To make my proceedings more impressive, all the establishment were present, except Charlie the page, who being masculine, I did not think it would be decent to have him admitted.
Miss coote. – 'Selina Richards, you stand before me a convicted thief caught in the act. Have you restored all your booty, you sly young cat?'
selina (with a crimson face and downcast eyes). – 'Oh! Oh! I have indeed, ask Jane, she has searched the room and can't find any more but what I gave up to her. Ah! Miss Coote, I don't know how I could have done it; I'm so ashamed of myself and sorry to have been so wicked. Oh! Oh! What shall I do?' quite overcome and bursting into tears.
jane. – 'If you please Miss, I've got everything but your ring, that I can't find anywhere.'
Miss coote. – 'You bad girl, I know your character; don't think you can deceive me by your feigned tears and repentance. What have you done with my ring, eh?'
selina (appealing in great and apparently genuine distress and consternation). – 'Oh! I have never seen it. Indeed, I didn't take that, Miss Coote. Ah, you must believe me, I am so degraded to feel how guilty I am. I had the brooch, but have given that and everything else up to Jane.'
Miss coote. – 'I don't believe what you say about the ring, and will birch you well till you really confess the truth. Now strip the little thief, and examine every article of clothing as it is taken off. Shake out all the braids of her hair, she may have it there.'
Notwithstanding her confusion, I noticed a slight gleam of satisfaction pass across her countenance, for which, at the time, I was puzzled to account.
They proceeded with the undressing, and I could not help noticing her continued satisfaction as each garment was overhauled, as much as to say, 'You haven't found it yet,' which convinced me she had the ring very cunningly secreted somewhere, but for the life of me, I was quite at a loss to think how she could have disposed of it, as Jane assured me there was not a chink in her room where it could possibly be put, she had even ripped up the bed in her search.
At last they let down all the braids of her hair, and she stood in her chemise, blushing crimson at the exposure, her usually damask cheeks as rosy as ripe cherries. She evidently now considered the search at an end, as she kicked off the drawers and protested against my order to 'remove the last rag.'
'Oh! Oh! Pray don't expose me, there can't be anything in that.'
Miss coote. – 'But there may be somewhere else.'
The suddenly abashed look that came over her face convinced me I was now getting near a discovery. Her legs were closely nipped together, and she covered her hairless mount with her hands.
Miss coote. – 'Give me a birch Jane, I'll make her jump,' then taking the switch in hand cuts smartly over Miss Selina's knuckles, 'remove your hands, Miss Prig, now jump will you,' repeating the blow on the naked bottom with such effect that the poor girl screamed with pain, but still kept her legs close; again the rod descended with a terrific undercut, 'won't you open your legs and jump Miss.' This time it was effective; with a fearful scream the victim threw herself down on the carpet, but she was unable to prevent the escape of the ring which rolled out on the floor.
It would be impossible to describe the poor girl's distress and confusion now her guilt was so thoroughly established; she was crimson all over, and tried to hide her face in her hands as she cried for shame; her bottom had some fine looking red marks, and also in between her thighs, which the last cut had inflicted.
Miss coote. – 'Look at the little thief, she thinks to hide herself by covering her face, she doesn't care about exposing all her private parts, or using them to hide my ring, what a disgustingly clever trick; Jane, put on her chemise and drawers; if she does not care I do, and like to do birching decently with all propriety.'
Jane and Polly lift her up, and put on the required articles, then as she stands before me still sobbing with shame and pain, I had never seen a more delicious looking victim; she had such a beautiful brunette complexion, her almost black hair hanging all down her back to her loins, pretty white rounded globes with dark brown nipples looked impudently above her chemisette, which only reached a little way down her thighs; it was tastefully trimmed with lace all round, and seemed to draw attention to her beautiful thighs and legs, the latter set off by blue silk stockings with handsome garters and lovely boots.
Jane whispers in the culprit's ears, and Selina humbly kneels before me, saying in broken accents -
'Oh! how can I speak to you, dear Miss Coote. I-I-have so disgraced – myself. Will – will – you ever forgive me. Oh! What shall I do – will you punish me properly and cut – the – the – awful propensity out of me – indeed, dear Miss Coote – I can't help myself – my fingers – my fingers will take the things – even – when I don't – wan't them,' as she kisses the rod and bursts into a torrent of hysterical tears.
By my orders the victim is well stretched out on the ladder, as I generally preferred it to the whipping post, and having armed myself with a very light rod made of fine pieces of whalebone, which would sting awfully without doing serious damage, I went up to the ladder for a commencement, but first made them loosen her a bit, and place a thick sofa bolster under her loins, then fasten her tightly again with her bottom well presented, the drawers pinned back on each side, and her chemise rolled up and secured under her arms; poor Selina seemed to know well enough what was coming, it checked her tears, but she begged and screamed piteously for me to forgive and wait and see if she ever stole anything again.
Miss coote, laughing. – 'Why what a little coward you are. I should have thought such a bold thief would have more spirit, and I have hardly touched you yet; you won't be hurt more than you can fairly bear; you would do it again directly if I don't beat it out of you now.'
selina. – 'My arms and limbs are so dreadfully stretched, and my poor behind still smarts from the three whacks you gave. Oh! Have pity! Have mercy! Dear Miss Coote.'
Miss coote. – 'I must not listen to such childish nonsense, you're both a thief and a dreadful liar, Miss Selina, will you – will you – do it again,' giving three smart stinging cuts, the whalebone fairly hissing through the air as she flourishes it before each stroke to make it sound more effective.
selina. – 'Ah! Ah! Ah – r-r – re! I can't bear it, you're thrashing me with wires, the blows are red hot. Oh! Oh! I'll never, never do it again!' her bottom finely streaked already with thin red lines, the painful agony being greatly increased by the strain on her wrists and ankles as she cannot restrain her writhing at each cut.
Miss coote. – 'You don't seem to like it, Selina, but indeed it's for your good, how would you like to be branded B. C. with a really red hot iron, you'd sing a still different tune then; but I'm wasting my time – there – there – there – you've only had six yet, how you do howl you silly girl!'
selina. – 'Ah – r-r – r-re!' with a prolonged shriek. 'You're killing me. Oh! I shall soon die!' her bottom redder than ever.
Miss coote. – 'You'll have a dozen whalebone cuts,' counting and cutting deliberately till she calls twelve, then giving a little pause as if finished; she lets the victim compose the features with a sigh of relief, and just then gives another thundering whack, exclaiming, 'Ah! Hal Ha! Ha! you thought I had done, did you, Miss Prig; it was a baker's dozen you were to get, I always give thirteen as twelve for fear of having missed one, and like to give the last just as they think it is all over.'
selina. – 'I know it's well deserved, but oh! so cruel, you will let me go now; pray forgive me, indeed, you may depend upon me in the future,' still sighing and quivering from the effects of the last blow.
Miss coote. – 'You're not to get off so easily, Miss Prig, your bottom would be all right in a few minutes, and then you would only laugh when you think of it. The real rod is to come, look at this bum-tickler, it's the real birch grown in my own grounds, and well pickled in brine these last two days, to be ready for you when caught. It will bring your crime to mind in a more awful light, and leave marks to make you remember it for days to come.'
selina. – 'Pray let me have a drink, if I must suffer so much more, my tongue is as dry as a board, Miss Coote, you are cruel, I am not old enough to bear such torture.'
Miss coote. – 'Be quiet, you shall have a drink of champagne, but don't talk about your tender age, that makes your crime still worse, for you have shown such precocious disgusting cunning, far beyond your years.'
She has the refreshing draught and the rod resumes its sway.
Miss coote. – 'You bad girl, your bottom shall be marked for many a day; I'll wager you don't steal as long as the marks remain. Two dozen's the punishment, and then we'll see to your bruises, and put you to bed. One – two – three – four,' increasing the force of the blows scientifically with each cut, and soon beginning to draw the skin up into big bursting blood-red weals.
victim. – 'Mother! Mother! Ah! Ah – r-r – re! I shall die. Oh! kill me quickly, if you won't have mercy.' She writhes in such agony that her muscles stand out like whipcord, and by their continued quivering, straining action,
