Lord Kidrodstock - Stays and gloves

The nine miles which separated us from Mr. Gostock's house at Faversham were covered in an hour and a quarter.

Of the actual ceremony I shall say nothing except that, as always, our waists did not fail to attract considerable attention. After the service, fine ladies fingered and felt the "Three Wasps" and asked them questions. The replies were dictated by what they knew to be their head-mistress's wishes, otherwise their questioners would have received some strange revelations. The young ladies, it is unnecessary to add, made their answers with perfect politeness and amiability.

Lady Flayskin's prediction was realised. The triumph of the "Three Wasps" was as nothing in comparison with that of Miss Virginia Malville.

Virginia had paid dearly for her glory. Interminable sleepless nights were only a part of the price she paid for the admiration and astonishment aroused by a waist whose like had never hitherto beenseen.

The head-mistress had spared no pains with this unique example of the power of corset discipline.

The corset! Dread word whose meaning the poor girl at length thoroughly understood! In the morning before she rose, Virginia was wont to receive three visitors, the head-mistress and those two strong-armed servants whose task it had been on the day of Virginia's first flogging to thrust her back into the class-room.

These visitors would find the girl relapsing into a short, fitful slumber after a night of weariness and wakefulness.

It was necessary that she should rise. Her night-corset was taken off in order that her day-corset might be put on. In the evening, when retiring to rest, the same persons paid their visit and performed the contrary operation.

At these visits, the head-mistress would measure, calculate and take careful note of the effects of the lacing on the ever diminishing size of the pupil's waists.

The night-corset was scarcely in any respect different from the day-corset. The former however, was of strong linen, instead of brocaded silk. Its busks and whalebones were less stiff and unyielding and close than in the case of the day-corset. But as regarded the sole particular which aroused any interest in the victim, the lacing, in both cases, remained the same.

The same set of rules sufficed for the other boys and girls of the school. In the case of the "Three Wasps," and Virginia Malville, there was a special and severe code. It was upon Virginia that these regulations of a severer order weighed heaviest. Both as regards her corset boots, and gloves, the head-mistress was pitiless. Ne relaxation of their discipline was ever permitted in Virginia's case.

To do justice to the truth, it must be acknowledged that the girl so attired had a very distinguished and attractive appearance.

Her tallness was accentuated by her high heels. Her sculptural leg and aristocratic foot were shown to their very best advantage in the arched boots reaching up the leg as far as the swelling calf. Her fine sloping shoulders and classic throat gained a perfection of outline (if such had previously been lacking) from the corset compressing the waist to a space easily encircled by the ten fingers. Her plump arm showed a glimpse of its pure white satin beauty just above the elbow where the long, black kid glove ended. Her hand was long and slender, that of a lady of noble birth skilled in the weaving of tapestry. One could imagine a hunting-glove worn to protect those tapering fingers from the fierce falcon poised upon my lady's wrist as her champing palfrey bore her to the chase.

Had Lord Malville seen his daughter at this moment, he would certainly have been astonished, proud, and happy.

Formerly the haughty girl had shown her self conscious of her charms. It was not so now. The difficulty of breathing was now the only thing of which she thought, for so soon as she became in the least degree used to any measurement in her stays, the headmistress gave directions that the lacing should be tighter.

Where would matters stop?

We all asked the question, though with more curiosity than pity. Each of us had sufficient personal discomfort to put up with without thinking too much about Miss Malville's troubles, however real they might be to that young lady.

The girl was forced to veil her feelings in a constant smile, for such was the head mistress's desire. She ordained that smile in tones there was no disputing. It was necessary to smile.

Virginia was of a deathly pallor whose ghastliness every now and then alternated with the deep red flush which would involuntarily rise to her cheeks to prove her sufferings. From time to time, she coughed and, when she thought she was unobserved, spat into her handkerchief, her expectoration betraying a thin streak of blood. Then she would smile perpetually, like one of those panting ballet-girls, also laced tightly in torturing corsets while going through their violent exercises. They always appear content, whether they are balancing on the tips of their toes, or submitting after their exertions to the cold draughts of the stage or greenroom. For the spectators they have always the same delighted smile.

Poor Virginia, whose role was so similar, had, at the expense of her own feelings and sufferings, to make a parade of joy for the benefit of Lady Flayskin and for the pleasure of the aristocratic circles with whom the directress's influence and popularity were of so pronounced a nature.

After dinner, a meal magnificently served, as befitted the occasion and the great wealth of the bridegroom, we were taken to a large room which was afterwards to be our dormitory for the night. Here we washed ourselves and made as perfect a toilet as was possible. Lady Flayskin's severe and vigilant eye was upon us, all the time, nor did that lady fail to improve the occasion by lecturing us in her usual half sermonizing, half reprimanding manner.

She told us that at this evening's party we should see represented all the families of the neighbourhood, the very cream of local society. All were anxious to pay a tribute of respect to Mr. Gostock on his wedding day, and a tribute of admiration to the pupils of Lady Flayskin's establishment who were known to be among the guests.

Lady Flayskin asked us, parenthetically, to admire the mysterious ways of Providence, who had, so to speak, taken Mr. Gostock by the hand and conducted him to the celebrated establishment of which we were members, with the sole aim of enabling him to appreciate the solid and excellent qualities of Miss Stella and of thus deciding him to make that young lady his lawful wife in the presence of God and men.

Here Lady Flayskin closed her parenthesis, but thought it fitting to commence another immediately. With lowered voice and finger laid upon her lips, looking about with an air of extraordinary discretion and circumspection, she informed us that Stella had been but a poor orphan, but that she, Lady Flayskin, had discovered her nascent sterling qualities when the girl was only ten years old.

This example of evangelistic charity next served her ladyship as text for a discourse upon the beauties of the discipline of the corset, gloves and high-heeled high boots, in short upon all the virtues of kid. She, however, omitted to allude to the virtues of the rod, prime cause of the good fortune of whipping Stella.

She further earnestly exhorted us to be polite and well-mannered, as befitted guests in such distinguished company. She added (and thought it fitting at this part of her discourse to assume an enigmatic smile) that if the corset of Stella had made so marvellous a conquest, there was room to hope that all the other young ladies, whose corsets were similarly tight-laced, would be similarly fortunate. As to be the boys, she said, marriage was not for the present to occupy their juvenile thoughts. They must, however, strive this evening, by their modest mien and becoming conduct, to show themselves worthy of the establishment whose privileges they were permitted to enjoy, and of the feminine costume in which that establishment's regulations, for their highest good and in their best interests, thought fit to clothe them.