began.
Action followed threats so speedily that mental anguish immediately disappeared, to give place to the physical sensation of unspeak able suffering.
A rump which has not been whipped by a thong of hippopotamus hide does not know what the lash really is. No words can describe this torture. The Russian knout cannot be more barbarous.
I had no strength left to cry out, but hoarse indistinct groans came from my agonised body. Each blow found its echo in my heart which seemed on the point of bursting through excess of suffering.
The directress, with a cruelty which I can only describe as infernal, struck her blows slowly, at intervals. I listened as in a dream to Stella's sweet voice. It was her task to count the blows. This gave me no comfort, for I did not know to what number the blows were destined to amount. I listened also to the dull thud of the lash on my flesh. It was a sound like a cataract of water and filled my ears with its resounding echo. I do not think that Niagara itself can make more noise than did that lash.
The directress, after striking from left to right, struck from right to left, and the punishment ceased with a well-aimed blow, more rigourous than the others, which cut deeply into both halves of my posterior.
It seems that I received a dozen blows, includ ing the two little preparatory ones. I could have sworn that I received more than a hundred. It is certain that if Lady Flayskin had 127
punished me in anger, the effects would have been terrible indeed and the issue probably fatal.
Happily for me, I had simply served as an example, the real anger of the directress having for its object another person altogether, as the reader will see.
As for me, I panted; it was all that was left for me to do. The energetic attentions of the two mistresses and the salts they held to my nose brought my breath back to me. I noticed also that they touched me in a curious way with a view to restoring life in me.
The first thing I naturally proceeded to do was to set up a mournful wailing.
This did not suit the directress. It was necessary that the lesson should profit the victim, so that the example should bear fruit.
A mirror was brought and placed behind me. I looked therein with tear-dimmed eyes.
Great heavens! I was hardly able to believe in such depths of human cruelty when my eyes saw, reflected from the polished surface of the mirror, my unfortunate back parts furrowed by livid weals, my flesh divided, so to speak, into a number of lumps whence the blood trickled in little streamlets down my thighs.
A kind of delirium seized me. I called for my dear mother in piercing shrieks. Two maid-servants at once hurried in, replying to the electric bell. I was carried away in their arms, out of the school-room. They laid me on my belly, as it was not possible to think of putting me upon my back. After applying vaseline to my thighs-though it seemed to me that I was being touched with red-hot iron bars – the compassionate maids did their best in every way to relieve my sufferings. They tried to tempt me with dainties for which I had not the least appetite. Then, better inspired, remarking the condition of nervous excitement into which the terror and suffering of my whip ping had thrown me, their hands softly caressed me and calmed my poor body. The state of stupor which resulted enabled me to fall asleep. But my slumbers were feverish, disturbed by nightmares.
I learnt later from my companions what had happened in the class-room after I had been carried out.
To tell the truth, I regretted savagely that I had been unable to be present during that memorable scene. Every detail, however, was so minutely described to me subsequently that I was able to conjure up the picture perfectly. I think that the description I received and which I shall now reproduce, will enable the reader to have the whole scene clearly before his eyes.
Scarcely was I outside the door of the class room, whence almost fainting I was carried by the strong arms of the maid-servants, when Lady Flayskin advanced to Miss Virginia, stopping before her and crossing her arms on her chest. She still held in her hand the terrible lash, and laughed harshly as she remarked:
'It is our turn now, Miss!'
'What do you mean?' replied the noble young lady, keeping countenance very well although her colour began to fade.
'I mean that you are about to immediately undress yourself in order that I may flog you before the whole class with the whip you are looking at. I shall lash you more severely 129
than that urchin who, after all, was much less to blame than you.'
'What is the meaning of this foolish jest?'' said the young girl, withdrawing a step from the directress.
'As to folly, you are the only fool here, so remember that once for all!'
This was too much for the rich heiress of a family of knights and nobles. The colour rose to her cheeks, as with imperious voice and authoritative glance, she cried:
'Never have I been addressed in the least accent or tone of disrespect! How do you, ignoble creature, dare to be so audacious? To have imagined the possibility of my taking off my clothes before this assemblage of scholars, constitutes a criminal offence. But your most odious proceeding is to have dared to threaten me with the whip. I have told you that I wish to quit this establishment. Allow me to pass. I warn you that if you have the tem erity to lay so much as a finger upon me I shall make you bitterly repent it. You and your like are made to serve upon their knees women of my rank and position.'
The sardonic laugh of Lady Flayskin made the pupils tremble. She replied: 'Very well! Then I will be your servant. But it is you who will be on bended knees. Come here without further delay!'
The imperious directress pointed with extended finger to the place I had just left. With the other arm she brandished the whip which whistled horribly in the air. Her features took on terrible beauty like that of a Nemesis of old.
In reply, Miss Virginia turned her back and deliberately walked towards the door, with the obvious intention of leaving the room and per haps the house also. Scarcely had she opened the door, than she tottered backwards and was hurled irresistibly into the centre of the room. Two of the strongest maid-servants of the establishment had been informed by Stella of what was happening, and in accordance with the orders they received, had been awaiting the signal of Lady Flayskin to burst into the room and lay strong hands on Miss Virginia and prevent her from quitting the premises.
They thrust back the young girl and then 132
seized her by the shoulders and pulled her along.
The maid-servants were followed into the room by Mr. Gostock. It had clearly been Stella who had summoned the gentleman at the psychological moment, possibly with the cognisance of the directress who always was indulgent whith the Puritan Yankee.
He did not conceal his sentiments towards pretty Stella. With visible pleasure, he caress ed her hand, then softly stroked the girl's chin. These trivial gestures on the part of so austere and grave a man did not fail to amaze the entire school.
Miss Virginia, who had thus been forcibly thrust back into the room by the servants, had recovered from her first astonishment. This tall strong girl, whose muscles were in excel lent trim owing to her athletic training, for she had been brought up to play all open-air games and indulge in all those sports so much in vogue among English girls of the highest rank, had energetically resisted her assailants. But she had to do with those who were stronger than she herself. The two servants were 133
Welsh, and had been carefully selected by the astute directress from among the most thickset and muscular of their race. They were two tall, heavy-limbed country wenches, square waisted and animal-faced, showing in every feature obstinate resolution and brutality. They wore neither gloves, stays, nor high heels. Their movements were easy. They were, in fact, primitive beings, true savages, or, to describe them otherwise, strong and ferocious watchdogs who obeyed their mistress's voice only, growling and gnashing their teeth at every other person so ill- advised as to think of giving them an order.
These women found amusement in the resist ance offered by Miss Virginia, and they burst into unintelligent peals of laughter as they showed the muscles of their big arms and did what they liked with the elegant and disdainful young lady, treating her as though she had been a mere bundle.
While Miss Virginia struggled vainly against her robust guardians, who held her much as dogs hold a wild boar they have run down, she cried out to the directress in a hoarse voice:
'Infamous woman, will you be so good as immediately to order these low mercenaries to remove from my noble body their hands inured to servile tasks?'
The directress replied:
