Anonymous - Frank and I

We now had a little chat on various subjects; then at Frances’ own request, I took her across my knees, and gave her a smart little spanking: and I finished up the afternoon’s amusements by poking her “en levrette,” as she leant over the back of an easy-chair.

She then went up to dress for dinner; and I went up to the bedroom which was always at my service whenever I wanted to wash my hands or brush my hair.

When I returned to the drawing-room, I found Miss Martin there alone. We shook hands cordially, for we had become very friendly, as I was the friend of the family, and also Mrs. Markham’s “old guardian.” Miss Martin was a jolly sort of woman; not exactly pretty, bat she was nice to look at, as she had fine, hazel eyes, abundant brown hair, white teeth, and a plump, shapely figure; she was also very tastefully dressed. She sat down in an easy-chair, leaning back in an unconstrained position, and as her skirt was a little raised, I could see her trim ankles, cased in brown silk stockings, and her neat feet in high-heeled shoes.

She was a good talker, and had travelled a good deal on the Continent with her former employers; but I had an idea that she had not always been a governess. We conversed on sundry topics for a short time, and then we spoke about the children. Miss Martin knew that they had both been whipped that afternoon; but she did not know that I was cognizant of the fact, and of course she had not the faintest suspicion that I had been present at the punishment; nor had she any idea that I was in the habit of poking Mrs. Markham.

She informed me that they were both bright, clever children, but rather difficult to manage. Then I asked, in a most innocent manner: “Do you approve of corporal punishment for children?”

“I do most certainly,” she replied without the least hesitation. “For girls as well as boys?” I queried

“Yes. Girls should be whipped whenever they are naughty. They are often more troublesome than boys. I mean little boys. I have no experience with boys over ten years of age.”

“Dear me!” I said in affected surprise, “I did not think that girls were ever subjected to corporal punishment nowadays.”

Miss Martin smiled. “Oh yes, they are in some schools, and also in some families,” she remarked.

It was a curious subject for us to discuss, but as she did not seem to be at all diffident, I thought I would ask a few more questions,

“What, in your opinion, is the best way of punishing a naughty girl?”

“I think there is no better way of punishing a naughty girl than to give her a good whipping with a birch rod in the old-fashioned way,” she replied in the coolest manner.

I had some difficulty in preventing myself laughing at the plain way in which the governess had spoken. Then I said: “I suppose you have had a great deal of experience?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I have been a family governess for seven years, and during that period, I have used the rod whenever my employers would allow me to do so. But some ladies I have lived with would not permit me to whip their children; nor would they whip the children themselves.”

The subject then dropped; and in a few moments Frances tripped into the room, smiling and fresh, as well as faultlessly dressed, and we went in to dinner, which was a good one, as usual.

At dessert, rather to my surprise, the children came into the room as had always been their custom, whenever I dined with their stepmother.

The boy appeared to be in his usual spirits; but the girl was a little pale and depressed. They both had become very friendly with me, and I often brought them boxes of sweets: so they now sat down, one on each side of me, and I noticed that the girl seated herself very carefully on the edge of her chair. No doubt her poor little bottom was still very tender. I filled their plates with fruit, and began to talk to them; but Dora was not at all in her usual form. So just out of mischief, and to hear what they would say, I said: “Have you been good children to-day?”

Dora coloured, and cast down her eyes in silence. Frances, and Miss Martin smiled. But Robert blurted out in childlike innocence: “No; we have not been good. We have been naughty; and Mamma gave us both a whipping. I did not scream, but Dora did.”

Dora blushed very red; her modesty was offended at my being told that she had been whipped. Turning to her brother, she exclaimed angrily: “You horrid boy! You may tell people that you have been whipped, if you like; but you have no business to say anything about me.” She then ran out of the room, with flashing eyes and flaming cheeks.

The boy looked astonished, and we all laughed; the governess saying: “Robert, you should never tell tales out of school.”

He was soon sent to join his sister; then the ladies and myself went into the drawing-room, where we passed a couple of hours pleasantly with music and conversation, Then I went home to my chambers, and after I had smoked a cigar, and drunk a glass of whisky and water, I retired to my virtuous couch, thoroughly well pleased with my day’s amusements.

I stayed in town for three more weeks, visiting Frances frequently; but I never had the pleasure of seeing Dora’s pretty little bottom; as ever since the day she had been birched in company with her brother, she had behaved so well, that her stepmother never had reason to rum her up.

On leaving London I went to Scotland, where I remained for upwards of a month grouse-shooting with various friends; and on my return to England, I went to Oakhurst, where I settled down for the winter, amusing myself in the usual way; hunting, shooting, dining out, and giving dinner parties in return. Whenever I felt inclined for an afternoon poke, I could always get hold of Mary, the pretty parlourmaid: all I had to do was to give her a wink, then she-would slip quietly up to my bedroom, and wait there till I came.

I also used often to run up to town for a couple of days to see Frances. And so the time went on.

The winter and spring passed. It was again midsummer, and I was living in London for the season. Frances had now been settled in her house for a year; and as her liaison with me was not known to anyone; and as she was young, handsome, and comparatively rich, she had made a number of friends and acquaintances of both sexes. She went out a great deal, and she occasionally gave a dinner party; moreover she had a regular “afternoon,” which was always well attended; for Mrs. Markham had got the reputation-a well-deserved one-of being a pleasant and amusing hostess. She had many admirers, of all sorts and conditions: some of them needy fortune-hunters, who wanted to marry her for the sake of her money; while others were men who wanted to marry her for the sake of her beautiful face and splendid figure. I felt very sure that she would marry again, sooner or later; but so far she had not shown any preference for any man in particular. She and I were still very good friends; she always appeared glad to see me whenever I called, she told me everything that happened to her, and she consulted me about her affairs; moreover, she let me poke her whenever I wished to do so. Therefore, as I knew that no other man touched her, I was quite content to “lay low,” and watch the game that was going on all round me. The boy had been sent to a boarding-school; but the girl remained at home under the tuition of Miss Martin. She occasionally misbehaved, and whenever she did, she got a sound birching in the drawing-room, from her stepmother, who always took care to let me know the hour at which the punishment was to be inflicted; and I never failed to be behind the curtains. Dora was now over thirteen years-and-a-half old: she had grown a little, and her beautiful, white bottom was bigger and plumper. But she was still a great coward whenever she came under the rod; always screaming, kicking up her heels, and begging for mercy, from the first cut to the last. I liked seeing her being whipped!