The Romance of Lust Part 15

We often after this made flogging the theme of our discussions, and I gradually led on to the idea she had expressed of Lizzie's evidently amorous disposition. She still affirmed that such was her conviction. I then suggested that it would be worth her while to try and gratify it, as well for Lizzie's sake as for the satisfaction of her own letch in that way.

"I suppose you could easily find a pretext if you desired to do so?"

"Yes, easily enough, the idea excites me, and I shall indulge it."

I do not remember what the pretext was, but Lizzie was kept in next afternoon at four o'clock-Mary and I proceeded to the summer house. I knew we should not be interrupted by Lizzie, and that I need not hold in for her satisfaction. So I gave Mary all the benefit of our being alone, and we had four most exquisite and refined indulgencies in every att.i.tude admitted of by the legitimate entrance to love's temple. For, as yet, I had never been able to gain an entrance to the narrower orifice, which was too small for my formidable weapon to penetrate. It is odd how easily Lizzie accommodated me in her delicious bottom-hole, while Mary, older and more womanly in form, was as yet unable to make room for me in that strait path of bliss. When night came I was all curiosity to know how my dear mistress had carried on matters with Lizzie. She told me that Lizzie had been somewhat nervous at first, but she had spoken kindly to her, told her how her amiable and loving conduct after her first whipping had won her affection; that she did not mean to be so severe as on the former occasion, but that discipline must be kept up.

"So come, my dear girl, drop off your frock, as I shall mine, that the bundle of clothes may be out of the way, as well as to avoid their being creased."

Seeing that Lizzie still trembled a little after she had dropped her gown, she took her in her arms, and kissing her lovingly, desired her not to be afraid-she would not punish her much.

"Lift up all your things, my dear, and let me see if any marks of the former punishment remain."

Lizzie had a very prominent and very promising bottom. Miss Frankland felt it all over, and admired loudly its form and firmness, declaring it was quite beautiful to look at, and how womanly it was growing.

"Turn round, and let me see if you are as womanly in front. Upon my word, a well-formed mount with a charming mossy covering."

Her hand wandering over her form excited Lizzie, whose face flushed and eyes glistened with rising desires. Miss Frankland herself became moved, but proceeded at once to lay her across her lap, and began with gentle switches, just sufficiently sharp to attract the blood in that direction, which, of course, acted with double force on all the already excited erotic organs, and Lizzie began to wriggle her b.u.m in all the lasciviousness of l.u.s.t under the excited gaze of Miss Frankland, who, seeing how matters were going on in her favour, increased the force of her blows, but only sufficiently to still more lecherously excite her patient-until, driven to an excess of l.u.s.t, she cried out-

"Oh, my loved Miss Frankland, I am dying with pleasure, do embrace and caress me."

Miss Frankland lifted her up, and drew her to her bosom and lips, and, while sucking her tongue, slipped her hand down and found Lizzie's quim wet with her flowing s.p.u.n.k, and her little c.l.i.toris stiff with the erotic pa.s.sion that was consuming her. She frigged her until she spent again, while their tongues were in each other's mouth. As Lizzie spent, Miss F, shoved a finger up her c.u.n.t, which, of course, met with no resistance, but as Lizzie possessed in perfection the art of nipping, she was sufficiently tight to leave a doubt of anything but finger-f.u.c.king.

"Ah, you little puss, you have been playing with this before now, tell me the truth?"

"I will tell you everything, if you will only play with me again. Ever since you flogged Mary and myself, we have both been so often burning down there, and have found out that feeling it, and pus.h.i.+ng fingers in, was so nice, although at first we often hurt ourselves. But you do it so much better than Mary-oh, do, do it again, dear Miss Frankland!"

"I shall do it much better, my darling, with what I have got down there-look here!"

And, lifting up her petticoat and chemise, she exposed, to the absolute astonishment of Lizzie, her extraordinary ma.s.s of hair, and her fiery red c.l.i.toris glowing and sticking out of its black ma.s.s of curls.

"How beautiful!" cried Lizzie. "I declare, you have got a doodle, for which I have been so longing; I must kiss it."

Stooping down, she took it in her mouth, and sucked it.

"Stop, dear Lizzie, we shall both enjoy it."

Taking the cus.h.i.+on from the chair, she lay down on her back on the floor, telling Lizzie to turn her face the other way, and to kneel down across her body, so that both their mouths could adapt themselves to each other's quim.

Lizzie told me afterwards that she took care to show no previous knowledge, but to let Miss Frankland apparently initiate her into all the ceremonies of gamahuching.

Miss Frankland glued her lips to dear Lizzie's charming quim, while Lizzie took her extraordinary c.l.i.toris into her mouth. After a few ardent caresses Miss Frankland pushed a finger up Lizzie's bottom-hole, then paused an instant to tell Lizzie not only to follow her example in that respect, but to use her other hand in her quim while sucking her c.l.i.toris. Then, both adapting themselves as prescribed, they gamahuched on, until both could no longer move from the excessive raptures produced by their profuse discharge. After this first bout Lizzie became curious to see all the wonderful hair-covered organ and limbs of Miss Frankland, who gratified her to the utmost extent of her wishes. Nor did she leave this inspection entirely to Lizzie, but reciprocated it. Undoing her dress above, she uncovered the charming budding beauties of Lizzie's bubbles, and began sucking the nipples. Their mutual caresses and handlings very quickly refired these hot and lecherous women. After a little renewed gamahuching, until both were wild with excitement, Miss Frankland proposed to put her c.l.i.toris into Lizzie's quim; told her to kneel down, and kneeling behind her, she sheathed it with ease in the hot and juicy folds of Lizzie's beautiful c.u.n.t. Pa.s.sing her hand under Lizzie's belly, she frigged her c.l.i.toris until again nature gave down her delicious tribute, and they sank in all the voluptuous languor that follows. A third time they renewed their salacious and lascivious raptures, then resumed their dresses so as to be ready to receive us. Miss Frankland begged Lizzie to keep her counsel and not reveal, even to Mary, what had pa.s.sed. But Lizzie urged Miss F. to admit Mary into the new mysteries she had just herself been taught, and said she could a.s.sure her that Mary had a far more beautiful body than hers, and would like it quite as well as she did.

"Well, my dear, I shall think of it, and find an occasion to flog her, as I have done you."

"Oh, that will be jolly!" cried Lizzie. "She will like it just as much as I do; it is so nice, you must flog me every day, dear Miss Frankland. I loved you from the first, I adore you now."

They embraced most lovingly, but our return put an end for the present to any further conversation.

These details were accompanied and interrupted by two or three delicious and most voluptuous f.u.c.ks, without once withdrawing my burning p.r.i.c.k from her equally heated and throbbing c.u.n.t-for her description of these proceedings was most exciting. When she had finished, I withdrew, that we might gamahuche each other, and lick up all the delicious s.p.u.n.k in which her juicy c.u.n.t abounded. We then renewed our combats, sacrificing to holy Mother Venus in both orifices. Then we slept as only easy-conscienced people like ourselves could sleep; and, like giants refreshed by slumber, renewed our devotions on every altar before separating in the morning.

Two days later Mary was initiated by Miss Frankland in a like manner to Lizzie, while Lizzie and I made the most of our time in the summer house. Excited by her naive description of her scene with Miss Frankland, we indulged in every salacious device that we could cram into the hour's absence, which, by the way, we lengthened out by more than a quarter of an hour, for which Miss Frankland thanked me at night. Her scene with Mary had been one of even greater lubricity, in consequence of Mary at once lending herself to everything, and acknowledging that she knew from Lizzie what she had to expect. Besides, Mary's more developed form and something about her greatly excited Miss F., and she was quite amorous upon her. She had done so much in the way of spending, that after I had gamahuched and f.u.c.ked her two entrances three times, she required the stimulus of the rod to bring her up to the highest point of lascivious lubricity. And, to tell the truth, I afterwards required and received it myself. Thus our voluptuous pa.s.sions acted one on the other, and we pa.s.sed an exhausting night in every excess and refinement of venery, in which Miss Frankland's d.i.l.d.oes, for she had two, of different sizes, played no small part in both our persons.

Now that the ice was broken, I easily persuaded Miss F. to have occasionally first one and then the other of my sisters to sleep with her, alleging that an occasional early night's rest would recruit my powers, and that when she dismissed her bedfellow in the morning, I could finish her off in force; she could thus initiate them in mutual floggings, and in the use of d.i.l.d.o. Of course, I need not say that my ultimate object was to succeed in our making it a general orgie. In this indeed it ended, but not exactly as I had intended. That mattered not, as long as the desired object was attained. I had the delightful opportunity, too, of watching through my peep-hole many of the delicious scenes of lubricity enacted, and when driven to the fiercest excess of pa.s.sion, I used to withdraw, steal up to the unoccupied sister, and vent my raging l.u.s.t in every indulgence with her.

This had been carried on for about a fortnight, one or other of the girls sleeping every other night with Miss Frankland. Lizzie, it appeared, had often professed to long to see a real c.o.c.k, and had managed to worm out of Miss F. that she had enjoyment of mine. The little hussey importuned Miss F. to let her see me f.u.c.king her, saying that she could easily hide behind the curtains, and I would never know. Miss F., whose pa.s.sions were at the utmost tension of desire, consented, and placing Lizzie where she could see without being seen, opened my door, but found an empty bed. She at first suspected that I had gone to one of the female servants, but thought she would make sure and see if Mary was not the object. So she stole softly upstairs, and found us in the act of enjoying a double gamahuche, which as it was early morning light, she could see without difficulty. She had the kindness to let us enjoy it to the end, and then dragging me off, said-

"Oh! Charles! this is dreadful! Why could you not be content with me?-have I ever refused you? Do you know this would be the ruin of all of us if ever it should become known? You are too young to know the dreadful consequences of discovery."

Here she burst out in a torrent of tears-it was evident from real fear of the sad results that might ensue, and not from any feeling of jealousy. I threw myself into her arms, and as she had herself acknowledged our intimacy, I had less difficulty in alluding to it. I caressed and fondled her, and told her there was no fear of discovery-less now than ever-as we would be all interested alike in keeping our secret; she would cover my intimacy with my sisters, and they would cover my intimacy with her. All at once she said-

"How long has this been going on?-tell me truly."

I had long prepared myself for such a question, and at once replied that after the description of the libidinous scenes that had taken place between her and them, and her exquisite account of their young charms, I got so lecherous upon them that I had sought Mary out while she was engaged with Lizzie, and Lizzie when Mary was with her; they were both too much delighted to refuse me anything, and we had now enjoyed each other about a dozen times. I had previously told my sisters to support any story I might recount to Miss F. Lizzie had stolen up after she found Miss Frankland had pa.s.sed through my room, and now both confirmed the tale told. We surrounded Miss Frankland, caressing her in every way. My pego got terribly excited. Drawing up my nights.h.i.+rt, I said-

"Let this dear fellow make peace between us, and become equally dear to all. I know, my loved mistress, that my sisters are longing to see him exercised on your glorious person, and buried in your delicious hairy c.u.n.t, so let me offer up sacrifice to its juicy charms. Lizzie has just said you sought me for the purpose-see, the dear c.l.i.toris is raising its head-let Mary lie down under you to suck your c.l.i.toris, and see my p.r.i.c.k close above her eyes in vigorous action filling your exquisite c.u.n.t. You can gamahuche her and Lizzie can look on behind, witness the glorious sight, and act postillion to my bottom-hole."

"Well, my beloved children, the die is cast, it is no use crying after spilt milk, so let us make the best of it. I never could resist the eloquent look of this loved and long thick thing, that was made for giving poor woman all she could crave for."

So arranging our relative positions as I had prescribed, we ran a course of the most luxurious and salacious enjoyment imaginable. Lizzie, who had taken possession of one of the d.i.l.d.oes, manipulated herself, while watching every voluptuous movement of our bodies, and we all managed to spend most rapturously together. We could not afford to do more at that moment, as time was creeping on, and the household would soon be astir. Miss Frankland regained with me my room, her own door being locked, and kissing me tenderly, said I was a bad boy, but she supposed it must eventually have come to this, so it was well it was sooner than later.

Thus pa.s.sed our first general orgie, which was the precursor of many much more luxuriously and salaciously libidinous, and which I shall more minutely describe as events progress.

Miss Frankland would not allow us to have a general orgie the next night. She was now aware of our summer house doings-only of late begun, as she supposed-for my story had been too plausibly off-hand not to deceive her, especially as she had felt convinced by all that occurred on our first f.u.c.king that she had had the delightful pleasure of taking my maidenhead. She was quite satisfied on that head. But she now suspected that what I had just begun I should be too glad to repeat. She accompanied us to the garden in our recreation hour, so that nothing erotic took place. We sat down all together after a little running about, and Miss F. opened to us a rule of conduct we must in future pursue. She said-

"However delightful it would be for you all, as well as for myself, to meet every night, it would in the first instance become a dangerous habit, dangerous because of engendering carelessness in the necessary precautions against discovery; and next, and above all, because it would be the destruction of our loved and darling Charlie, who could not possibly long continue such excessive venery as three loved objects at once would constantly require of him."

Seeing my inclination to interrupt her, and declare that I felt quite equal to it, she stopped me, and told us I was too young to know what such excessive indulgence would lead to; that we must trust to her experience and be guided by her, and we should all find the advantage of it. Three times a week was the utmost she could allow, when we should be all together. The other nights she would take care that I committed no excess. Such were the sage counsels of this admirable woman, and such in future became the programme of our proceedings. I rebelled and kicked against what I thought at the time too great a restriction, but I eventually became convinced that greater pleasure followed the enforced delays. Of course I slept with Miss Frankland on what might be called our off nights, but she soon established a custom of restraining my spendings to twice a night, allowing me to excite and make her spend as often as I pleased. I was difficult to manage at first, but eventually settled down in great regularity to the rules she dictated, and, indeed, enforced. I soon found out the wisdom of her proceeding, for often afterwards my lagging efforts required the spur of the rod to be applied in earnest for the completion of our orgies.

The second night after the discovery of my intercourse with my sisters was the first of meeting all four together, in Miss Frankland's room. We had been sent, as usual, early to bed, and Miss F. had privately recommended us to go quietly to sleep as soon as possible, and not to be under any anxiety, as she herself would go for the girls, after all the household had retired. As for me, it was the plan I had always adopted, as it enabled me to reap the greater amount of enjoyment, and its longer continuance, by the rest I had previously secured. Winter had pa.s.sed away, and summer came round again. It was a lovely, warm, moonlight night. As soon as we were all a.s.sembled, stripping to the buff was the order of the night; then followed charming embraces and mutual posings, so as each should admire the beauties of all. Hands wandered everywhere over every charm, chiefly concentrating on the wonderful and finely developed form of the fascinating Frank-land, whose richness of coal-black hair was so deliciously exciting. It soon became necessary to calm the first effervescence of our pa.s.sions, which we always did by a general gamahuche. Miss Frankland, who had taken an extraordinary letch for Mary, paired off with her, while Lizzie and I accommodated each other. Miss Frankland, who had provided herself with a store of d.i.l.d.oes, furnished us all with one, differing in size, according to the intention of their application. As Mary's bottom-hole as yet could only accommodate a moderate size, Miss F. kept the smallest for her particular use, the others were indiscriminately used. Thus armed, we proceeded to enter on all the voluptuous excesses of gamahuching in every form, lengthening out our pleasures as much and as long as possible, that we might pa.s.s the whole night in the most libidinous raptures. When the ecstatic moment overtook us, our mouths had to cease their operations to give vent to the expressions of the rapturous nature of our feelings. We lay panting for some time before being able to rise and resume our mutual caresses. Now that we had taken off the edge of our l.u.s.tful appet.i.te, we prepared more calmly for further and more voluptuous combinations. The upper coverings of the bed were entirely removed, so that it presented nearly a square field of combat for love's encounters, admirably adapted for its purpose. We held a council as to our next movements, and finally decided to begin as follows: Mary to lie down on her back, Lizzie reversed above her, Miss Frankland was to indulge in her letch for Lizzie, which was that of f.u.c.king her bottom-hole with her extraordinary c.l.i.toris, while I was to f.u.c.k Miss Frankland's c.u.n.t, and postillion her smaller orifice with two fingers, Lizzie was to postillion Mary with her finger, while gamahuching her, Mary to apply the smaller d.i.l.d.o to my bottom-hole, and frig Lizzie's c.u.n.t with a larger one. It was also agreed we should run two courses in this voluptuous group, varying only in the subst.i.tution of my p.r.i.c.k in Miss Frankland's bottom-hole, instead of her c.u.n.t, in which was to be placed one of the d.i.l.d.oes. We were none of us to press matters to a speedy termination, but to make the most of the exquisite conjunction of our parts. We enjoyed a most salacious and voluptuous f.u.c.k, and so managed matters as all should spend together in perfect raptures of lubricity and l.u.s.t. Notwithstanding the pleasure of the final discharge, we managed, as previously agreed, to hold our mutual positions, our parts palpitating with repeated throbbings on or in the delicious quarters with which they were conjoined. These soon reawakened our pa.s.sions, which we as yet had done but little to calm, and when sufficiently heated, the slight change agreed upon was effected, and I plunged up to the hilt in the glorious and hairy bottom-hole of the divine Frankland, who gave almost a scream of delight as she felt my huge pego rus.h.i.+ng up into her burning entrails. We had to pause some minutes to allow her excitement to subside to a certain extent, or she would have discharged after two or three thrusts of my potent weapon. We then proceeded more leisurely, and after drawing out our enjoyment in the most salacious and voluptuous manner, the ecstatic moment seized us all together, with such an excess of wild enjoyment that with screams of almost agonised delight, we poured into or upon each other whole torrents of hot boiling sperm, and sank almost insensible into a confused heap of naked forms. We were a long time in recovering our senses. Then disentangling ourselves, we rose and laved our parts in cold water, not only to purify ourselves, but as a stimulant to further exertions in all the wildest excesses of lubricity that any of us could fancy. But we always managed so as to make Miss F. think that she was the author of any new salacious idea or suggestion. In fact she nearly was so in every case, for her experience in every letch, and its gratification in every form of libidinous refinement, was great and we owed to her many new and delicious combinations in our salacious orgies. After partaking of wine and cake, which Miss F. had taken care to secure, we indulged in some delicious romping and pulling about of the rich curls and hairy coverings of nearly all Miss Frankland's superb form. The girls above all admired the magnitude, hardness, and beauty of her truly magnificent b.u.t.tocks, and what with one now and then sucking her bubbies, and at other times toying with her already standing c.l.i.toris, we soon brought her to such a state of excitement that, seizing hold of Mary, she got her on the table and gamahuched her, while Lizzie, creeping under, sucked her c.l.i.toris, and I pushed my p.r.i.c.k from behind into her c.u.n.t. We brought on a delicious spend, and the glorious creature died away in excess of pleasure along with Mary, while I had not yet arrived at the climax. So I contented myself with making my p.r.i.c.k throb to her delicious squeezings, until the fatigue of the position required us to break up the pose. She was so far calmed that she could now propose and discuss after-proceedings, and what our next form of enjoyment should be. As Mary had had an extra spend with Miss Frankland, Lizzie was now placed on her knees, with her head well down. I thrust my p.r.i.c.k into her longing c.u.n.t. Miss Frankland standing up, strode across Lizzie's body in front of me, here I introduced first a smaller d.i.l.d.o up her bottom-hole and then a larger one up her c.u.n.t, both up to the cod pieces. She then pushed forward her belly and put her stiff-standing c.l.i.toris into my mouth, and placed her two hands on my head. I then pa.s.sed one hand under her open legs, and seizing both d.i.l.d.oes in one hand, proceeded to work them up and down both holes at once, in unison with my suction of her c.l.i.toris, and my f.u.c.king movements in Lizzie's c.u.n.t, who at the same time was frigging her own c.l.i.toris with her fingers. Mary, armed with two d.i.l.d.oes, applied one to my bottom-hole, while she f.u.c.ked herself with the other. In this way we ran a most exciting and delicious course. Miss F., in the ecstatic moments, seemed as if she would have pressed my head into her belly. She was so charmed with the voluptuous delights this pose had given that she cried out we must not change until another course was run. Lizzie said she must change from front to back, and begged Mary to hand her a d.i.l.d.o with which she might frig herself. The women were ready directly, but my pego was longer in answering the call, so Miss Frankland told Mary to apply the birch rod skilfully.

This she did with great art, working the d.i.l.d.o, which was still in her c.u.n.t while so occupied. The effect was almost electrical, and my glorious rampant p.r.i.c.k filled dear Lizzie's delicious and longing bottom-hole to her utmost delight. Miss F. begged Mary to give her a gentle stimulus with the rod. Nothing could better have pleased Mary, for she afterwards admitted she had long had the greatest letch to flog that glorious and immense backside. With such stimulants as these this course proved one of the most salacious and voluptuous we had yet had, and the ecstatic ending was accompanied with screams of delight, as we died away in the deathlike swoon of rapturous and satiated desires. We again rose to purify and refresh ourselves, and for some time after lay closely embraced on the bed. As Mary had not yet had my p.r.i.c.k in her c.u.n.t, Miss F. proposed that I should f.u.c.k her, that Lizzie should kneel close behind us, she could f.u.c.k Lizzie's bottom-hole with her c.l.i.toris, and work one d.i.l.d.o up my bottom, while she worked a second in her own. No sooner said that done. Lizzie's head was shoved almost below Mary's belly, so as to bring Miss F. close enough to me to operate as she desired, and we ran another delicious course with such extreme pleasure that all sank sideways down on the bed and dropped into a sound slumber. We did not awaken until so late that we only had time to lave ourselves in cold water, finish off with a general gamahuche, and then regain our separate rooms. On this last occasion Miss Frankland said she must gamahuche me, as she delighted to break her fast on cream. The joke amused the two girls amazingly.

It was about this time Mrs. Vincent gave birth to a fine boy. I have not spoken of her since our first interview after her marriage in the summer house, when all had gone into the town to bring out Miss Frankland. We had only had two stolen interviews since that time, which I have not mentioned, because they were too hasty, and with too little comfort to have been thoroughly enjoyed; then she became too heavy with child to afford me any further opportunity. Mamma wrote a congratulating letter to Mr. Vincent, wis.h.i.+ng him joy of the advent of a son and heir, little dreaming that her own son was the father thereof. This brought a visit from Mr. Vincent to beg that mamma would kindly become G.o.dmother to the little fellow. My mother at once a.s.sented, and asked who the G.o.dfathers were. He said an uncle, from whom they had expectations, had consented to be one, but he was at a loss to know whom to ask as second.

"Why not ask Charlie, he was always very fond of your wife as his governess, and he, too, has an uncle from whom we hope some day to receive something handsome."

"That is a very good idea of yours, Mrs. Roberts, and if you will kindly send for Charles I shall put it to him, and if he consents, it saves me all further trouble."

I was sent for, and, you may be sure, accepted immediately, thanking Mr. Vincent for the honour he did me, and hoping that Mrs. Vincent would be equally agreeable that I should be G.o.dfather, although so young.

"Leave that to me, my dear wife is so much attached to me that my wish is her law, so do not make yourself uneasy on that head."

It may well be supposed I was not at all uneasy, but quite certain that it was the very thing Mrs. V. would have proposed if she had not been withheld by prudence. We heard afterwards from Mr. V. that she had simulated objections on account of my youth, but the very first moment she could say a word to me in private it was to tell me what delight it had given her that her husband should have fulfilled in the matter the very wish nearest and dearest to her heart.

The ceremony eventually came off as had been proposed, but it was at very rare intervals that I could find an opportunity of renewing our old combats in the field of Venus. Meanwhile I had no reason to regret this as far as indulgence of my erotic pa.s.sions went, because, for nearly two years, that is until I had pa.s.sed my eighteenth birthday, I continued to enjoy uninterrupted bliss in the arms of the luxurious and fascinating Miss Frankland, or in orgies with her and my sisters, which culminated in every excess of venery capable of being enjoyed by three women and one youth. In fact, we all indulged rather too freely, if I may judge from the fact that, at least to Miss Frankland and myself, the rod had almost become a necessity, and occasionally even my sisters admitted it gave them a fillip. Under the able tutors.h.i.+p of Miss Frank-land we became the most perfect adepts in every voluptuous indulgence of lubricity. But I must also give her the credit of never neglecting our education. Indeed, I may say it gained by the intimate union of our bodies. For that estimable woman impressed upon us that to keep her friends.h.i.+p and confidence we must do justice to her teaching. I have already said her system of instruction was very superior to anything we had previously known, and now that she had won our unbounded love and affection, there was nothing we were not ready to do in school to second her efforts for our mutual improvement. She had very superior attainments-spoke French and German like a native, had sufficient knowledge of Latin and Greek to ground me well in them, and her knowledge of music was very superior. I have hardly ever heard anyone with a more charming touch on the piano. In the two years that followed our first orgie we made really astonis.h.i.+ng progress. We all spoke French very fairly, had a pretty good knowledge of German, especially Mary, who really spoke it well; as for myself I was well up in French, fairly so in German, and with a very good ground work of Latin and Greek.

It was about this time that an event happened which completely changed the order of my life. My mother had hinted that I had some expectations from an uncle. These were very vague. He was my father's brother, but they had never agreed, and we were almost strangers to each other. He died, and one day we were all surprised, not to say delighted, to hear from his executor, a Mr. Nixon, a rich merchant in London, that my uncle had left my mother four hundred pounds a year as long as she did not marry again, but at her death the said annuity was to be divided between my two sisters, independent of any coverture. The residue and bulk of the property was settled on me, under trust to Mr. Nixon until I was of age, with a request that I should be brought up to the law and entered as a barrister in the Inner Temple. Further, a sum of five hundred pounds was allowed for a new outfit, in every way becoming to all of us. Mr. Nixon announced that in a fortnight he would take the opportunity of being in our neighbourhood to come over and make the necessary arrangements consequent upon the altered state of affairs. He added that the residue of the property would yield about one thousand pounds a year, and that, therefore, my education must be looked to more closely than it probably had been. Here was, indeed, a change. My father had left the house and grounds, and something like six hundred pounds a year in the funds, entirely to my mother as long as she remained a widow, or until her death. Afterwards one hundred and fifty pounds per annum to each of my sisters, and the house and residue to me-a moderate income requiring other efforts to make it comfortable to one's upbringing. Here I was now the heir eventually to something like fifteen hundred pounds a year, two country houses, and a very fair house besides attached to my uncle's house. You may easily imagine the joy of the whole family when from somewhat pinched economy, we found ourselves in easy circ.u.mstances, with at once quite double our previous income. We indulged in somewhat wild dreams of what all this might produce; but mamma brought us to our senses by informing us that until I was of age Mr. Nixon would entirely control our destinies, and that it was more than probable he would insist upon sending me to a public school. This news dashed all our hopes to pieces with a vengeance, because it was precisely on our greater freedom that we had been counting, and now there was every probability our delightful intercourse and delicious orgies would come to an abrupt termination. We exchanged sad and crestfallen looks on hearing this from mamma, and met in a very disconsolate humour that night in Miss Frank-land's room; but that charming and estimable woman cheered us up with the hope that if a temporary separation did occur, it would only lead to our safer and more perfect reunion hereafter.