Life And Adventures Of Peter Wilkins, Vol. I. (of II.)

  CHAPTER XVI.

  The author's disappointment at first going to bed with his new wife--Some strange circumstances relating thereto--She resolves several questions he asks her, and clears up his fears as to the voices--A description of swangeans.

  Every calm is succeeded by a storm, as is every storm by its calm; for,after supper, in order to give my bride the opportunity of undressingalone, which I thought might be most agreeable the first night, Iwithdrew into the antechamber till I thought she was laid; and then,having first disposed of my lamp, I moved softly towards her, andstepped into bed too; when, on my nearer approach to her, I imagined shehad her clothes on. This struck a thorough damp over me; and asking herthe reason of it, not being able to touch the least bit of her fleshbut her face and hands, she burst out a-laugh-ing; and, running her handalong my naked side, soon perceived the difference she before had madesuch doubt of between herself and me. Upon which she fairly told me,that neither she, nor any person she had ever seen before, had anyother covering than what they were born with, and which they would notwillingly part with but with their lives. This shocked me terribly;not from the horror of the thing itself, or any distaste I had to thiscovering (for it was quite smooth, warm, and softer than velvet or thefinest skin imaginable), but from an apprehension of her being so whollyencased in it, that, though I had so fine a companion, and now awife, yet I should have no conjugal benefit from her, either to my owngratification, or the increase of our species.

  In the height of my impatience I made divers essays for unfolding thiscovering, but unsuccessfully. Surely, says I, there must be some way ofcoming at my wishes, or why should she seem so shy of me at first, andnow we are under engagements to each other, meet me half way with such ayielding compliance? I could, if I had had time to spare, have gone on,starting objections and answering them, in my own breast, a great whilelonger (for I now knew not what to make of it); but being prompted toact as well as think, and feeling, as tenderly as possible, upon herbosom, for the folds or plaits of her garment, she lying perfectlystill, and perceiving divers flat broad ledges, like whale-bone,seemingly under her covering, which closely enfolded her body, I thoughtit might be all laced on together somewhat like stays, and felt behindfor the lacing.

  At length, perceiving me so puzzled, and beyond conception vexed at mydisappointment, of asudden, lest I should grow outrageous (which I wasalmost come to), she threw down all those seeming ribs flat to her sideso imperceptibly to me, that I knew nothing of the matter, though I layclose to her; till putting forth my hand again to her bosom, the softestskin, and most delightful body, free from all impediment, presenteditself to my wishes, and gave itself up to my embraces.

  I slept very soundly till morning, and so did she; but at waking I wasvery solicitous to find out what sort of being I had had in my arms,and with what qualities her garment was endued, or how contrived that,notwithstanding all my fruitless attempts to uncover her, she herselfcould so instantaneously dispose of it undiscerned by me. Well, thoughtI, she is my wife, I will be satisfied in everything; for surely shewill not now refuse to gratify my curiosity.

  We rose with the light; but surely no two were ever more amorous, ormore delighted with each other. I, being up first, lighted the fire, andprepared breakfast of some fish soup, thickened with my cream-cheese;and then calling her, I kept my eye towards the bed to see how shedressed herself; but throwing aside the clothes, she stepped out readydressed, and came to me. When I had kissed her, and wished her a goodday, we sat down to breakfast; which being soon over, I told her I hopedevery minute of our lives would prove as happy as those we so latelypassed together; which she seemed to wish with equal ardour. I then toldher, now she was my wife, I thought proper to know her name, which I hadnever before asked, for fear of giving uneasiness; for, as I added, Idid not doubt she had observed in my behaviour, ever since I firstsaw her, a peculiar tenderness for her, and a sedulous concern not tooffend, which had obliged me hitherto to stifle several questions Ihad to ask her whenever they would be agreeable to her. She then bid mebegin; for as she was now my wife, whilst I was speaking it became herto be all attention, and to give me the utmost satisfaction she could inall I should require, as she herself should have so great an interest ineverything for the future which would oblige me.

  Compliments (if, in compliance with old custom, I may call them so, forthey were by us delivered from the heart) being a little over on bothsides, I first desired to know what name she went by before I foundher: "For," says I, "having only hitherto called you madam, and my lady,besides the future expression of my love to you in the word dear, Iwould know your original name, that so I might join it with that tenderepithet."--"That you shall," says she, "and also my family at anotheropportunity; but as my name will not take up long time to repeat atpresent, it is Youwarkee. And pray," says she, "now gratify me with theknowledge of yours."--"My dear Youwarkee," says I, "my name was PeterWilkins when I heard it last; but that is so long ago, I had almostforgot it. And now," says I, "there is another thing you can give me apleasure in."--"You need, then, only mention it, my dear Peter," saysshe.--"That is," says I, "only to tell me if you did not, by someaccident, fall from the top of the rock over my habitation, upon theroof of it, when I first took you in here; and whether you are of thecountry upon the rocks?"--She, softly smiling, answered, "My dear Peter,you run your questions too thick. As to my country, which is not on therocks, as you suppose, but at a vast distance from hence, I shall leavethat till I may hereafter, at more leisure, speak of my family, as Ipromised you before; but as to how I came into this grotto, I knew notat first, but soon perceived your humanity had brought me in, to takecare of me, after a terrible fall I had; not from the rock, as yousuppose, for then I must not now have been living to enjoy you, butfrom a far less considerable height in the air. I'll tell you how ithappened. A parcel of us young people were upon a merry _swangean_*round this _arkoe_,** which we usually divert ourselves with at settimes of the year, chasing and pursuing one another, sometimes soaringto an extravagant height, and then shooting down again with surprisingprecipitancy, till we even touch the trees; when of a sudden we mountagain and away."

  * Flight.

  ** Water surrounded with a wood.

  "I say, being of this party, and pursued by one of my comrades, Idescended down to the very trees, and she after me; but as I mounted,she over-shooting me, brushed so stiffly against the upper part ofmy _graundee_* that I lost my bearing; and being so near the branchesbefore I could recover it again, I sunk into the tree, and renderedmy graundee useless to me; so that down I came, and that with so muchforce, that I but just felt my fall, and lost my senses. Whether I criedout or no upon my coming to the ground, I cannot say; but if I did, mycompanion was too far gone by that time to hear or take notice of me;as she, probably, in so swift a flight, saw not my fall. As to thecondition I was in, or what happened immediately afterwards, I mustbe obliged to you for a relation of that; but one thing I was quicklysensible of, and never can forget, viz., that I owe my life to your careand kindness to me."

  * The covering and wings of skin they flew with.

  I told her she should have that part of her story from me another time."But," says I, "there is something so amazing in these flights, orswangeans, as you call them, that I must, as the questions for this day,beg you would let me know what is the method of them. What is the natureof your covering, which was at first such an obstacle to my wishes? Howyou put it on? And how you use it in your swangean?"

  "Surely, my dearest Peter," says she, "but that I can deny you nothing,since you are my _barkatt_* which you seem so passionately to desire,the latter of your questions would not be answered, for it must put meto the blush. As to our method of flight, you saw somewhat of that lastnight, though in a light hardly sufficient for you; and for the natureof my covering, you perceive that now; but to show you how it is put on,as you call it, I am afraid it will be necessary, as far as I can, toput it off, before I can make y
ou comprehend that; which having done,the whole will be no farther a mystery. But, not to be tedious, is ityour command that I uncover? Lay that upon me, it shall be done."

  * Husband.

  Here I was at a plunge whether to proceed or drop the question. ThinksI, if my curiosity should be fatal to me, as I may see something I cannever bear hereafter, I am undone. She waits the command! Why so? I knownot the consequence! What shall I do? At last, somewhat resolutely, Iasked her whether her answer either way to my command would cause her toleave me, or me to love her less? She, seeing my hesitation, andperceiving the cause, was so pleased, that she cried out--"No, my dearPeter, not that, nor all the force on earth, shall ever part me fromyou. But I conceive you are afraid you shall discover something in meyou may not like. I fear not that; but an immodest appearance beforeyou I cannot suffer myself to be guilty of, but under your owncommand."--"My lovely Youwarkee," says I, "delay then my desires nolonger; and since you require a warrant from me, I do command you to doit" Immediately her graundee flew open (discovering her naked body justto the hip, and round the rim of her belly) and, expanding itself, wasnear six feet wide. Here my love and curiosity had a hard conflict; theone to gain my attention to the graundee, and the other to retain myeyes and thoughts on her lovely body, which I had never beheld so muchof before. Though I was very unwilling to keep her uncovered too long, Icould not easily dismiss so charming a sight I attentively viewed herlovely flesh, and examined the case that enshrined it; but as I shallgive you a full description of the graundee hereafter, in a more properplace, I will mention it no farther here, than to tell you that when Ihad narrowly surveyed the upper part of it, she in a moment contractedit round her so close that the nicest eye could not perceive the joiningof the parts. "Indeed, my dear Youwarkee," says I, "you had the best ofreasons for saying you was not fearful I should discover anything in youdispleasing; for if my bosom glowed with love before, you have nowtherein raised an ardent flame, which neither time, nor aught else, willever be able to extinguish. I now almost conceive how you fly; thoughyet I am at a loss to know how you extend and make use of the lower partof your graundee, which rises up and meets the upper; but I will ratherguess at that by what I have seen, than raise the colour higher in thosefair cheeks, which are, however, adorned with blushes." Then running toher, and taking her in my arms, I called her the dearest gift of Heaven;and left off further interrogatories till another opportunity.