'Tubby doesn't like this,' she said; 'he calls it the Lemprierium. I caught him one day trying to shoot the fig leaf off that Apollo with an airgun. I punished him by having him strip, gumming a great fig leaf on him, and making him walk about here for two hours: each time he passed the Apollo he had to apologise to it and kiss its behind. The others did laugh; you know what Tubby's figure is like.'

Charlie was prepared to be surprised at the house, but he was more than surprised. Very large, an old Elizabethan mansion, slightly built on to and modernised, it was from without the embodiment of stately grace while within it provided the most up-to-date comfort. Charlie remembered that Tubby's father owned many factories in Lancashire, but they must do pretty well to keep this up; the old man himself had a bit of a reputation for chorus girls.

They went cursorily through the house. It was not furnished at all like a tart's house, but rather like that of a great lady of fashion. The servants were certainly rather comic opera, and a prettier lot Charlie thought he had never seen. The menservants he encountered were French, bar the very staid old butler.

They came at last to a little boudoir overlooking garden and river.

'Now we'll talk,' said Maudie. 'First of all, give me that camera; I'll have the pictures developed.'

The white-clad page-boy took the machine.

'Firstly, Charlie Osmond, I know all about your skill as a photographer. Well, I'm mad on it myself, and I'm pretty good, as you shall see directly.

'Now, what I want you to do is this. I know you're not too well off-pardon my being blunt. I want you to look after my photography and find my models for me. You'll have to use a lot of tact, but you'll have a thundering good time.

'Why I want you is that I must have a gentleman; I can't have an ordinary professional photographer. I couldn't stick working with him, and Tubby wouldn't like it. My great hobby is pictures of girls, in the nude, of course, and that's why I have my own pussy shaved: they have to have it done too. They are shy at first, but soon get used to it. We have quite lively parties. But come along, you shall see the studio first before you decide.'