continued, laying aside the embroidery, upon which she had been engaged.
'It is an unfortunate interruption,' cried Agnes. 'I was much interested in the adventures we were listening to. I wonder whatever the Signora did with her lover. Julia, I wish your abnormal development was-was-'
She dared not conclude her sentence before Mademoiselle, but her eyes told me what she meant.
'Was inside me,' is what she would have said.
Through the perplexity and embarrassment I suffered I felt the germination of the same desire. I would have given her a reason for no longer laughing at me. But I dared not dwell on it or the phenomenon would have again become noticeable!
'Julia!' said Beatrice, 'is not responsible. It is all Mr. Boccaccio's fault.'
Beatrice had evidently not forgotten the whipping I had given her a few days before.
'I really cannot permit,' broke in Mademoiselle, 'such an indecent exhibition. I cannot pass over it-Julia, I am shocked and ashamed of you-a young lady should know how to restrain herself, and if she does not know she must be taught. Beatrice, take your cousin and put her down on that couch upon her back, and hold her arms over her head.'
Sinking with shame, afraid to say a word in self-defence, I was led to the couch and laid across it. It was in a prominent part of the room.
'Maud, lift up her skirts-throw them over her head-take off her drawers-spread out her legs.'
These directions were all speedily obeyed. I resigned myself with a choking in my throat.
'Now keep her so, until I return,' ordered Mademoiselle.
'I shall have the birching of you, Julian, in a few minutes. I knew,' said Beatrice, 'I knew my revenge would come. Won't you catch it!'
'I declare,' exclaimed Maud, 'your remark has made the thing positively rear its head.'
'Oh, Julia!' went on Maud, first clasping her hands before her and then kneeling between my knees, almost touching 'him,' for whatever my sex, he was certainly masculine. 'Oh, Julia! Do you remember?'
'Remember what?' angrily exclaimed Beatrice.
'Mind your own business, Bee. He is just as much mine as yours.'
If Maud had said more mine than yours, she would have been more accurate, nearer the truth.
'Indeed,' rejoined Beatrice scornfully, 'he has sold himself to me long ago. I know what happened in your studio, Maud.'
'You don't,' screamed Maud, an angry flush rising and spreading itself all over her countenance.
'Yes, I do,' quickly replied Beatrice, 'and he is to marry me for it; and I shall compel you, Maud, when we are married, to ask for a repetition of it.'
Maud's angry flush died away. She thought it wiser not to pursue the subject; instead she caught her skirts with both her hands, and slightly raising them asked, 'Now?'
'I think your assumption and airs of proprietorship quite absurd,' she continued. 'He is not his own to give away or to sell, and as you say you know all about it, no doubt you are aware that Elise, in whose possession he was by Mademoiselle's own order, sold him to me.'
'That's all very fine,' quickly retorted Beatrice, with a readiness a lawyer might have envied, raising herself up, throwing her head back, and speaking the words with great defiance, 'but he was to have been only for three days in Elise's possession even if you had not interfered; and you surely do not imagine that she could have sold him to you for a longer time than she was to have had him herself?'
'My interference indeed! How dare you? You would have done the same yourself, and as to Elise's selling him or his selling himself, he is Mademoiselle's slave.'
Beatrice during this altercation held my hands very tightly by the wrists over my head. I wondered what my fate would be.
'Look here,' cried Agnes as I contemplated the stylish forms before which I was so shamefully exposed, 'if Mademoiselle catches us squabbling you know we shall be flogged all round; do shut up. You have got him now, Bee, at any rate, so what is the good of wrangling?'
'Oh! Maud is always setting everybody to rights.'
'I don't appropriate other people's possessions anyhow.'
'Because you can't get them.'
'I have had more than you.'
'And yet you say you don't appropriate other people's possessions.'
'No more I do. I bought them.'
'Bought them. Prostitute!' hissed Beatrice.
'Beatrice, shut up! Goodness, she must have heard!'
Mademoiselle, at that instant, opened the door.
'Which of you young ladies used a word with which I will not sully my lips?'
They all hung their heads.
'Maud, was it you?'
'Beatrice and I were discussing what Julia had been reading to us. She declared that the lady was- was…'
It was very generous of Maud.
Agnes looked greatly relieved.
Beatrice threw a glance of grateful recognition at her sister for her presence of mind and generosity after which I certainly drew my breath more freely. Had Mademoiselle known the truth Beatrice would have been half annihilated especially after what had actually occurred between Maud and myself which, no doubt, Mademoiselle would have surmised Beatrice was maliciously throwing in Maud's teeth. Besides which Mademoiselle believed, or, as I really think, pretended to believe, that what had happened between Maud and myself was known only to Maud, myself, herself, and Elise.
What she might feel bound to do if brought into contact with the fact that it was common knowledge, I dread to think. What an escape for Bee and for all of us!
'So, Beatrice, as usual, it is you who are in fault; it was you who used that word! Where are your modesty, your maidenly feelings? How could a young lady use such a word?'
Beatrice looked at Mademoiselle but said nothing. There seemed, however, to be something in her mouth.
'Well?' asked Mademoiselle.
'I really can't see any harm in the word: pro, 'before,' and statue, 'I place.' If I had said, proseda, or procax, or togata, or meretrix, or cunnus, or pellex, or lupa, or scrotum-'
'Very well, Beatrice. Stop your obscene storm of words! Your vocabulary-sacre blue! — you have a fine one. It does credit to your classical attainments. However, I have something else to attend to now. You shall be punished, after dinner, in a way which will test your candour. If what you have said to me is true you will not feel the penalty: but I doubt it very much. Prostitute indeed-a pretty word! As it is of so little significance please to write it in Roman capitals on a large card and hang it round your neck when you come down to dinner!'
'Oh, Mademoiselle!'
Mademoiselle had a flat steel ring or disc in her hand, the inside edges of which were serrated or indented like a saw. By means of a watch spring attached to it, it was fixed on to Mons. Priapus, and it was evident to me that if he enlarged himself in the least, the teeth would be into him and the more he grew the further they would penetrate.
'There,' said Mademoiselle, having daintily fixed the instrument, 'I think this will cure you; but in the drawing room I must direct Elise to replace that bandage you wore when Lord Alfred Ridlington dined with us. And now, Miss Julia, of course you know you must be birched. Beatrice, flog your cousin's bottom for her?'
Beatrice brightened up at the notion of whipping me.
Mons. Priapus grew. I got fearfully pricked.
'Oh, Beatrice, let me go!' I shouted. 'Oh, Mademoiselle, it is eating into me! Take it off,' I cried desperately struggling, 'take it off!'
Beatrice held me tight.
Mademoiselle was pleased to see her horribly ingenious little instrument work so effectually.
'Oh! Do not have me whipped with it on! Oh, Mademoiselle, please!'
