My Dear Nellie,
To continue my tale where I left off. Jane and I had some further conversation next morning, which, to the best of my recollection, was as follows -
Rosa. – 'So, Jane, you have been whipped, have you. What was it for?'
Jane. – 'The first time was for being seen walking with a young man coming from church. The General said I had never been, and only pretended to be religious for the chance of gadding about with young fellows, which must be checked, or I should be ruined.'
Rosa. – 'Well; didn't you feel revengeful at being whipped for that?'
Jane. – 'So I did, but forgot all about it in the delight I had in seeing Jemima well cut up. Oh, she did just catch it, I can tell you; but she's as strong and hard as leather.'
rosa. – 'So I could forget and forgive too, if I could but cut you all up well. I've got a good mind to begin with you, Jane, when I don't feel quite so sore.'
jane. – 'Ah! But I know you hate Jemima, and would rather see her triced up to the horse. Perhaps we shall be able to get her into a scrape between us, if we put our heads together.'
rosa. – 'Oh! you sly girl. Don't you think I'll let you off, much as I long to repay the others. Just wait till I feel well enough, and I'll settle you first. There will be plenty of opportunities, as you are to sleep with me in my room every night. I haven't forgotten how you persuaded me to dress for dinner, when you knew, all the time, what was coming.'
jane. – 'Dear Miss Rosie, I couldn't help it. Mrs. Mansell sent me up to dress you. The old General put it off till after dinner, as he likes to see the culprits dressed as nicely as possible. If he punished any of us, we have to attend punishment drill in our very best clothes, and if they get damaged, Mrs. Mansell soon fits us out again, so we don't lose much by a good birching. I have known Jemima to get into trouble so as to damage her things, but Sir Eyre made her smart well for them.'
I was very sore for several days, but managed to make and secrete a fine bunch of twigs, ready for Miss Jane when she would little expect it; in fact, she did not know I had been into the garden or out of the house. Of course she was a much stronger and bigger girl than myself, so I should have to secure her by some stratagem. I let her think I had quite forgotten my threat, but one evening, just as we were both undressed for bed, I said, 'Jane, did Mrs. Mansell or Jemima ever birch you without grandfather knowing it?'
jane. – 'Yes, dear Miss Rosie, they've served me out shamefully, more than once.'
rosa. – 'How did they manage that?'
jane. – 'Why, I was tied by my hands to the foot of the bedstead.'
rosa. – 'Oh! Do show me, and let me tie you up to see how it all looked.'
jane. – 'Very well; if it's any pleasure to you, Miss.'
rosa. – 'What shall I tie you up with? You're as strong as Samson.'
jane. – 'A couple of handkerchiefs will do, and there's a small comforter to tie my legs.'
By her directions I soon had her hands tied to the two knobs at the foot of the bed, and her feet stretched out a little behind were secured to the legs of the table.
'Oh! My!' said Jane. 'You have fixed me tight. What did you tie so hard for? I can't get away till you release me.'
'Stay! Stay!' I cried. 'I must see you quite prepared now you are properly fixed up'; and I quickly turned up her nightdress and secured it well above her waist, so as to expose her plump bottom and delicately mossed front to my astonished gaze.
'Oh! What a beauty you are, Jane,' said I, kissing her, 'and you know I love you, but your naughty little bum- bedee must be punished. It is a painful duty, but I'll let you see it's no joke, Miss. Look, what a fine swishtail I've got,' producing my rod.
'Mercy! Mercy!' cried Jane. 'Dear Miss Rosie, you won't beat me; I've always been so kind to you!'
'It won't do, Jane, I must do my duty. You were one of the lot against me, and the first I can catch. It may be years before I can pay off the others.'
The sight of her beautiful posteriors filled me with a gloating desire to exercise my skill upon them, and see a little of what I had to feel myself. Nervously grasping my birch, without further delay, I commenced the assault by some sharp strokes, each blow deepening the rosy tints to a deeper red.
'Ah! Ah! What a shame. You're as bad as the old General, you little witch, to take me so by surprise.'
'You don't seem at all sorry, Miss,' I cried; 'but I'll try and bring down your impudence; in fact, I begin to think you are one of the worst of them, and only acted the hypocrite, with your pretended compassion, when you were, in reality, it all the time. But it's my turn now. Of course, you were too strong for me, unless I had trapped you so nicely. How do you like it, Miss Jane?' All this time I kept on, whisk, whisk, whisk, in quick succession, till her bottom began to look quite interesting.
'You little wretch! You vixen!' gasped Jane. 'Your grandfather shall hear of this.'
'That's your game, is it, Miss Tell-tale. At any rate, you'll be well paid first,' I replied. The sight of her buttocks only seemed to add to my energy, and it was quite a thrill of pleasure when I first saw the blood come. She writhed and wriggled with suppressed sighs and ahs, but each time she gave utterance to any expression, it seemed only for the purpose of irritating me more and more. My excitement became intense, the cruel havoc seemed to be an immense satisfaction to me, and her bottom really was in deplorable state through my inconsiderate fury. At last, quite worn out and fatigued, I could hold the rod no longer, and my passion melted into love and pity, as I saw her in an apparently listless and fainting condition, with drooping head, eyes closed, and hands clenched.
The worn-out birch was dropped, and kissing her tenderly, I sobbed out, 'Jane, dear, Jane, I both love and forgive you now, and you will find me as tender to you as you were to me after my flogging.'
Her hands and feet were soon released, when to my astonishment, she threw her arms round my neck as with sparkling eyes and a luscious kiss she said softly, 'And forgive you too, Miss Rosie, for you don't know what pleasure you have given me, the last few moments have been bliss indeed.'
This was all a puzzle to me at the time, but I understood it well enough afterwards. She made quite light of her bruised bottom, saying, 'What was awful to you was nothing to me, Miss Rosie, I am so much older and tougher; besides, the first time is always the worst; it was too bad of Sir Eyre to cut you up as he did, but your obstinacy made him forget himself; you'll grow to like it as I do.'
This and much more in the same strain passed as we bathed and soothed the irritated parts, and we finally fell asleep with a promise from me to let her give me a pleasant lesson in a day or two.
Things went on smoothly for a few days, my punishment had been too severe for me to lightly dare a second engagement with the General; still I burned for a chance to avenge myself on anyone but Jane, who was now my bosom friend. We discussed all sorts of schemes for getting anyone but ourselves into trouble, but to no purpose. The old gentleman often cautioned me to take care, as the next time he should not fail to make me cry, 'Peccavi.'
One fine afternoon, however, being in the garden with the housekeeper, I remarked to her, 'What a pity it was grandfather let the nectarines hang and spoil, and no one allowed to taste them.'
'My dear,' said Mrs. Mansell, 'if you take two or three he'll never miss them, only you must not tell that I said so, it's a shame to let them rot.'
'But, Mrs. Mansell, that would be stealing,' I replied.
'When nothing's lost nothing can have been stolen; it's only a false sense of honesty, and you, the little mistress of the house,' she urged.
'Well, you are the serpent, and I'm Eve, I suppose; they really do look delicious, and you won't tell, will you?' I asked in my simplicity; so the fruit was plucked, and Mrs. Mansell helped to eat it, which put me quite at my ease.
Just before dinner next day we were surprised by the General calling us all into his sitting-room, 'How's this, Mrs. Mansell?' he said, looking fearfully angry. 'I can't leave my keys in the lock of that cabinet without someone tasting my rum; I've long known there was a sly sipping thief about, so I have been sly too. Finding it was the rum that was most approved, the last time the decanter was filled I put a little scratch with my diamond ring, to mark the height of the liquor in the bottle, and have only used the brandy for myself. Look! whoever it is has got through nearly a pint in three or four days. Come here, Rosa, now Mrs. Mansell, and now Jemima,' said he, sternly, smelling the breath of each in turn.
