Grushenka. Three Times a Woman Read online

  Grushenka dreamed as only a Russian peasant can dream, a thoughtless and wordless dream, uniting herself with the soil, becoming a part of it, losing the sense of place or time. When the sun dropped lower on the horizon, she got up and slowly returned to the city. She stopped in a public house where she ate a bowl of soup and some bread and cheese. The few customers and the innkeeper hardly noticed this peasant girl with her lovely face hidden beneath a kerchief. Back again on the street, she pulled herself up with an energetic nod of her head and walked with quick steps to Ladislaus Brenna's bathhouse. She had never been inside that place, but she knew all about it. Ladislaus Brenna ran a famous bathing establishment for middle-class people, and Grushenka had made up her mind to become a bath attendant. She would have liked to get such a job at one of the new and elegant bathhouses patronized by the fashionable world but she did not dare to do so, for she might be found out. No one 'would look for her at Brenna's. After she had opened the door, she stood immediately in a big bath hall for men. The hall took up the whole ground floor of the building. On a white, wooden floor stood forty to fifty wooden bathtubs in irregular arrangement. In these tubs the bathers sat on a little bench, the water coming up to his neck. A few customers were bathing; others were reading, writing on little boards put over the tubs, playing board games with each other or just chatting. Mr. Brenna sat on the opposite side of the room behind an elevated bar which was covered with all kinds of refreshments and drinks. Grushenka lost no time but went right over to him while the eyes of all the bathers and attendants followed her. She stated without shyness that she wanted to become one of his bath girls.

  Brenna looked sharply at her and told her to wait He was a whale of a fellow, about forty-five years old. His hairy chest, open to view, and his wild black beard exaggerated his tousled appearance.

  Grushenka sat down on a wooden bench and looked around with curiosity. She had often heard Brenna's place discussed. It was supposed to be full of fun for its visitors, men and women alike, but most housewives disapproved violently when they heard that their husbands or grown-up sons frequented it. Grushenka's attention first was directed towards the bath attendants, about ten girls, some sitting on a bench near the big open fireplace, others moving about the big room pursuing their duties. All the girls were nude except for wooden slippers and here and there a short apron or towel around the hips. Any land of clothes would have been annoying in this air heavy with steam and dampness. The girls were all husky and rather good looking and seemed in good spirits and satisfied. They carried buckets of hot water to the occupied bathtubs, pouring the water in to keep the temperature even. They brought beer or tea or other refreshments to the men, laughed and joked with them and did not seem to mind when the men felt their breasts or in between their legs. When one of the customers wanted to get out of his tub, they opened up the linen top, placed a foot stool and helped the man out. Then they followed him into one of the many cabinets which lined the walls. The cabinets had doors which closed behind the pairs, and, while Grushenka could not see, she could well imagine what happened inside them. The last customer having left, the girls began to clean up while Brenna admonished them to take their time and do a thorough job. He had a gruff voice but underneath one could feel that he was a good sort. At last he turned to Grushenka and ordered her to follow him. They went upstairs, passing the women's bath hall on the second floor and passing the third floor where Brenna lived with his family. When they reached the attic, Brenna pushed open a door leading into an unoccupied room furnished with a large wooden bed, a washstand and two chairs. “Well,” he said, “I will look you over to see whether you are strong enough to carry the water and to give a massage. I could use a bitch like you, but you seem too weak. Show me what you've got.”

  With that he went to the little window and looked out into the twilight. His huge frame in front of the window shut almost all the light from the room. Grushenka quickly got rid of her clothes and stood nude in the middle of the room, waiting for him to pass his judgement. She was now a bit nervous. What would happen to her if he did not employ her? Brenna gazed for awhile out into the sunset.

  Finally he turned around to her, moved away from the window and put her in a position where the slowly fading light fell directly on her.

  He was amazed at her fine figure. Her full breasts especially attracted him. He felt the muscles of her arms and pinched her buttocks and flesh above the knees the way one feels the leg of a horse, while she contracted her muscles as well as she could in order to appear strong. He moved her around again, uncertain whether a girl with such a small waistline would be suited to his type of work, and fixed his eyes on her Venus' Hill. Grushenka was a well built girl, above medium height, but before this giant of a man she felt rather small just when she wished to be big and strapping. Without warning he threw her on the bed so that she lay, not lengthwise, but across the bed. He opened up his linen trousers and took out a mighty and hard-blown staff. Grushenka hardly had time to be aware of what was coming when he bent forward, rested his weight on his hands next to her shoulders and moved his weapon towards her grotto. She lowered her hands to insert the shaft and was surprised at its huge dimensions; she could hardly span it with her hand. She wanted to insert it carefully, but before she had a chance he pushed it in with a mighty stroke. Grushenka answered with a heavy groan. Not that it really hurt her, but it filled her to the utmost and stretched her passageway to the limit. It was a few days since she had had intercourse, and the scenes which she had watched at Madame Laura's had served to stimulate her desire. Therefore this unexpected attack brought her to a fever heat. She raised her legs, which still hung on the floor, high above his massive back. She thrust herself against his instrument with all her power, encircling it with the full suction of her love nest She crushed her fingers into his muscular arms and began to make love to him with everything in her. She closed her eyes.

  All kinds of lascivious pictures went through her mind. She remembered the first time that she had been flogged on the bare bottom when she was fourteen years old; she thought of the peasant who had raped her, and of various men who had given her satisfaction; finally the angelic features of her Mihail stood out clearly, telling her in sweet words how much he adored her. All this time she was working with strong pushes against those of her partner, while she circled her bottom the way belly dancers do. Gradually her whole body became more and more contorted until only her shoulders touched the bed as she strove to find the best position in which to achieve the greatest satisfaction for herself and for her partner. Her body was covered with sweat.

  Her hair became loose and partially covered her face. Her mouth twisted, her heels beat his back and his buttocks. At last, with an outcry, the great climax came. Then she lay motionless, heavily breathing, all muscles loose. Her buttocks dropped and the great bird fell out of its hot nest. Brenna lay on his hands, hardly moving.

  He was satisfied with the vitality which this girl displayed-so satisfied, in fact, that he was not ready to let her go right now, especially since his instrument still was as swollen and red as it had been. “Eh, little hussy,” he interrupted her after-love dreams, “don't stop now. My little fellow down there is still stiff and angry.” Grushenka opened her eyes to find herself staring into a gruff face surrounded with flowing black hair. An utterly strange face it was to her, with black eyes, a short broad nose and full lascivious lips. Still, somehow, there was a sense of humor about it which took the sting out of its roughness. She gazed into this face and it came to her mind how much depended for her on satisfying this man. By her uncontrolled passion she had given him a wonderful time. Now she would give him a still better time by her thorough knowledge of the art of love-making. Dutifully she put her legs up on his back, this time moving them even higher, so that she almost touched his shoulders with her heels-whereby Master Priapus slipped back of his own accord into his former kingdom. She grasped his head with her hands and moved it down. His feet slid slowly backwards and he
soon lay with his whole weight on her. She now lay on her back at full length and so had better means of wiggling her buttocks under him.

  Then she arched herself under him and, moving her right hand down, managed to get hold of those two storehouses of love's nectar. She proceeded to caress and finger them with soft strokes, at the same time tickling the inside of his ear with the little finger of her left hand. Brenna put his right hand under her small buttocks -so large was this hand that he was able to hold both cheeks with one clasp-and began in slow strokes to do his work. He pushed his scepter so deep inside her that it touched her womb, moved slowly back to the outer entrance and repeated this play in regular rhythm. She moved her buttocks in circles with her eyes wide open. She was aware of every move and this enabled her to give him her fullest cooperation.

  When he got really excited, he forgot himself completely. He got back on his feet, standing close to the bed, and raised her buttocks up so that her head and shoulders hardly touched the linen. Holding her by her hips, he connected with her only by the contact between Priapus and Venus and he made love to her with all his might. She felt him reach his climax. She felt a hot flood shooting into her, and, strange to say, she reached another climax. As unexpectedly as he had attacked her, Brenna now let her go. Her buttocks fell to the edge of the bed. In a matter-of-fact way he put his still-stiff weapon back into his trousers. He took another look at her and liked her. Her feet touched the floor, her legs were still half open. One of her hands lay above her black-haired Mount of Venus, the coral lips of which protruded; the other hand rested on her full breast Her mouth was a bit open, her deep black eyelashes shadowed her steel blue eyes, her hair hung around her face. The girl was so beautiful that he felt like giving her another poke. He bent down and felt again the soft flesh of her thighs. A bit weak, yes; but his guests would like this trollop. “Wash up and get ready for supper,” he said with resolution. I'll try you out. You might do.” He opened the door and called for Gargarina. The attic was the living quarters for all the girls employed in the house and they had come up in the meantime to dress. Presently Gargarina came in and was ordered by Brenna to break in the new girl to her job. He left without further explanation.

  Gargarina was an older girl, about twenty-five years of age, tall, blonde and husky. She had on a shirt and was just about to button her long lacy drawers. She looked at Grushenka with a certain curiosity. Grushenka sat on the edge of the bed, weak but not exhausted, and scratched herself thoughtfully along the soft flesh of her belly and her thighs. Gargarina opened the conversation: “Well, he looked you over, didn't he? He certainly has the best shaft in the whole neighborhood, and we ought to know. I can imagine how you feel. It's almost four years since I came here and he just about killed me. After that, he told me that he could not use me. That's the way with most girls who apply for work here; he tries them all. We thought he would send you away, too. You know, I just stayed on and came to work the next morning. He yelled at me to get out, but I know how it is with a stray dog. He just couldn't get rid of me and that was four years ago.” “I don't know what I would have done, as I have no other place to go either.” “Never mind that now. It's that way with most of us girls here except those of us who were brought by their parents. One of the girls was brought by her husband.

  He had been drafted for the army, and where could the poor creature go until his seven years are over? She doesn't know whether hell ever come back. He was last heard of in Siberia. He can't write, you see, and she can't read.” “Oh,” answered Grushenka with a flicker of pride. “I can read and write.” “That's fine!” retorted Gargarina kindly. “Then you'll be able to read us some stories out of books and write our love letters for us. You will be quite a busy person with that. But now you'd better clean yourself out”-and she looked at the juice which ran out of the love nest and wet Grushenka's legs-“because you couldn't serve down in the bath hall with a swollen belly.”

  Gargarina brought a bowl of water and a towel. Grushenka sat down on the floor with the bowl, inserted a finger in her orifice-after she had wrapped the end of a towel around it-and rubbed herself, relieving her bladder at the same time. The hot gush of the liquid and the rubbing of the passageway made her feel quite good, and she enjoyed it. Gargarina, who was watching her, remarked: “Tomorrow, I'll show you a better way to clean yourself, down in the bathing hall. But now dress quickly; dinner will be ready in a minute.” When Grushenka came down to the dining room, she regretted that she had left her fine traveling dress at Marta's. All the other girls were dressed up fit to kill, and her peasant dress looked rather out of place. There were twice as many girls as she had seen downstairs, the additional ones being those who served in the bath for women. They all sat around a long table. At one end Mr. Brenna presided, at the other end sat his wife. She was a very small, thin woman of over forty, with a sharp, pointed nose, and looked like a greedy and hardened spinster. But if she was that type, she certainly did not take it out on the girls in regard to food. Two strapping maids served a rich meal, no less good and healthy than Katerina provided for her wards. The girl hurried through their meal, anxious to leave.

  In fact only two or three stayed home that night, the rest having rendezvous or visiting their folks. For police identification, each girl carried a permit issued by Brenna. Grushenka chatted with the girls remaining in the attic. She learned that room and board was all Brenna paid for their services, but that they made many-and sometimes good-tips. They all were satisfied, and, while they were rough and used strong words, they seemed to get along in good-hearted comradeship. Grushenka went to bed early and heard the girls coming home during the night. The next morning she was up many hours before being called to breakfast Brenna's place opened up after noon, the first guests arriving only after two or three, and the whole job was done by seven in the evening. The arrival of any customer was signaled by the young fellow in the doorway, who, incidentally, had charge of the large stove in the basement, supplying the hot water, the heat in the wintertime and the steam for the steam room. He rapped with a stick against the door; when he rapped a few times that meant a man of money and a good tipper. All the men were more or less known to everyone. Grushenka, taken in tow by Gargarina, lined up with the other girls near the entrance and solicited the entering man. It meant tips, and, the more customers a girl could get, so much the better for her. Sometimes the girls fought about the customers, and that was the only thing Brenna would not stand for. He would beat them mercilessly with his fists, and the girls were very much afraid of that for he would go into a rage and not take care where he hit them. The first man who came in looked like a poet. He wore a long, flowing necktie and was young and blonde. Gargarina told Grushenka not to try to attract his attention because he had a steady girl, a plump, dark-haired creature with big, soft breasts. This girl took him by the hand and led him into one of the cabinets where they remained for a long while. Gargarina explained to Grushenka that he was a writer on a gazette and came every afternoon to save the soul of the dark-haired girl. However, his sermons always ended with a poke. After him came a wealthy coachman who kept many carriages and gave good tips.

  All the girls besieged him, but Gargarina and Grushenka had no luck.

  He was followed by a master baker, who was Gargarina's steady customer. The two girls went with him into a cabinet. Gargarina explained that she had to break in the “new girl.” The baker was a sturdy, short man with snow-white hair, bristly and unkempt. As soon as the door was closed, Gargarina started to make love to him, but he would have nothing of it. The girls undressed him leisurely, taking off his coat, vest, trousers and shoes. He wore no stockings but a kind of undergarment of cheap cotton which he slipped off himself.

  Meanwhile he told them that he was “damn tired.” After getting through with his baking job, beginning at nine at night and finishing at three in the morning, his “old lady” had wakened him and had forced him to give her three rides. His shaft vouched for this statement; it hung sad
ly downward. In spite of his protest, Gargarina insisted on giving him a massage and he lay down reluctantly on the massage table.

  Gargarina took a handful of liquid soap and began to knead his flesh.

  She told Grushenka to do the same and, while she had one side of his back and legs in operation, Grushenka started timidly on the other half. Seeing how hard her teacher worked, she put her whole weight into her hands and soon found herself sweating. When his back was done and he was turned over, she avoided touching him between the legs.

  This amused Gargarina, who, taking the limp weapon in her hand, asked Grushenka whether she would not kiss it a little and made a thousand jokes about it. The baker paid no attention to this chatter. He got up from the table before they were really through with him and walked over to a tub, which they filled with hot water. The linen was pulled over him, he leaned back and soon was soundly snoring. During the following hours, without waking him up, they kept pouring hot water into the tub, first carefully taking a bucket full of water out of it. A few more men entered, but other girls got hold of them.

  Then came a tall, thin man whom none of the other girls wanted.

  Grushenka held herself back instinctively. It was just her luck that he selected her. Gargarina stepped right up, explaining that the new girl was under her supervision. As all three entered a cabinet together, Gargarina whispered to her ward that this one was a pest.

  He behaved in a very orderly way while they undressed him, telling Grushenka that he was the scribe with the new judge and that he came from Petersburg, where it was the newest fad with the ladies to paint their nipples a deep red. After he was naked he embraced Grushenka, pulled her tightly to his lean body and, running his long fingers up and down her spine, told her how beautiful she was and how soft her flesh felt. Meanwhile he pressed one of his thighs between hers and rubbed his shaft against the soft flesh of her leg. Soon enough this love instrument became stiff and Grushenka felt that it was very thin and very long. He then proceeded to put one finger in Grushenka's love nest and began to jab her. Gargarina meanwhile had gone behind him and embraced him from behind, rubbing her breasts on his back and her pelvis against his buttocks. She leaned her head over one of his shoulders just as Grushenka did and both girls were almost mouth to mouth. Gargarina made faces indicating that haste was in order, but Grushenka at first did not mind the man's playing with her. He had apt fingers and always managed to tickle just the right spot. As she became more excited, she showed it on her face and her love nest got wet. Her buttocks came slowly into swing. The scribe had his other hand on her buttocks, and now another idea struck him. He told her to take firm hold of him, and, leaving one hand lodged inside of her, extended his other hand until he found Gargarina's love nest and began to jab her also. Gargarina, who knew him already, received that finger right away, as if she were terribly excited. At last he got tired of this playing around. He had another idea. “Now, you both,” he said, Tie down on the massage table, side by side, bottoms up, and I will give you a massage.” Hie girls did so and he began to stroke and caress their buttocks, making comparisons between Gargarina's full and motherly buttocks and Grushenka's boyish ones. He then went to the foot of the table and started to give both girls at the same time a rimming with his index finger. “Let him do it,” whispered Gargarina, putting her arm around Grushenka's shoulders and taking her breast in her hand. “It won't hurt you.” For Gargarina already knew that they were in for a finger job in their back entrances. No sooner had the warning been given, than Grushenka felt him insert his longer finger in her rear door and rub up and down, up and down. Grushenka held still.