Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters Page B

above the
    'Ho, there, Miss Butler, where are our manners! Davy, you fireplace!) -I fell in love with her, all over again. And my take that knife and show the lady how - else she might just love was all the warmer, of course, since I had that special, job the blade into her hand, and give herself a nasty cut.'
    secret knowledge about Tricky, and the contract, and the
    'I can do it,' I said quickly; and I took the oyster from her, extra four months.
    and the knife, before my brother could get his fingers on She had come for tea, and presently we all sat down to it -
    them.
    Kitty marvelling, as we did so, at the table. It was set for a
    'You do it like this,' I said to her. 'You must hold the oyster real oyster-supper, with a linen cloth, and a little spirit-lamp in your palm so that the flat shell is uppermost - like this.' I with a plate of butter on it, waiting to be melted. On either held the shell to show her, and she gazed at it rather side of this there were platters of bread, and quartered gravely. Then you must take your blade and put it - not lemons, and vinegar and pepper castors - two or three of between the halves, but in the hinge, here. And then you each. Beside every plate there was a fork, a spoon, a must grasp it, and prise.' I gave the knife a gentle twist, and napkin, and the all-important oyster-knife; and in the the shell eased open. 'You must hold it steady,’ I went on, middle of the table there was the oyster-barrel itself, a white
    'because the shell is full of liquor, and you mustn't spill a cloth bound about its top-most hoop, and its lid loosened by drop of it, for that's the tastiest part.' The little fish sat in my a finger's width - 'Just enough,' as my father would say, 'to palm in its bath of oyster-juice, naked and slippery. 'This let the oysters stretch a little'; but not enough to let them here,' I said, pointing with my knife, 'is called the beard; open their shells and sicken. We were rather cramped you must trim that away.' I gave the blade a flick, and the around the table, for there were eight of us in all, and we beard was severed. 'Then you must just cut your oyster free had had to bring up extra chairs from the restaurant below.
    . . . And now you may eat it.' I slipped the shell carefully Kitty and I sat close, our elbows almost touching, our shoes into her hand, and felt her fingers warm and soft against my side by side beneath the table. When Mother cried, 'Do own as she cupped them to receive it. Our heads were very move along a bit, Nancy, and give Miss Butler some 51

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    near. She raised the oyster to her lips and held it for a more closely at it. Is it a he? I suppose they all must be, second before her mouth, her eyes on mine, unblinking.
    since they all have beards?'
    I had not been aware of it, but I had spoken softly, and the Father shook his head, chewing. 'Not at all, Miss Butler, not others had quietened to listen. Now the table was hushed at all. Don't let the beards mislead you. For the oyster, you and still. When I took my eyes from Kitty's I saw a ring of see, is what you might call a real queer fish - now a he, now faces turned my way, and blushed.
    a she, as quite takes its fancy. A regular morphodite, in At last, someone spoke. It was Father, and his voice was fact!'
    very loud. 'No bolting him down whole now, Miss Butler,'
    'Is that so?'
    he said, 'like the gormays do. We won't have that at this Tony tapped his plate. 'You're a bit of an oyster, then, table. You go on and give him a real good chew.' He said it yourself, Kitty,' he said with a smirk.
    kindly, and Kitty laughed. She peered into the shell in her She looked for a moment rather uncertain, but then she hand. 'And is it really alive?’ she said.
    smiled. 'Why, I suppose I am,' she said. 'Just fancy! I've
    'Alive alive-oh,' said Davy. 'If you listen very hard, you will never been likened to a fish before.'
    hear him shrieking as he goes down.'
    'Well, don't take it the wrong way, Miss Butler,' said