I was afraid of exciting suspicion by doing this, but he was so urgent that I consented. Accordingly when I got into the water, letting my bathing gown fly open I began to frolic with my aunt, throwing the water upon her, and trying to excite her to punish me in the usual manner, so as to give me the opportunity of retaliating upon her. At first, however, she did not seem at all inclined to join in the sport, but after a little, I observed her cast a sharp glance at the thicket, where there was a slight rustling among the bushes. I was sadly afraid that Harry would be discovered, but I was soon relieved of my apprehension by my aunt encouraging my playful tricks. Very soon we were both quite naked, and busily employed in applying the fresh birch to each other's posteriors.
After indulging in this amusement for some time we dressed and returned to the house. Just as we were approaching it, I was surprised to see Mr. Everard coming towards us. My aunt also seemed somewhat astonished, and, after speaking apart to him for a few minutes, asked him to return to the house with me saying that she would be with us in a few minutes. I was now dreadfully alarmed, for I at once suspected what was really the case-that my aunt, on seeing the movement in the thicket, had supposed it was Mr. Everard, who, she knew, was to return that day, and now finding he had not been there, she had returned to discover who had taken his place.
I had no doubt she would discover poor Harry. I would have given the world to have been able to give him warning to keep out of sight, but I could devise no pretext for leaving Mr. Everard, who had evidently received instructions to keep me in sight. I was therefore obliged to return to the house, where we remained in the drawing room till my aunt joined us. I saw her coming across the lawn, and went to the door as if to meet her, when I heard her desire the servant to tell Mr. Henry that she wished to see him in her boudoir as soon as he came in. I had no doubt but that he must have been discovered, and I returned to the drawing room in the greatest uneasiness, for I already began to have some unpleasant suspicions as to how the matter was likely to terminate.
I afterwards discovered that as I had supposed, my aunt's suspicions were aroused, and as she knew the grounds perfectly, she had returned to a spot from which she could observe any one issuing from the thicket in question. She had not waited long before she espied poor Harry, who, little suspecting that any lookout was kept upon him, was walking quietly away with the intention of returning to the house as if from a different direction.
My aunt made no-attempt to conceal herself, and on seeing her alone and evidently watching him, Harry soon suspected that he had been found out. He was sadly at a loss to know to what to do. But as he is a bold courageous boy, he was not long in making up his mind to face the worst. “All she can do to me,” he said to himself, “is to give me a flogging, and after all, the sight I have seen is well worth paying such a price for.” I strongly suspect, however, that he did not anticipate the magnitude of the price he was to pay.
Soon after my aunt came in, I made some excuse to retire to my own room. I was afraid she might have directed me to remain with Mr. Everard, but she said nothing and took no notice of me nor of what had occurred. I left my door open and listened till I heard Harry come in. I wanted sadly to speak to him, but as he followed the servant immediately to the boudoir, I had no opportunity. I then heard my aunt leave the drawing room and proceed to her own room, so I hastened to pass into the store closet that I might ascertain and get a view of what I now apprehended was going to take place.
On entering the boudoir, Lady Lovesport locked the door towards the passage, and then came straight up to where Harry was standing in the middle of the room. He was very pale, but he had a resolute composed aspect, as if he had made up his mind to endure the worst that could happen to him. “So, you young rascal,” she said to him, “is this the return you make to me for all my kindness to you, that I cannot go with my niece to bathe but you must play the spy upon us? What have you to say for yourself? Can you venture to deny your shameful conduct?” Harry cast his eyes down when she began to address him, but said nothing while she continued to upbraid him for his disgraceful proceeding.
Finding that he did not attempt to deny his fault or justify himself, but maintained what she called a stubborn silence, she announced her intention to flog him for his misconduct. She said that her first intention had been to send him off instantly, and never to see him again; but that, on further reflection, she had determined to try the effect of a sound flogging in the hope that it might cure him of such naughty practices for the future. She told him that she had no wish to expose his shameful conduct and his disgrace to the servants; but she was determined that he should not escape punishment, and if he did not submit to it quietly, Mr. Everard was in the house and she would call him to assist her in any manner that might be necessary. Here Harry's pride was roused, and he answered boldly that he knew he had done wrong and was sorry he had offended her, and was willing to submit to any punishment she might choose to inflict, but that neither Mr. Everard nor any servant should ever flog him or assist in holding him to be flogged, even if they should kill him.
Lady Lovesport seemed not a little surprised at this exhibition of spirit, but it did not appear to displease her and she said more mildly that if he was willing to submit to any punishment quietly, she would not do anything to hurt his feelings unnecessarily, but that if he made the least resistance she would immediately call in assistance, whatever might be the consequences. She then produced a large birch rod, and told him to take down his trousers. But here again his spirit broke out, and he said modestly that he would make no resistance to anything she might do to him, but that he did not think he ought to be punished in that manner for indulging a very natural curiosity, and he would not be a party to anything that implied his acquiescence in the punishment. Lady Lovesport still showed no symptom of being offended at his coolness, but quietly told him that the more trouble he gave her, the more severe his punishment would be. To this his only reply was that he could not help it. Here the colloquy ended, and she then proceeded to action.
She first removed his jacket and waistcoat, and taking hold of his arms, placed them behind his back, and bound them firmly together. While she was doing this I thought I saw Harry hesitating. Whether he thought of resisting or remonstrating I cannot tell, but after a short struggle he seemed to make up his mind to let her take her own way entirely. She then took another handkerchief and proceeded to blindfold him. This took Harry quite by surprise, as he had entirely forgotten what I had told him had taken place with Maria. But it prepared me for what next occurred-the appearance of Mr. Everard from the adjoining bedroom, the door of which had been left open. He came in softly and sat down on the sofa, before which the other two were standing. I believe Harry would have objected to the bandaging of his eyes if he could have helped it, but having allowed Lady Lovesport to fasten his hands he was now at her mercy and could offer no resistance, and where that was the case he was too proud to remonstrate. I noticed that she gave a pull at his neckerchief and loosened the knot which fastened it, so that it soon fell off, upon which she made some pretext far putting her hand to his neck, and apparently accidentally unfastened his jacket. Then leading him to a sofa in the centre of the boudoir, she made him kneel up over the raised end of the couch so as to support his head, then her busy hands unbuttoned his trousers, pulled them down to his heels, and tucked up his shirt round his waist till I could see his bottom, and everything.
The culprit being ready, Mr. Everard came silently from his seat, and with his assistance her clothes seemed to drop off as if by magic, till she stood in chemise, stockings, and boots only. She now took up a swinging rod and commenced to whip the bold Harry very soundly as her lover, standing behind her back, embraced her in his arms with one hand raising her chemise whilst the other tickled her lovely slit in front-which was fully exposed to my view.
She evidently hurt him very much, as I could hear him give a suppressed moan and wince at every cut, till she suddenly changed her plan, and seating herself on the sofa, drew his body over her naked thighs. She faced directly towards the store closet, whilst Harry also turned his face in that direction. I could therefore distinctly perceive by the increased flush on his handsome countenance and the pleased expression of the mouth that he seemed even to press further forward, as if to make the lower part of his belly and his thighs participate in such an agreeable contact. Lady Lovesport seemed to have no objection to this proceeding on his part, and changing the position of her left arm, she placed her hand under his breast beyond her knee so as to afford support to the upper part of his body, and while she administered some rather sharp blows to his posteriors, she rather encouraged him to press forward, so that in a very short time his belly and thighs were rubbing against her naked thigh.
Up to this moment Harry had kept himself perfectly still, never moving a single limb and only showing by the quivering of the flesh when the blows were applied, and the working of the muscles of the surrounding parts when the rod fell on his lovely bottom, that he felt the pain when occasionally a sharper or more stringent blow than usual fell upon him. But now he began to yield to a new sensation, whether of pain or of pleasure I could not at first very well discover, but probably it was a mixture of both.
It was certainly not a shrinking from the punishment, for when the rod fell on his posteriors he remained perfectly still to meet it, but the moment after it fell, as if it had communicated some stimulus which it was impossible for him to resist, he thrust his buttocks forward, pressing with all his force against the pleasing soft substance upon which the front of his person rested. When this began to take place I saw an intelligent smile pass
