vitruvius is a creature of the
stage. Her origins are obscure.
Once, in a rare moment of artic-
ulate speech, the ghoulish Pierre
told me that vitruvius was the
only child of a dispossessed Balkan
dowager and her brooding gypsy lover,
Raoul. vitruvius's mother wandered
endlessly between expensive resort
hotels at Biarritz, Baden Baden,
Malta and Alexandria, so vitruvius's
rudimentary education was gleaned
for the most part in lobbies and
gaming rooms. vitruvius normally
evades questions about the early days,
but I happen to know that one summer
Cocteau amused himself by teaching her
French. They say Man Ray lent her
his camera. However, the most crucial
moment for vitruvius came when a famous
medium, Madame Crepuscula, held an
illicit séance late one night in the
restaurant of the Hôtel du Port et
des Négociants at Toulon. Through her
the ghost of Isadora Duncan appeared
to vitruvius. "The stage", she cried,
"vitruvius will conquer the stage".
At length (they were using a wee-gee
board) the ghost of Isadora Duncan
added "But for God's sake don't wear
a long silk scarf if someone takes
you for a drive in a convertible".