The World of Courtesans c11.112

c11.112

Some clever bawd said that her daughter was the mistress of an officer's son who had gone out of the city and in this way she realized thrice the normal fees from some credulous fool. Another bawd observed, "My daughter is too young for you, this is not the right time, I have not seen you before " Even these words did not stop her from dragging a *vita* inside the curtain and settling the fees. Another prostitute told her friend, "The Takka (Punjabi) does not want to pay but refuses to quit. The army chief will turn against us if he does not get his chance. How is it possible to draw an allowance from the temple if the temple clerk is not allowed to visit my house?" One kept harping on her own innocence and the perfidy of others. All these protestations made the *vitas* laugh. Another prostitute in order to hurt the pride of her friends asserted that no man was admitted to her place unless he was a cultured prince.