pecies of entertainment
had sprung into existence a few years before this time, called "Poses
plastiques," in which men and women covered with silk fitting tightly to
their naked limbs and made quite white, placed themselves on stages in
classical groups to the sound of music. Women and men of great physical
beauty formed these groups, they were in fact actors of that class.
Madame W...t.n known as a splendid model first got them up; her husband
was a splendid man, Sarah was her niece, and also had a beautiful form
which ran in the family; she was poor, and Madame W...t.n took her to
live with them, and at seventeen years of age she appeared as Venus.

At nineteen she had a child by Madame W...t.n's husband, at twenty a
second. Madame found out the father, and kicked Sarah out. Mr. W...t.n
then kicked Madame out, and went to live with Sarah, rows ensued, other
companies of "Poses plastiques" came into competition, the thing got
overdone, he could not get his living; he knew a trade, but was I expect
too lazy to work at it; so Sarah took to letting herself out as model,
and that being poor pay, to letting out her cunt to get their bread; she
had just began it when I first met her. They seem during a year or more
to have parted with all their goods, before she took to showing her
belly-parting for money.

So beautiful a form of course succeeded, and for a time I became the
principal milk-cow. Then a proposition was made to form a troupe to go
to the Continent; there seemed to be a grand opening, and with Sarah's
money (most of it got from me), the apparatus, costumes properties, and
troupe were got together.

Off they had gone. She and her husband were the exhibition-managers,
speculators, and chief actors.

Hannah made a mouth when I asked what sort of a man Mavis was. She
did not think much of him,--why did he not work--he had a trade?--no,
because he was no longer able to get on as an actor, he preferred to let
Sarah get the living for the whole of them. "Ah! you'll see her back,
mark my words,--they won't succeed,--and then what will take place?
--you'll see,--is she poor thing to work and do everything, that he may
lay a bed, dress as a gentleman, and do nothing but take her out for a
walk on a Sunday; she is as proud of his taking her out for a walk on a
Sunday as if he kept her a carriage." After much reflexion I came to the
conclusion that Sarah had only just turned harlot about the time I had
first met her th