Full text of "Laughing Torso"
See other formats
PARIS like a drawing by Toulouse-Lautrec. The walls were covered with tiles, representing the Palais de Versailles. Floating on the lakes were swans and seated on their backs were nude ladies, clothed only in black stockings. This made a strange and rather beautiful background for the inhabitants of the cafe. A very loud mechanical piano was playing. We sat down at a table and the girls stood in a row in front of us. Everyone who comes in has to choose a girl to drink with and dance with. There were about eighteen of them, very heavily painted and with very little on. They all wore socks and high- heeled shoes. Their hair was most elaborately curled and some wore coloured bows of ribbon; it would have made a marvellous painting. They lined up and said, " Choisissez, Monsieur., *Dame" I chose a large, fat one, with red hair and Pascin chose a small and I thought, rather disagreeable young woman. They said they would like some wine. We asked them if we might do drawings of them. They were delighted and sat motionless for about ten minutes. All the other girls crowded round and left their men and insisted on sitting for us too. They took each of our drawings, folded them up and put them down their socks. They kept their money there and, as we explained that we found their conversation and company quite sufficient, we had to produce ten francs from time to time. At 12 o'clock we were quite exhausted, I had done eighteen drawings. I took a taxi and went home. Pascin stayed behind and made friends with the 271