The Final Recollections of Charles Dickens Read Online Free PDF Page B

including an occasional member of Parliament, made their way to her door.
    Every furnishing and decorative touch in the parlour was designed to appeal to the senses, arouse desire, and remind guests that they were there to spend freely and have a good time. The walls were ornamented with hangings of rich silk on choice specimens of French paper, enriched with gilded cornices. Velvet curtains guarded the windows. Two ornate mirrors reflected theglow of candles. A dazzling crystal chandelier hung from above. Sofas and more intimate seating invited coupling. A plush carpet covered the floor.
    An entry charge entitled each gentleman to a bottle of wine. More wine and champagne could be purchased by the bottle. Exquisitely prepared food was also sold. A man could go to The Abbey, eat and drink well, do no more than look at the women, and spend a princely sum.
    Boisterous behaviour and vulgarity were not tolerated. No kissing or fondling was allowed in the parlour, which encouraged gentlemen to invite women upstairs. Companionship could be bought by the hour or for an entire night. If chosen, a woman could not refuse.
    Eight prostitutes lived and worked in The Abbey. Over the years, Hortense’s women had earned a well-deserved reputation for beauty. They were also educated in the art of conversation, flirtatious but refined. She dressed them in gowns of silk and fine linen, in colours that differentiated one from another at a glance, and in a style that accentuated each woman’s most attractive physical qualities.
    Hortense had never cared much for the physical demands of the trade, which she had practiced before becoming the proprietor of her own establishment. But the business side appealed to her. Her once-voluptuous figure had expanded so that her stomach was now as noteworthy as her bust. She walked on thin legs and wore long gowns that revealed as much of her breasts as possible and concealed the rest of her. She dressed in all black or all white with a great deal of powder and rouge and wore extravagant jewelry. Each night, sitting in the parlour, she surveyed her domain with pride.
    Florence had long thought of herself as a low woman because of her degradation at the manor. Since that day, she had rebuffed all interest shown toward her by men. But three years in the dress shop had left her increasingly desperate regarding her circumstances. And Hortense Webster was kind to her.
    Two months past her seventeenth birthday, Florence moved into The Abbey. Her room was on the third floor, furnished with a large bed, two chairs, and a dresser. A brick wall separated it from the room next door, which kept sound within her private space.
    Hortense Webster introduced her to the other women and to the brothel staff. Cooks and waiters provided food and drink to the patrons. Maids cleaned rooms and brought fresh linen after each engagement. Two young men, well built and nicely dressed, served as guards.
    â€œThink of the Abbey as a seminary for beautiful young women,” Hortense told her.
    Instruction followed.
    Florence was taught how to dress and groom herself, the secret of every pin, string, and hook. She was counseled with regard to everything from proper manners to sexual technique.
    She was to drink enough to entice a man to order more, but never to be drunk herself. If she was in the parlour with a man who was not ordering food or drink and she had the feeling that he would not pay for her services upstairs, she should delicately disengage while not offending him in a manner that led to unpleasantness.
    Each patron was to feel that Florence was attracted to him and that he had a claim on some portion of heraffections. If a gentleman gave her a piece of jewelry, it was hers to keep. But she must be wearing it when he returned.
    The Abbey was safe from police intervention. To maintain that favoured position, it was essential that gentlemen not be unlawfully taken advantage of.
    Hortense also gave Florence a tutorial on