Laura.
I don't know how it struck me, but I asked, and found he had only just
come in and said to myself, "He has fucked Nelly, it was his money she
dropped, it was his sperm." I did not tell him so then.

The farm-yard now was never empty, they were thrashing in the barn.
Molly was scarcely visible, and if in the yard her mother was at her
back. When I did see her I winked at her and she laughed. She was
growing wonderfully, and my desires turned to her. I had Pender one
night or so; but a few hurried words, a smooth of the buttocks, a
hurried grope with the finger, a silent kiss or two, shove, shove, shove
like a steam-engine, and a pull out of my prick almost before the spunk
was well out, was all I could get.

I was out shooting most days, and would walk across the farm-yard just
to see if the coast was clear. After several Sundays had passed I got
Pender again at the baudy house. P. took her being in the family way
rather grumpily, and she hated him since she had been with child. She
loved me, begged me to take her away, where, how, she cared not, so long
as she knew that I alone could have her; she would live alone if I only
came to see her once a month, she said.

I was sorry for this. What had been pastime to me was going to be misery
to her. I had to show her the impossibility of my keeping her; then she
said she would drown herself. Altogether it was not a very comfortable
meeting apart from the fucking, which was as good as usual I dare say,
though I don't recollect much about it.

Fred went backwards and forwards to London, I did occasionally, but not
on his days, for he was in my way. I did not tell him now much about my
little games, and got most of my women when he was absent. My mother
and sister also went home, and I was glad of that, but it made it
more needful for me to walk and drive out with aunt and cousins. I
was constantly scheming and dodging how to get one or the other of the
women, and that seemed to give zest to the affair; but I think now that
the pleasure I gave the girls when I had them had much to do with it.
Sophy and Nelly now came after me, as much as I went after them. Each
now knew that I fucked the other. "When did you do it to my sister?" was
a frequent question put by both of them to me.

CHAPTER XI.

Out shooting.--A female carter.--A feel in the train.--
Molly in London.--Giles in town.--Fred on the scene.--Molly
at the Hall.--Copulation in uniform.-