The Devotee

Ida Plank to Edith Fawcett

Fri 6 October 1905

Dear EF,

I hope you have been well. I havent heard from you but I am not upset about that. I trust you are busy.

You may know that Mrs Beatrice Webb is very high up here. She knew I worked for you-know-who (I will call them YKW) and she called me in to have a talk with her and her husband whose name I can never rember.

Now EF you understand I am in a tricky place.

If I go and blab about things I only think might be happning then I can get into big trouble. I told you YKW took my book but I cant prove it can I. I didnt tell Mrs Webb she took it.

But we talkd about what we talkd about. And now Mrs Webb who is very big in the labur movement thinks something fishy is going on with YKW. And an election is comin up.

I told her I could not just tell her anything cos my friend Kate still works for YKW. This is all posh people doing there business is it not and I do not want to get messed about by this.

Please let me know what you think. If you have any advice I would like to hear it.

All right. In other news I have been making some friends here and there is one of the Misses who I think likes me. A little bit like how you and I like each other. I cant be sure but I think so.

If she does I mean to take her up on it. And if we do anything I mean to tell you.

Tell me what you think of that too.

Remember. You are the one I am thinkin about.

*

Edith Fawcett to Ida Plank

Tuesday 10 October 1905

Dear IP

Thank you for your letter.

I have not written only because I have little to tell you. I have been working with Mr Squire.

H has not been here. Her career is 'taking off' enormously since she has got back from Germany and she has been in great demand.

It is too cold for me to swim in the pond, so when I do swim, it is in the pool, after Mr S has gone to bed, when he will not see me naked. More about that another time (it is a story about me making a pure idiot of myself, which I think you shall enjoy.)

Regarding the Webbs. I think you are being very sensible. Above all, you must not give anything to anyone without getting anything in return. Not just promises.

Mrs Webb wrote to me but her letter was delayed. I have enclosed a copy of what I wrote back to her.

You must do what you feel is best. You know what to do. I trust your judgement. Look after Kate.

Regarding the Miss who you think likes you: I fail to see why she should not like you.

If you and her do anything that you should like to tell me about, I hope you will do so.

Edith Fawcett to Beatrice Webb

Tuesday 10 October 1905

Dear Mrs Webb,

Thank you for your letter, which I only received today.

Mr Squire did give the book to Miss Plank, and the book was indeed subsequently sold to Barton's, who paid two pounds for it, and who later sold it on for three pounds to Mr Gilbert Scope, a friend of Mr Squire's. Mr Scope sent the book back to Mr Squire, who has it now.

I personally visited Barton's shop with Miss Plank, and the bookseller confirmed that she had not been the person that sold the book to them.

The only two reasonable conclusions are:

1. Miss Plank, for arcane reasons of her own, persuaded some agent to sell the book to Barton's so that she could pocket the proceeds, but for some reason that agent gave Miss Plank's name as the seller, which suggests either sheer incompetence on Miss Plank in selecting an agent, or sheer incompetence in the agent, or;

2. Someone else, who knows Miss Plank, stole the book from her and sold it to Barton's, giving her name in an attempt to cover their tracks.

The second option seems to me to better stand up to the operation of Occam's Razor.

I know Ida Plank. She is very much not a fool, and I would vouch for her integrity in court. I have never believed that she stole the book.

If there is anything else I can help you with, I will be happy to do so.

*

Beatrice Webb to William Casaubon

Thursday 12 October 1905

I have made a few inquiries.

It seems that the writer, Mr Lionel Squire, gave to the Freeholds' maid, a Miss Plank, a gift of a book, which was rather valuable. Why he should do this, I confess I don't know, but the book was later sold to Barton's bookshop for two pounds. It was found there by the writer Mr. G. Scope, who bought it for three pounds and delivered it back to Mr. Squire, thinking it must have been stolen.

My source here is Mr. Squire's secretary Miss E. Fawcett, with whom I have been in correspondence. She vouches for Miss Plank's integrity, and for the peculiar fact that whoever sold the book to Barton's gave Miss Plank's name, but was not, apparently, Miss Plank.

Miss Plank now works for us at the LSE as a computer, for which she has a remarkable talent. I have talked to her, and she tells me that the Freeholds have a second maid, who may or may not be able to shed more light on the matter.

I asked Miss Plank the name of the other maid, but she would not tell me, giving as her reason that she did not want to expose herself or the other maid to risk.

Now, it had previously occurred to me that Miss Plank might have got someone else to sell the book for her. However, Miss Plank's impregnable discretion as regards the Freeholds seems to me the hallmark of great caution, and my own impression of her reinforces that, so I am disinclined to think that she decided to sell the book, but then chose a seller who was stupid enough to give her name. I lean towards the idea the book was taken from her, and sold on. By whom, I am, however, utterly in the dark. In the absence of any other evidence of criminality in the Freehold house, this is the only thing we have to to go on.

Anyway, you have Miss Fawcett's name, and the information that the Freeholds have a second maid. What you choose to do with that is your business.

*

William Casaubon to Beatrice Webb

Saturday 14 October 1905

Mr Scope is an old friend of mine. He has the highest opinion of Miss Fawcett, which in him is unusual, as he has a regrettably low opinion of women in general.

This whole business with the book seems to be very murky. However, the second maid may be the key. I shall try to find her on her afternoon off, and see if she can be persuaded to be helpful.

*

From the diary of Ida Plank

Monday 16 October 1905

I met Kate for a cup of tea. She seemd a bit ajitated and I sez, Kate wots the matter.

She sez, O Ida I dunno wots goin on. I went for my walk yesterday an this gent appears and sez ello an can I talk to you. Well you know me, Ida, I am not one to talk to strange gents an I sez I am on my walk. Then e sez he is a reporter for the Times and e wants to talk to me about the Fs.

I sez, All right Kate, wot did you do.

Kate sez, Well I thought, what would Ida do, and I sez, sir I cannot talk to a reporter about my employers. E sez, my name is William Casaubon, may I have your name? So I told him my name.

O Kate, I sez, that was maybe not wise.

Well but listen, Kate sez. E sez, I do not wish you to tell tales about your employers, I only wish you to confirm one or two things, would that be all right? I have been told things and if you could say yes or no, that is all I want. So I thowt thered be no arm in that.

What did e say, I sez.

Kate sez, E asked me, your employers ad another maid, did they not? Ida Plank? Surely that is not a secret? I sez yes. Then e sez, Was Ida given a book by a Mister Squire? I sez, yes she was. Then he sez, did she like the book? I sez, yes, she liked it ever so much, she always ad er ed in a book. E sez, that is very interestin. I didnt say the wrong thing did I Ida?

I sez, I dunno but I mean its true.

Then, Kate sez, e asks me, Wot appened to the book? And that was when I knew I could get people in trubbul, because you know and I know wot appened to it, but if I just said well Mrs Freehold took it off er, that would be just my word wudnt it?

I sez, yes it wud. So what did you say?

Kate sez, I sez to im, O sir I cant tell you that. E sez, do you not know. I sez, I cant tell you what I know, I cud get in trubbul and get others into trubbul. E sez, All right, Miss Morley, never mind that. May I ask a different qwestion? I sez, you can ask me Mr Casaubon but I dunno if I will answer, and e laughs and sez, Very sensibbul of you. Then e sez, tell me honestly Miss Morley, do you think that Ida would have got rid of that book? An I sez, no, sir, she loved that book so much, Mr Squire wrote such a nice thing in it to er, she wud never ave got rid of it. E sez, all right Miss Morley, one last qwestion, wud that be all right? I sez, ask away sir. E sez, did you or Ida come into any money towards the end of er time at the house?

I smild at that cos the idea of Kate or I comin into money was so odd.

Kate sez to me, I know, I thowt it was funny too. I sez, no sir, dyou think if wed come into money wed ave gone on workin there? An e sez, why, is it so awful? An then I knew Id gone too far, so I sez, No sir, it is wonderful, Mr and Mrs Freehold are the perfeckt employers, only I sez it with a big smile so e knows Im jokin. An e smiles an sez, all right, Miss Morley, thank you for your time, its bin very nice talkin to you. And then were sort of walkin down the street, I was goin to the pond, and es still walkin with me. And I sez, was there anythin else sir? An e sez, do you think you could call me Mister Casaubon?

E wot, I sez. An Kate smiles at me and rolls er eyes.

O but Ida, she sez, e is very andsome.

Kate, I sez, you daft?

I dint do nothin, she sez, we just talkd after that. We went to look at the ducks. E was ever so nice.

I sez, E was ever so nice cos he wants to get into your knickers.

Kate sez, I know that, I aint stupid. But if e wants to get into my knickers he can put a ring on this bloody finger.

An she olds up her left and.

I sez, Well I think you did well with is qwestions.

O I am glad to ear you say that, she sez. I was afraid Id messd up.

I sez, No you didnt. But I dont like this, reporters pokin around an what not. Somethins up. Need to be careful what we say. You done a good job though.

She sez, thanks Ida, any way Ida how you been.

I sez, I been all right. You remember I met some one.

She sez, yes.

I sez, Its the one I was in love with.

She sez, O she broke your art though.

I sez Yeh, she did, but shes proper sorry abowt it and she still likes me.

She sez, O Ida, watch out. She might do it again.

I sez, I dont think so this time. I think she is more grown up now.

Kate sez, why dyou think so.

I sez, Becos she is actin like it. But also I want to think she is more grown up cos I like her. So I might be wrong. But I still like er. I think I am still in love with er.

Kate sez, I dont want you to get urt.

I sez, Aint nothin you can do there eh. Not with love.

So what should I do now, she sez.

I sez, Dont do nothin that will get you fired. I know there rubbish but a job is a job.

She sez, all right.

And, I sez, if that Mr Casaubon comes sniffin around again, make it clear that es not getting into your knickers till he puts that ring on your finger.

Kate sez, O dont worry about that Ida. I aint goin to be a fool for no one.

*

William Casaubon to Beatrice Webb

Monday 16 October 1905

I located the Freehold's second maid, whose name is Kate Morley.

She said that Miss Plank greatly valued the book, and would never have got rid of it. She strongly implies she knows what did happen, but cannot tell me, because it could get her and others into 'trouble'.

I do agree that the idea that Miss Plank got Miss Morley to sell the book, and Miss Morley gave Miss Plank's name, stretches credibility. It would mean that either Miss Morley is spectacularly unintelligent, or Miss Plank is, and neither seems to be the case. The simplest explanation is, as you suggest, that someone else took the book from Miss Plank, sold it, and left her name to cover their tracks.

However, simplicity is not the only test of the truth.

Three people have now testified to Miss Plank's character: Edith Fawcett, Kate Morley and yourself. It would be interesting to know if anyone has ever said anything bad about her, and if so, who, and under what circumstances.

For myself, I was impressed with Miss Morley. She seemed a charming young woman, of intelligence and spirit.

*

From the diary of Edith Fawcett:

Tuesday 17 October 1905

Mrs Freehold is coming to visit, in the second weekend of November. Again. This time, with her family.

I am troubled. I am fully convinced by IP's claim that Mrs F took IP's copy of theIdyllsand sold it, yet I have no material evidence. And I cannot express my suspicions to Mr Squire without seeming to take sides.

The Webbs are now scheming to find anything on the Freeholds that will discredit them. And much as I sympathise with their cause, I have no wish to be a pawn in their game. I would prefer to be, at least, a knight. Except that I am far from sure who the Kings should be: are they, on the one hand, Mr Freehold's parliamentary seat and his eventual opponent, or The Freeholds and Mr Squire? Or who?

Mr Squire's benevolent gesture, in giving IP the book, has set a whole train of events in inexorable motion.

My loyalties are divided. I must serve Mr Squire, but I must also look out for IP. I love her, and I would throw myself in front of a sword for her. But I do not believe that it will come to that.

Another letter from Butterworth, today, promising still more favourable terms than ever.

All this cloak-and-dagger business about the electoral chances of a shiftless time-server, and his overbearing wife! It runs completely counter to my natural inclination towards candour and helpfulness. It is hugely difficult for me to pretend to not know things that I know, and vice versa.

But I suppose I must get better at it, if I am to defend both Mr Squire and IP.

Friday 20 October 1905

The best laid plans, &c.

H returned tonight from her concert tour. She was at her most charmingly exhausted. She wilted delightfully over sherry, revived and became sparkling over a 'cocktail', was animated at dinner, and, after dinner and Mr Scope's retirement to bed, she very successfully enticed me to, as it were, welcome her home.

... If I did not already have IP's approval for this kind of thing, I can only hope that I would have been able to resist temptation.

Edith Fawcett to Ida Plank

Saturday 21 October 1905

My dear IP,

You wanted to be told when I did anything that you might enjoy hearing about.

H returned yesterday afternoon. She was rather tired from her travels, but after Mr S had gone to bed, and we were alone in the study, she turned her eyes upon me, and I felt my will weakening.

'Dear Miss Fawcett,' she said, 'I have missed you so much.'

'And I you,' I replied.

'I have conducted amateur musicians in village halls for days,' she said. 'I have feigned laughter at the weak jokes of local heads of music societies, and pretended to admire their inept performances. I have slept alone in damp beds in village inns.'

'How you have suffered,' I said, and I meant to provoke her.

'You mock me,' she said.

'I think you deserve spirited company,' I said.

She stared at me and, my dear IP, it was as if I were in the jaws of some large and hungry animal.

'Miss Fawcett,' she said softly, 'do you still mean what you said about hoping to improve your conversational skills.'

'I do.'

'Then,' she said, 'pray come over here.'

I got up from my seat and walked over to her.

She looked me up and down.

'Undress,' she said, with quiet command. 'Completely.'

Thinking about you, and about her, I had no option but to obey. Our few servants had all but retired for the night.

I took off all my clothes and piled them on the floor, and suffered her to look upon me.

'You are a sight for the most aching of eyes, Miss Fawcett,' she said, and she rose from her seat, took me in her arms and kissed me.

Then she leaned over, picked up my clothes in one hand (I think she must have tremendous finger strength from playing the piano), took my right hand in her other hand, and led me out of the study into the hall.

Blushing furiously, I followed her, naked, up the stairs to her room, and was only able to breathe naturally when we were safe inside, away from the gaze of any servants. Luckily, no-one saw us.

And now, my dear IP, I must talk about something that is closer to my heart than H.

I know that you are conscious of your former status as a servant, while I was and perhaps still am, in your eyes, a 'lady'.

In truth, I am not quite a lady as Mrs F is a lady.

I am a mere secretary, something 'more than' a maid, in the eyes of the world, to be sure, but not fully a lady. I am a 'functionary', someone who might achieve 'lady' status, were I to marry the right man.

Well, if you do not know this yet, it is because I have not told you, but I have no intention of marrying any man.

I have a sense that the world is changing, and that we women will have something to contribute that we have not yet been able to contribute. I do not know how this will come about, but the world we have known, in which women knew that their place was to serve, or to be wives, or both, will not, I think, last. I expect, and demand, to live in a world in which women are not divided into 'ladies' and 'maids'.

When I think about you, I do not think that you are 'beneath' me, in any way. You have taught me much, whether you meant to or no.

And there is something about being taught, which requires one to submit to the teacher.

Tonight, I wished to be taught by H, so that I could submit myself to you, by telling you what she taught me.

She stood in her room, and as her handmaid, I undressed her, and then took her to the bathroom, where I bathed her and cleaned myself.

Then I dried us both, and took her back to the bedroom, and laid her down. We kissed a great deal, I on top of her, caressing her body, while she was largely passive but expressing enjoyment.

Then, once she became more aroused, I followed her indications and lay between her legs, and applied my tongue to her front parts, you know the ones I mean, and then much of the rest of my face, following her rhythms and the sounds she was making, until she spent.

Her body is remarkable. She is, it is true, rather large, but when she is aroused, as it as if no part of it is inert. She gains energy from being stimulated, and becomes vibrant and joyful and beautiful. If you find yourself beneath her, it feels like a pleasure to be pressed into the mattress by such an ecstatically alive mass of flesh. And her words are so affectionate, and her smiles so tender, that one cannot resist her charm.

She finished herself by sitting astride my head and burying my face in her nether parts, and I tongued her until she spent a third or fourth time, whereupon she got off me and subsided onto the bed, pink-cheeked and blissful.

I very much think that she likes to make her partner feel overwhelmed with her presence and her appetites, hence the face-sitting. And it is rather overwhelming, and not a little humiliating, to be naked and flat on one's back, while another woman sits on one's face and strokes one to ecstasy. But I tell you this, because I want you to know what my experiences were.

This time, knowing what to expect, and given that she had far less energy, I was far less exhausted. I felt more like I was ministering to her, like a nurse or handmaiden.