure now that she was a harlot. I then passed through
the inner door which as usual then had a glass window covered with a red
curtain.

A minute elapsed, the baudy house-keeper had been spoken to, but the
girl not coming, I opened the door to look out. The bigger girl was
just inside the outer door, and was pulling in the other one. "Come you
foule,--you said you would,--he'll give you money as well as me, and
I'll give you some of mine too,--well you are a foule," quite bawling it
out. There was not much secrecy needed in such things at those times, in
those streets.

"I don't want _her_," said I hurriedly, "it's you,--come in, or I won't
wait." She came in, the other girl disappeared, and we were soon in a
bed-room together.

It was the first house at that end of the street, had been newly opened,
and was furnished in a style not like a baudy house; no show, neat and
clean, but cheaply; no bed-hangings (and in those days most baudy houses
had bed-hangings), the blinds were new and white, the beds quite clean.
The top-floor room where I went for economy was two shillings and
sixpence. The woman of the house was tall, comely, and middle-aged. As
I paid her I noticed she had fat red cheeks. How curious that I should
recollect those red cheeks. She had a white apron on, and was a civil
sort of creature.

The girl stood still staring at me. Sitting on the edge of the bed
I stared at her, filled with baudy curiosity and the appreciation of
novelty. "Why won't you have the other gal?" said she. "I don't want
her, nor want two,--and she is a dirty little imp." "No she ain't dirty,
she washes herself like me,--let her come up." "No,--come you here."
"She is quite clean,--I wash her myself sometimes." "No, come here I
tell you."

The girl came to me dawling. I put my hands up her clothes. A fleshy
little bum met my hand, then in the front a smooth belly, a motte a