- rying off all my clothes to my own bedroom,
requested me to go back to the room where I had left Mrs. S., and give four knocks at the door. Instead of doing this, I lingered in the passage, where the maid found me a few minutes afterwards. She told me to follow her. I did so, and she remained till I had knocked four times at the door. On being told to enter, I found Mrs. S. sitting at a table reading, but on the table lay a long lithe rod; pushing the table on one side, she took up the rod, pointed to a long narrow stool, which I afterwards knew as the Horse, and told me to lie across it. The previous preparation and Mrs. S.'s manner so awed me that I submitted. I then found myself buckled across by a strap across the horse. I heard Mrs. S. fasten the door and draw a heavy curtain across it. She then very quickly folded the back part of the woollen dress—which was open on each side from the waist to the feet—above the waist; then very briefly speaking of my faults, she grasped the rod and gave me very deliberately a most severe birching. Of course I screamed, and shrieked, and implored, but the rod pursued its destined course and did its destined work. The stinging pain, the
