Then there were the other men, the ones already married who still believed they could win over another woman. There have been a number of them. We should perhaps not let them into the house at all. Women only, like the men do in their clubs. They have their ‘men only’ places but we are not permitted any. Any man can stride into our houses, our rooms even, and make themselves at home. Say crude things and even lay their hands on us, as if in innocence, but in truth they are guilty. It’s the married ones you must watch, especially when you see a plain wife with an attractive man. He’s married her for money, and therefore she will never satisfy him. I suppose the same is true for attractive women with ugly husbands. I see their eyes and hands wander, to gently touch what has been forbidden to them; an attractive partner. Or perhaps everyone is having affairs and committing adultery in the plain sight of God and no one speaks of it? Perhaps I am so separate from this world and so naive that I have no real idea of what goes on at all. We can only go by our own experiences and what we hear. If all the gossip I hear is true, and that’s only what has been found out, then all people are wicked.

Miss Lister

Father paid for a woman to visit me when I was still young and not yet aware of my own body. Father had no money to give me an allowance like my uncle did, but he did pay for this woman to come to my room.