The noise alarmed Annette, who opened the door, saw how her son and daughter were engaged, and stood staring at us, almost petrified with surprise, and was unable to approach us. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words died away on her lips. Susan had fainted; her tender eyes were shut and she had neither the courage nor strength to rise. I looked at Annette and Susan by turns; at the former with fury; at the latter with grief. Emboldened by the statue-like immobility of Annette, I wished to profit by it; I pushed, and Susan gave signs of life, she heaved a deep drawn sigh, opened her eyes, and pressed me more closely as she returned my motion. She began to spend, and her raptures delighted me. I was just on the point of partaking them, when Annette rushed upon me and tore me from the arms of my dear Susan. I was too exhausted to offer any resistance, and remained almost insensible in her grasp.
In the meantime Father Polycarp, no less curious than Annette, had entered, and was not much less astonished than she, at what he saw before him; for there lay Susan on her back, stark naked, rubbing her eyes with one hand, and covering the sinning part with the other; as if that could conceal her charms from the eyes of the lecherous monk.
Neither my surprise, rage, nor fear had made love's weapon lose its stiffness; Annette gazed on it; and the sight procured me her forgiveness. I felt that she was gently withdrawing me from the chamber. I scarcely knew what I did but I followed her. She conducted me to her chamber, shut the door, and bolted it. Fear then awoke me from my trance, and I wished to fly from her resentment; but she reassured me.
“Silas,” said she, “I don't mean to hurt you.” I did not believe her and still kept distance. She approached me, and when I saw her arm extended to seize me, I drew back, but in vain, for she caught me by the staff.
The confusion at being in statu natural did not hinder me from being surprised at seeing her quite naked; a moment before she was at least decently dressed. My tool soon regained in her hand the strength and stiffness it had partially lost. Annette pressed it, and I looked at her slit. She then lay down on the bed, and pulled me on her.
“Come along, my little stallion, put it in there, bravo.”
I did not wait for anything further, but, meeting with little opposition, I thrust it in up to the hilt. Having been predisposed by the prelude with Susan, I soon felt a glow of delight, which deprived me of my senses, and Annette received the first-fruits of my virility. Thus at the first stroke, I made a cuckold of my imputed father, but what odds!
I was going to repeat the delightful exercise, but was interrupted by a stifled noise proceeding from my chamber. Annette seemed perfectly aware of what was going on, and called to the Father to leave off. She hastily dressed herself and hastened to prevent things being pushed too far.
She had no sooner turned her back than I flew to the hole. I there saw the monk holding Susan in his arms, who had partially dressed herself, but he had lifted up her petticoat and shift, and I guessed that the noise was caused by the excessive dimensions of his Reverence's member, as he made many useless attempts to put it into a place that was never meant for him. The appearance of Annette put an end to the struggle; she snatched Susan from the monk's embraces, gave her two or three slaps on the back and sent her out of the room. It appeared that those vigorous proceedings had somewhat exhausted the good dame, and that she had not strength enough left to show Father Polycarp how much she disapproved of his conduct. It is not often that a monk is wanting in impudence; but, in this instance, the Father could hardly bear up against the shame of being caught in flagrante delicto and the reproaches that he expected Annette was preparing to shower upon him; or more probably against the disgrace a monk must incur by failing in an amorous encounter with a young girl. His color came and went without his daring to look at Annette, who, for her part, seemed agitated by similar emotions. I watched them attentively from my peep-hole, and feared that I was about to witness some fearful crisis; but I was altogether mistaken. The monk was confused, but his instrument stood forth like a poker. I suppose monks are always so. Annette was in a terrible rage, but when she saw the monk's staff her anger abated; and a reconciliation took place. He approached her, and as he put his tool into her hand I heard him say:
“Well, if I cannot have the daughter, I will the mother.”
Annette had quite forgiven his faithless behavior, and sealed his pardon on the wreck of my unlucky bed.
“Very good,” said the monk as soon as he had recovered his breath, “do you think I do it as well as Silas?”
“What do you mean by that?” said she. “Do you think I have done anything with him?
“The little rascal has hid himself under my bed, and there let him be till Ambrose comes home: I warrant him, he shall have his hide well tanned.”
“Come, come, Annette,” said the monk, “let us have no disagreement; you know very well he cannot always stay here, and he is big enough now, isn't he? I shall take him with me when I go.”
“I think you had better,” replied Annette; “for if the little scamp remains here, you and I can do nothing; I fear he has discovered us already. Most positively he has,” continued she, as she cast her eye on the hole in the partition; “good heavens! I never saw that before; no doubt the young dog has been watching us.”
I was afraid she would come to examine me on that subject, so I retreated as far as possible under the bed, and remained there, though I was very curious to hear the conclusion of a dialogue which so closely concerned me. I was not long in suspense, for I soon felt some one pulling me from my hiding place, and was fearful of its being Ambrose. If he had seen me there, I should have found myself in a rather awkward position.
It turned out however, to be Annette, who brought my clothes, and ordered me to dress immediately, which I did, quite regardless of the lecture she was giving me all the while. When she had duly arranged her own toilette, she said:
“Come, my boy, you must go with me to the rectory.”
I did not much like this news, for the good priest had rather too often given me most striking proofs of his affection, and I rather feared that I was to do penance there for my recent conduct.
We arrived, and I found my apprehensions groundless; Annette presented me to the holy man, and requested him to let me abide some few days in his family. Prom this I concluded that when Father Polycarp returned to his convent, he would take me with him.
The good priest in whose family I was thus domesticated, was one of those curious specimens of humanity that one cannot look at without laughing. He was about four feet high; and his face was enormously out of proportion with his stature, being at least a foot wide and of a rubicundity not to be produced by drinking water; a Negro-like nose, somewhat carbuncled, little black lively eyes, a narrow forehead, and a curly black beard, completed the portrait of the reverend gentleman. Though appearances were rather against him, he had not been altogether unfortunate among the ladies, if we might believe rumors afloat in the village. It is said that he had other qualities which do not meet the public eye, that rendered him a favorite with his female friends.