Sophie looked relieved. She could never disguise her emotion. Dear Sophie, she was so easy to deceive. Surely that arch-deceiver whom she was to marry would manage with the utmost ease.
All was well. Sophie had a good chance of achieving the happy marriage which was so necessary for her.
It was about two days after the incident of the flowers when Charles called at the
He seized both my hands and kissed them.
‘Lottie!’ he cried. ‘How glad I am to find you alone!’
‘Was it accident or design?’
‘A bit of both,’ he admitted. ‘I believe Sophie is at the dressmaker with your Mama.’
‘You are well informed.’
‘It’s a good habit in life. Now I want to take you some- where. I have something to show you and you will really want to see it.’
‘Where would you take me?’
‘Only for a walk through the streets, I promise you.’
‘A walk? But why … ?’
‘You will see. Come, get your cloak. We haven’t a great deal of time.’
‘Were you going to show this to Sophie?’
‘Certainly not. There is no reason why she should be particularly interested.’
‘Then why … ?’
‘Curb your curiosity and hurry. I don’t want us to be too late. I promise to have you back in the house within an hour.’
He had succeeded in exciting me as he always did.
‘All right,’ I agreed. ‘But it is only to walk in the streets.’
‘That is all … on my honour.’
‘I am glad to know that you possess some.’
‘I am always known to be a man of my word.’
What harm was there? I was not allowed to go out alone, but I would be under the protection of one who was soon to be a member of the family. He would not dare behave in any but a reputable way. He was considerably in awe of my father and it had become clear to me that the Tourvilles wanted this marriage very much. So I put on my cloak and we went into the streets.
I was unprepared for what he had brought me to see and when I heard the sound of drums I was surprised and interested because a crowd of people had gathered. They were laughing; some cheered, some jeered.
‘It’s a procession of some sort,’ I said.
‘You wait,’ said Charles. ‘You’ll see an old friend of yours.’
He gripped me firmly by the arm, for the crowds were pressing round us and when they were too close he put an arm about me to protect me, I could not protest because I could see that the gesture was necessary. But I did feel an intense excitement as I was held close to him.
Then I saw. First came the drummer and with him a sergeant who carried a pike. Following these two was a groom leading a donkey and seated on this donkey, her face turned towards its tail, a crown of plaited straw on her head, was Madame Rougemont. There was a large placard hanging round her neck and painted on it in startling red letters was the word PROCURESS.
She sat there impassive—her face that mask I had seen before - white lead and carmine. Her head-dress had slipped a little but it had been elaborate. I did not understand half of what the crowd was yelling at her but it was mostly bawdy comment on her profession.
My eyes were fixed on Madame Rougemont, who sat the donkey with an air of unconcern, looking straight ahead of her with a certain dignity which I could not help admiring. I was expecting someone to pull her off the donkey at any moment, but no one did; and the crowd really was quite good-humoured. The drummer went on beating his drum and someone broke into a song which the rest of the crowd took up.
‘I can’t hear the words,’ I said to Charles.
‘That is just as well,’ he answered with a grin.
Then he took me by the arm. ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘That is enough.’
‘You brought me here just to see that, didn’t you?’
‘I took you out because I enjoy your company and I know you do mine. That was an extra pleasure.’
‘Not much of a pleasure for Madame Rougemont.’
‘I think it happened to her once before.’
‘It did not make her give up her profession.’
‘Good Heavens, no! It would take a great deal more than that to make such a good business woman give up such a profitable profession.’
‘How shameful to be paraded through the streets like that … with everyone knowing …’
‘Save your sympathy. She’ll be back at her work tomorrow.’
‘Not now that it is known … won’t something be done about it?’
‘I think that is hardly likely.’
‘But isn’t what she is doing against the law?’
‘I’ll tell you something, Lottie. She has friends in high places. She runs a very fine establishment near the Cours de Reine and it is patronized by many powerful men. They would not want to see it disbanded, which I suppose it would have to be if she were convicted.’
‘I see. So if she were a poor procuress she would be a criminal?’
‘It could be so. But what will happen is that she will dismount from her donkey and go back and carry on with her business.’
‘It is so … unjust.’
