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 undressing
alone, which I thought might be most agreeable the first night, I
withdrew into the antechamber till I thought she was laid; and then,
having first disposed of my lamp, I moved softly towards her, and
stepped into bed too; when, on my nearer approach to her, I imagined she
had her clothes on. This struck a thorough damp over me; and asking her
the reason of it, not being able to touch the least bit of her flesh
but her face and hands, she burst out a-laugh-ing; and, running her hand
along my naked side, soon perceived the difference she before had made
such doubt of between herself and me. Upon which she fairly told me,
that neither she, nor any person she had ever seen before, had any
other covering than what they were born with, and which they would not
willingly part with but with their lives. This shocked me terribly;
not from the horror of the thing itself, or any distaste I had to this
covering (for it was quite smooth, warm, and softer than velvet or the
finest skin imaginable), but from an apprehension of her being so wholly
encased in it, that, though I had so fine a companion, and now a
wife, yet I should have no conjugal benefit from her, either to my own
gratification, or the increase of our species.
In the height of my impatience I made divers essays for unfolding this
covering, but unsuccessfully. Surely, says I, there must be some way of
coming at my wishes, or why should she seem so shy of me at first, and
now we are under engagements to each other, meet me half way with such a
yielding compliance? I could, if I had had time to spare, have gone on,
starting objections and answering them, in my own breast, a great while
longer (for I now knew not what to make of it); but being prompted to
act as well as think, and feeling, as tenderly as possible, upon her
bosom, for the folds or plaits of her garment, she lying perfectly
still, and perceiving divers flat broad ledges, like whale-bone,
seemingly under her covering, which closely enfolded her body, I thought
it might be all laced on together somewhat like stays, and felt behind
for the lacing.
At length, perceiving me so puzzled, and beyond conception vexed at my
disappointment, of asudden, lest I should grow outrageous (which I was
almost come to), she threw down all those seeming ribs flat to her side
so imperceptibly to me, that I knew nothing of the matter, though I lay
close to her; till putting forth my hand again to her bosom, the softest
skin, and most delightful body, free from all impediment, presented
itself to my wishes, and gave itself up to my embraces.
I slept very soundly till morning, and so did she; but at waking I was
very 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 herself
could so instantaneously dispose of it undiscerned by me. Well, thought
I, she is my wife, I will be satisfied in everything; for surely she
will not now refuse to gratify my curiosity.
We rose with the light; but surely no two were ever more amorous, or
more delighted with each other. I, being up first, lighted the fire, and
prepared breakfast of some fish soup, thickened with my cream-cheese;
and then calling her, I kept my eye towards the bed to see how she
dressed herself; but throwing aside the clothes, she stepped out ready
dressed, and came to me. When I had kissed her, and wished her a good
day, we sat down to breakfast; which being soon over, I told her I hoped
every minute of our lives would prove as happy as those we so lately
passed together; which she seemed to wish with equal ardour. I then told
her, now she was my wife, I thought proper to know her name, which I had
never before asked, for fear of giving uneasiness; for, as I added, I
did not doubt she had observed in my behaviour, ever since I first
saw her, a peculiar tenderness for her, and a sedulous concern not to
offend, which had obliged me hitherto to stifle several questions I
had to ask her whenever they would be agreeable to her. She then bid me
begin; for as she was now my wife, whilst I was speaking it became her
to be all attention, and to give me the utmost satisfaction she could in
all I should require, as she herself should have so great an interest in
everything for the future which would oblige me.
Compliments (if, in compliance with old custom, I may call them so, for
they were by us delivered from the heart) being a little over on both
sides, I first desired to know what name she went by before I found
her: "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, I
would know your original name, that so I might join it with that tender
epithet."--"That you shall," says she, "and also my family at another
opportunity; but as my name will not take up long time to repeat at
present, it is Youwarkee. And pray," says she, "now gratify me with the
knowledge of yours."--"My dear Youwarkee," says I, "my name was Peter
Wilkins when I heard it last; but that is so long ago, I had almost
forgot it. And now," says I, "there is another thing you can give me a
pleasure in."--"You need, then, only mention it, my dear Peter," says
she.--"That is," says I, "only to tell me if you did not, by some
accident, fall from the top of the rock over my habitation, upon the
roof of it, when I first took you in here; and whether you are of the
country upon the rocks?"--She, softly smiling, answered, "My dear Peter,
you run your questions too thick. As to my country, which is not on the
rocks, as you suppose, but at a vast distance from hence, I shall leave
that till I may hereafter, at more leisure, speak of my family, as I
promised you before; but as to how I came into this grotto, I knew not
at first, but soon perceived your humanity had brought me in, to take
care of me, after a terrible fall I had; not from the rock, as you
suppose, for then I must not now have been living to enjoy you, but
from a far less considerable height in the air. I'll tell you how it
happened. A parcel of us young people were upon a merry _swangean_*
round this _arkoe_,** which we usually divert ourselves with at set
times of the year, chasing and pursuing one another, sometimes soaring
to an extravagant height, and then shooting down again with surprising
precipitancy, till we even touch the trees; when of a sudden we mount
again and away."
* Flight.
** Water surrounded with a wood.
"I say, being of this party, and pursued by one of my comrades, I
descended down to the very trees, and she after me; but as I mounted,
she over-shooting me, brushed so stiffly against the upper part of
my _graundee_* that I lost my bearing; and being so near the branches
before I could recover it again, I sunk into the tree, and rendered
my graundee useless to me; so that down I came, and that with so much
force, that I but just felt my fall, and lost my senses. Whether I cried
out or no upon my coming to the ground, I cannot say; but if I did, my
companion 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 the
condition I was in, or what happened immediately afterwards, I must
be obliged to you for a relation of that; but one thing I was quickly
sensible of, and never can forget, viz., that I owe my life to your care
and 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, or
swangeans, 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 nature
of your covering, which was at first such an obstacle to my wishes? How
you 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 me
to the blush. As to our method of flight, you saw somewhat of that last
night, though in a light hardly sufficient for you; and for the nature
of 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, to
put it off, before I can make you comprehend that; which having done,
the whole will be no farther a mystery. But, not to be tedious, is it
your 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. Thinks
I, if my curiosity should be fatal to me, as I may see something I can
never bear hereafter, I am undone. She waits the command! Why so? I know
not the consequence! What shall I do? At last, somewhat resolutely, I
asked her whether her answer either way to my command would cause her to
leave me, or me to love her less? She, seeing my hesitation, and
perceiving the cause, was so pleased, that she cried out--"No, my dear
Peter, not that, nor all the force on earth, shall ever part me from
you. But I conceive you are afraid you shall discover something in me
you may not like. I fear not that; but an immodest appearance before
you I cannot suffer myself to be guilty of, but under your own
command."--"My lovely Youwarkee," says I, "delay then my desires no
longer; and since you require a warrant from me, I do command you to do
it" Immediately her graundee flew open (discovering her naked body just
to the hip, and round the rim of her belly) and, expanding itself, was
near six feet wide. Here my love and curiosity had a hard conflict; the
one to gain my attention to the graundee, and the other to retain my
eyes and thoughts on her lovely body, which I had never beheld so much
of before. Though I was very unwilling to keep her uncovered too long, I
could not easily dismiss so charming a sight I attentively viewed her
lovely flesh, and examined the case that enshrined it; but as I shall
give you a full description of the graundee hereafter, in a more proper
place, I will mention it no farther here, than to tell you that when I
had narrowly surveyed the upper part of it, she in a moment contracted
it round her so close that the nicest eye could not perceive the joining
of the parts. "Indeed, my dear Youwarkee," says I, "you had the best of
reasons for saying you was not fearful I should discover anything in you
displeasing; for if my bosom glowed with love before, you have now
therein raised an ardent flame, which neither time, nor aught else, will
ever be able to extinguish. I now almost conceive how you fly; though
yet I am at a loss to know how you extend and make use of the lower part
of your graundee, which rises up and meets the upper; but I will rather
guess at that by what I have seen, than raise the colour higher in those
fair cheeks, which are, however, adorned with blushes." Then running to
her, and taking her in my arms, I called her the dearest gift of Heaven;
and left off further interrogatories till another opportunity.