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PARTISAN REVIEW
fun even if she didn't know where it might end, like a roller-coaster
going too fast. "No," she said, and had to stop for the giggles, "it's
not that. You know, from what I hear, that might not be the best
way with Mr. Harrick. Besides, I really am a virgin. I haven't been
loved up much even, not even after dances in the back of a car. I
never even let a hand get between my legs, the way some nice girls
do-yes, they do, they've told me-"
"Hush, hush!" Miss Abernathy cried out. "I won't hear this
in this house!"
But she did, for Celia Hornby was whirling right on, spinning
like stars, in the run-away roller-coaster, saying: "I really am a
virgin-just like you are--or aren't you, Miss Abernathy?-"
"Hush, hush!" Miss Abernathy implored, but it was no use, for
Celia Hornby hadn't really hesitated for an answer to her question,
whirling on: "And when Mr. Harrick does to me whatever he does
to stop me from being a virgin, I want-"
"Shameful--oh, it will be shameful!" Miss Abernathy cried
out, wringing her hands, or seeming about to. "You're only a young
girl, and you don't know Jack Harrick-what he will do-how
shameful!"
"Yes, shameful, just like what your father did to your mother
was shameful," the girl rebutted, thoroughly delighted with that
flourish.
"But, oh,-it wasn't like that!" Miss Abernathy cried, in her
last despair, "not like Jack Harrick! 0 h, you are vile!"
"Well, whatever he does," Celia Hornby said, "to make me
stop being a virgin, I want to be perfectly comfortable. I don't want
to be
in
the back seat of any old car. I want to be
in
a big com–
fortable bed, as big as the state of Kansas and dark as pitch, so I
could just sink back forever and be comfortable and get the most
out of whatever he is going to do. Wouldn't you want it that way,
Miss Abernathy? Wouldn't you? And that's why I'm going to wait
till Mr. Harrick takes me to a bed as big as the state of Kansas and
dark as pitch, and-"
Her words trailed off. There really wasn't any use talking any
more, for Miss Abernathy wasn't there. She had managed to go
out, to totter out, propping herself from one chair to the table, from
the table to another chair, from that chair to the door jamb, thence
