When was she not, this pampered daughter of the rich, this shallow-psyched snobbish beauty? Marie had frequently been the innocent victim of Marcia’s “bad temper.”
Marie gently moved in back of her mistress and, taking a comb and brush, first undoing the pins that temporarily set Marcia’s raven tresses, began to brush and comb them, exercising diligent care.
Marcia regarded herself in the mirror meanwhile, pleased with the reflection of he? cool beauty,. veiling her eyes with her long lashes, attempting coquettish moues, so that her technique of stirring the male to denied fulfillment of admiration and desire might be kept alert and apt.
The pretty maid was extremely cautious, fearing to vex her mistress; but it occurred that, during her slow combing of the raven locks, a snag appeared in the teeth of the comb and a grimace of anger crossed Marcia’s disdainful face.
She turned quickly and, grasping Marie’s offending hand with her left, viciously slapped the lovely blond girl across her cheek with her right palm, leaving a bright pink splotch upon the carnation texture of that gentle skin.
“Ohh, Miss Marcia!” gasped the pretty maid, tears coming to her delicious blue eyes.
“You little slut, I believe you did that on purpose!” said Marcia, her mouth twisted with anger. And the mirror showed a beautiful harpy-not an exquisite young girl.
“No, no, mademoiselle, I assure you-”
“Be silent, you little fool! Oh, how I wish we were in tsarist Russia… do you know what I’d do then, Marie?”
“N-no, mademoiselle…“
“Simply have you sent out to the overseer to be given a sound whipping for what you’ve just done, you clumsy fool!” said Marcia.
Tears of humiliation brimmed in Marie’s blue eyes.
“Stop that whimpering and get busy!” commanded her mistress.
And the toilette was completed without further ado; but that episode was significant-as we shall see.
Marcia chose a stunning black evening gown of lush velvet, enticingly low cut to the valley of her bosom and with dйcolletй almost to her waist; the gown was sleeveless and had a split skirt, with a long train bordered with ermine.