Lord Kidrodstock - Stays and gloves

Being unable to lean forward, I tried to go on my knees.

The horrible tightness of the drawers impeded all movements. My back seemed paralysed and I had the notion, no doubt only imaginary, that the garment was splitting.

If it had really split, how terrible would have been my punishment!

At last, moving my arms in order to ease my shoulders, I succeeded in making these stockings, which I was told to remove, descend a little way. Seeing then clearly that I should never succeed in my task by the employment of hands alone, I adopted another method. I put one foot upon the other, and then by with drawing the one which was beneath, endea voured to pull off the stocking at the same time.

The directress said nothing on seeing my fresh device for doing her bidding, but took up a heavy horsewhip from the mantlepiece.

At that moment, though I do not know how I contrived it, I succeeded in raising one foot up to the height of my hand on the same side, and in grasping and removing the stocking; and, as by miracle, I succeeded with the other stocking too.

My costume was now exactly similar to that of the three young ladies, for I wore nothing but the ridiculous combination, formed of a single piece. Chest and thighs were bare, stained with the black of the glazed kid which had effectually left its mark upon my white skin.

But I differed from the girls in having my hair cut short. I was not so very different in general appearance from the eldest and the youngest whose bodies were thin and entremely unpronounced in outline except as regards the waist. On the other hand, I in no way resembled the second sister whose bulging, enormous proportions would have filled the room had her garment given way.

The directress now examined us at length, measuring and weighing us, and noting the circumference of our waists. The result of her examination she carefully inscribed in a note book she kept fort that purpose.

Then she announced that we now had to submit to the punishment we had merited. Brandishing the horsewhip with an air of inexorable decision, she took hold of the eldest girl by the nape of the neck and thrust her down on her knees. The girl's thin hinder parts stretched the drawers so tight that not a wrinkle showed. Then the whip descended with sound and fury, the mistress paying no heed to cries, protestations, and tears of agony. It was next the turn of the second sister to bend tight her kid-covered vast posterior to the terrible whip, and then the youngest submitted to the same penalty.

My turn arrived only too quickly.

The pain of the application of the rod was even more terrible than those moral agonies I had gone through while awaiting it. Still crying out with the pain, I had then to dress again with all haste in my girlish clothes, not forgetting the boots, under penalty of receiving a supplementary dose of the birch1.

I have lately learnt that the Chinese deform their women's feet for purely voluptuous reasons.

The steps taken in walking being by this means made very short and stiff, the reaction exhibits itself in extraordinary suppleness in the swinging movements of the hips and back, excellent training, in the opinion of the Chinese, for the lists of love. The calves also become emaciated to a certain extent, but to the profit of the thighs. The latter grow fat and firm as also the spherical parts below the loins.

I was struck by this explanation because it 104

enabled me to regard the western high heel habit, from another point of view. The woman's or girl's foot is compelled by the height of a very lofty heel to take an almost vertical position. The resulting swinging of the hips and the little play given to the calves, are similar to what is noted in the case of the ladies of the Celestial Empire.

The discomfort caused by the high-heeled boots, the long tight-fitting gloves and the cruel corset, above all the terror in which we lived of the birch, all this kept us in a continual. state of nervous excitment, which easily trans formed itself into eroticism and unhealthy passions. The dormitories never echoed with, such hysterical laughter of little girls, nor such loud and pealing laughter of others, nor such deep-drawn sighs, as upon those days, when whipping had been most general.

Above all our physical distress inspired us with a religious terror of our head-mistress, and a morbid desire to be obedient which. brought us to a state of high excitement at the least order from her mouth.

On receiving an order from Lady Flayskin, 105

our nerves became highly strained and we experienced a fever of voluptuous longing with a burning desire to gratify our feelings.

Never, howerer, could I have imagined so complete an illustration of the success of Lady Flayskin's system of education as that embodied in the person of Miss Virginia Malville.

This young lady was heiress to one of the proudest titles of old England and daughter of a peer. Her education had been deplorably neglected by an indulgent mother.

Miss Virginia had reached her eighteenth year at the time of her mother's sudden death.

Lord Malville paid the proper tribute of tears and mourning to his deceased wife and then thought that it was high time to subdue the haughty temper of his daughter, otherwise the latter would give him trouble of a serious nature later on. In any case, Lord Malville, as an upright man, accounted the marriage portion which he should bestow an insufficient compensation to a future husband for the temper of the wife. A violent husband would certainly strangle her, while she would have rendered the life of a feeble mate ridiculous in a thou sand ways, and have made him the slave of every whim.

One beautiful May morning in 1896, a superb victoria and pair made a sensation at the estab lishment of Lady Flayskin. It drew up before the door and the directress went herself to meet it. We felt sure that the people in the carriage must be of very great distinction and we did not change this first impression upon seeing Lord Malville alight.

He was a man of from forty-five to fifty years of' age, tall and erect, with regular features and as carefully shaved of all moustache or whisker as an actor.

After gravely alighting, Lord Malville turned to hand his daughter out.

Miss Virginia was tall and handsome, and carried herself like a queen or a goddess. When the eyes of this divinity rested upon us, we were able to read clearly therein that we were accounted as of no importance. Never have I seen in such beautiful eyes so tranquil an expression of contempt for the generality of mankind. To the low bow ot the 107

directress, she replied politely, nothing more, and in a way which appeared to me as imper tinent as in fact it really was.

I understood Lady Flayskin's smile as she raised her head again. Such a smile was of ill augury. Doubtless she was already plan ning her revenge.

It is unnecessary to say that we were not admitted to the drawing-room during the inter view which immediately followed between Lord Malville, beautiful Virginia and the directress. Nor have I ever since heard what transpired. We were, however, able to employ our imagination to good purpose through the subsequent course of events and their apparent connection with this interview.

From what we could learn from the servants, Lord Malville did justice to the luncheon offered to him and his daughter by the directress, and on taking leave of Lady Flayskin, he remarked – his heightened complexion showing that he had drunk several generous bumpers of old claret:

"It is understood! Make my daughter into as accomplished a lady as you are 108

yourself, if possible. I give you carte blanche."

After his departure, Lady Flayskin introduced Miss Virginia Malville to the class over which Mrs. Stuart presided.