Choisy arrived in Paris and took again possession of his house in the Faubourg Saint-Marceau, under the identity of Mrs. de Sancy. This house was soon open to former acquaintances who were not all unaware of Choisy's sexual mystifications, but who, amused by them, winked at them and kept mum.
It was now the beginning of autumn and people were beginning to come back to the capital from the now cold and humid countryside. And the military people also were resting and taking up their winter quarters in Paris, waiting for the resumption of operations in the spring.
Choisy was a perfect host-or rather hostess, since he was disguised as a woman. He always had good food, well prepared and plentiful. His wit was much appreciated in the conversations.
His revenue was eked out by his frequent winnings at cards. He was often lucky, and a brilliant strategist, but he never cheated, for that would not have been tolerated, even from Mrs. de Sancy.
He remained on excellent terms with the curate of the parish, being pious and also giving a lot to charity. He had ten thousand pounds income coming from the heirloom of his mother and fourteen thousand pounds from the benefits of his abbey of Saintep Seine in Burgundy. Even with that alone, and not counting his winnings at cards, he could have lived comfortably, and he did.
He wrote to Lisette that she should come to Paris as his personal maid, and managed to find for her husband Nicholas a post of Archer of the Guard. Lisette accepted with pleasure, longing to have further intercourse with Choisy, under his disguise of a woman which made her quite safe from any suspicion her fool of a husband might have.
From Lisette, Choisy learned that Mrs. de la Grise, after having sent her daughter to the convent of la Grise, had kept mum about the reason of her sudden decision. After Angela's confession, Mrs. de la Grise, undecided about the real sex of this strange person, had concluded that her child had been the victim of a hermaphrodite or a demon, which came to the same thing. But she had given up the idea of causing a scandal by means of a pub-He denunciation, and she prayed that the divine justice would visit the malefactor. The departure of this satanic countess was held by her to be a favour from Heaven and an encouragement to silence. So Choisy was safe from that side at least. And nobody had drawn any conclusion from his visit to the convent of Les Pres, for only Hercule Poirot's little grey cells could have guessed that the countess of Barres and the knight who had taken refuge for one night at the convent of Les Pres were one and the same person.
Choisy did not remain a long time in Paris without his usual love-affairs.
Among his guests was a certain knight of Haucourt, a lover of good food and wine, and a great gambler at cards. Choisy showed himself very attentionate with him, giving him the best pieces at meals and winning as much as he could out of him at cards after the meals.
But Fate was to show an ironic hand in that the knight started falling in love with Mrs. de Sancy. With his feminine attire Choisy showed himself to the best advantage and he looked indeed a ravishing woman. His clear complexion was kept in tiptop form by means of numerous lotions and pomades, and his hair was expertly done by Lisette who was quite clever at hairdressing, and the falsies he wore gave the perfect illusion of a finely-shaped bosom.
D'Haucourt often praised the beauty of his hostess and Choisy at first saw in his praise the normal compliments paid to a hostess by a gentleman. But soon he realized that mark of politeness. Yes, the knight had fallen in love with Mrs. de Sancy!
D'Haucourt wooed Mrs. de Sancy alias Choisy with reserve at first, but soon started being a little more pressing. Choisy took on a coquettish part, making himself desired. That was pouring oil on the fire.
One evening, after an animated game of cards, the knight stayed after the other guests had gone. Choisy, as chance would have it, had been unlucky and lost a lot of money that evening and the knight had won twenty ducats out of him. He told the knight:
— Please wait a moment. I'm going to get the money from my room.
The knight laid a gentle hand on his arm.
— There's no hurry, he said soothingly.
— I dislike debts, Choisy answered, at least gambling debts.
— Between us, madam, it doesn't count.
— And why would you grant me credit? Choisy asked.
— Let's call it quits, the knight offered generously.
— All right-till to-morrow. We'll play double or quits.
The knight knelt down in front of Choisy, took one of his hands which he kissed effusively. The false Mrs. de Sancy tried in vain to free her hand which d'Haucourt maintained forcibly under his lips.
— My dear, do stop it, he admonished, suppose anybody saw us — I wish it were so, so I could let the world know of my feelings for you.
— And what would they think of me?
— Is loving a crime?
— Get up, knight! You're making me blush. Besides, it's late and I'm so tired I could drop.
— Forgive me. May I hope that we shall take up our little talk soon and lead it to its conclusion?
— We'll see, we'll see.
Choisy had got up from his armchair and called his valet to show his obstinate wooer out. When at last he could go back to his room he told Lisette who was helping him undress:
— After all, I'm not going to make myself ugly to discourage this foolish fop.
— That would be a pity, indeed. But you should send him what you owe him as soon as to-morrow morning and so he'll understand that you want to owe him nothing.
— You're quite right, Lisette, I'll do just that.
Then he drew her to him and undressed her in his turn. Then they snuffed out the candles and, in the cosy bedsheets, they brought their naked bodies together, and kissed passionately, letting their hands roam along each other's bodies and awakening the deepest desire in them. Then, with voluptuous grunts and sighs, they fucked and caressed each other with their hands and with their tongues. Choisy thanked providence that Lisette had been “sent” to him. It might never have happened if Lisette had not entered his room while he was asleep, and even then, if his bed-sheets had not been pushed away she would not have noticed that he was not the woman he was meant to be.
While Choisy was trying to get rid of d'Haucourt, he was endeavouring to seduce a certain Rosalie, a well-known actress of great virtue who opposed a fierce resistance to his attacks. She had no lovers, as far as he knew, but a great deal of admirers, including a comedian called du Rozan. She was really beautiful and she derived great fun from being wooed by many unsuccessfully.
For Rosalie, Choisy was Mrs. de Sancy-she did not know his true identity. But, instead of being a handicap, it became for Choisy an advantage over his rivals. But the problem was to know whether, once he would show her his real sex, she would not get disgusted or frightened. She liked making fun of people, so that would have been a splendid opportunity for her to laugh at Choisy, if she had felt like laughing.
Choisy first tried to get her confidence. He lavished praise on her acting, but he did not exaggerate flattery for he did not seem to pass for a woman in love with another woman. That would have been a dangerous thing to do.
He invited her to his house, not only at his salon parties but in the intimacy of his boudoir. He gave her precious recipes for pomades and other tricks women have to keep and enhance their natural beauty. He also asked her for advice on her way of dressing. In short, he and Rosalie began exchanging secrets on how best to seduce men, and, from there, there was but a short step to exchanging confidences on which men they were interested in.
— This du Rozan, Choisy remarked, has a great future before him, hasn't he.
— Yes, he's a handsome man, and he knows it. Rosalie agreed, I think he would like to marry me, but — Yes, Choisy said, marriage is an affair that demands a lot of thoughts.
— You made the experience of it yourself.
— That is why I hesitate to renew it.
— Even with Mr. d'Haucourt? said Rosalie with an impish tone. They say that he's running after you like mad.
— As a lover, maybe, but certainly not as a husband, said Choisy, I don't want to be chained down to him.
Rosalie was becoming more and more familiar with Choisy so that she tolerated a certain liberty.
— What a fine bust you have, Choisy told her one evening as he had gone into her dressing-room in the theatre, and she was taking off her stage dress.
— You don't have to envy me, yours is far from bad.
— Don't trust appearances, said Choisy, in reality I have to use falsies for my bust is quite flat like that of a man.
— Mr. d'Haucourt would be disappointed indeed if he ever found out!
— Good God, yes! You understand now why I hesitate to give Mr. d'Haucourt such a disappointment, or anybody else for that matter.
— But you have other advantages that make up for it, Rosalie said.
— You may be right there.
And Choisy noted that he had sparked off in Rosalie a certain curiosity that would perhaps prove the key to the problem of becoming more intimate with her. He started being more tender with her, and saw that she was not fighting shy of it.
One evening, after they both had had dinner as guests of a common friend, with d'Haucourt, the latter offered to accompany them both home.
— I don't know if we must accept, said Choisy, there's the risk of some gossiper seeing us and starting to spread some unfounded rumours.
— It would serve me in good stead if someone did that, said d'Haucourt.
— But, sir, and what about my reputation?
— I shall stop at your door, d'Haucourt assured her.
— That's what you say-but I trust Miss Rosalie will do me the honour of accepting my hospitality.
— But certainly, Rosalie answered, pleased to be of service to her great friend.
And that is how d'Haucourt saw the door being shut in his face by the two women.
— The poor knight, said Rosalie, he thought it was in the bag.
— Shall I have a room prepared for you, as well as a fire? said Choisy. If I dared, I would offer you to share my bed, that would be the simplest solution, and I confess I would feel more in security with you in my bed in case the bold knight took it into his head to climb up to my window.
And Choisy gave Rosalie a friendly kiss, which convinced her to accept his offer. And so, while Rosalie was praising the furniture of Choisy's room, Choisy praised Rosalie's body, as she was undressing.
— Your shoulders are worthy of a goddess, he told her.
He started giving her little kisses which made her shudder with pleasure.
— Darling, do stop, please-are you trying to replace Rozan?
— Who knows? Oh, but here are breasts fit to make envious all the nymphs of the mythology.
Rosalie, although she was obviously influenced by the caresses and compliments Choisy was giving her, endeavoured to control herself and adopted a mocking tone as a shield to her emotions.
— My word, did Mr. d'Haucourt, put you in such a state? she asked.
— No, you did!
And his lips solicited Rosalie's with such skill that the comedian became all languid.
— I wonder how all that is going to end, she said, feeling a little ashamed at what she guessed was lying ahead.
— In the best possible way, Choisy said confidently.
Choisy left only one lamp on and, after having undressed quickly, joined Rosalie in his bed.
First, he just gave her a few friendly caresses which did not betray his real sex and which proved successful in exciting Rosalie.
— What we're doing is bad, she murmured.
— Would you prefer to have Rozan in your bed instead of me? asked Choisy.
— He certainly would like to be in your place! ejaculated Rosalie.
— But what is to prevent me from replacing him? said Choisy, and, so saying, proved his virility to Rosalie who, too late, tried backing away. Choisy precipitated his action and held close to him Rosalie's attractive body with an ardour that melted all her resistance.
The effect of surprise played a great part in seducing Rosalie, for, before the final assault-so to speak-she had been led by caresses to a state of exacerbation which made her subsequent resistance much too weak for Choisy's fire. And when the Big Bad Wolf was in, she could no longer think straight and abandoned herself to the intoxication of love.
They both came in a wonderful spasm that shook them to the core and emptied them for a moment of all energy. During the resting period that followed, Rosalie contemplated the instrument that had given her such wonderful feelings, and said:
— Gorgeous, that thing of yours, if your breast was false, at least that isn't.
— You're right, said Choisy, I've been well provided by nature… Imagine d'Haucourt's face if he had been in this bed instead of you! laughed Choisy.
— It would have ended in a duel!
— I prefer “fighting” at close quarters with you, mocked Choisy.
Then they started making love again. Rosalie gave him kiss for kiss and caress for caress. She was evidently highly pleased with having found so opportunely such an unexpected and skilful lover. And the very unusual way in which she had lost her virtue gave her conscience a good excuse for having done so.
She gave herself fully to her voluptuousness and suddenly seized with her hands the virile instrument of her partner, superb and palpitating, and growing bolder still, covered with kisses this rod which had given her such pleasure.
Choisy did not resist such caresses a long time, and had to withdraw after a little while in order to keep his sap in.
In less time than it takes to say it, the two lovers had started again their love-making in a furiously passionate way. Rosalie (thought Choisy) was a really attractive and well-shaped woman, just right for his size, too!
The kisses and the intermingling of bodies became more abundant and more nervous and produced an abundant perspiration. In the quiet room one could hear sighs, grunts of pleasure and the rubbing of bodies.
Choisy, who liked to prolong pleasure as much as possible, now proceeded to put his partner in the most perfect state of receptivity and lavished the most skilful caresses on her. His hands ran slowly along all the flesh part of her anatomy, and when his fingers reached the source of pleasure by excellence, they slowly drew apart its lips to penetrate their warm and humid intimacy.
Then he gave back to Rosalie the very intimate caresses she had spontaneously given him with her mouth. She lay there in ecstasy, breathing heavily, while she let Choisy drink in the sap of her body at its source. And she was really happy then as she had never been before and thanked Heaven to have got across her path such a wonderful lover as Choisy.