“At the conclusion of this task, I looked about for my companion but found she had absented herself. Presently she returned, however, accompanied by the elderly lady who had met me upon my entrance. Oh, better had I never entered that den, which was to be my abode for some time to come!
“But I am getting ahead of my story. Upon their entrance, both the ladies seemed quite flustered and excited about something and were shouting in loud tones.
“After they had entered, I noticed they were accompanied by a uniformed officer. Upon entering, the women shouted, 'There she is! There she is! The little thief!' I sat dumbfounded, knowing not the meaning of this dreadful accusation. The elderly woman turned to him, demanded my arrest, and he advanced to my side and seized me firmly by the arm.
“I strove to free myself, but in vain. I thought my wretched husband had followed and found me, and that I was to be brought back to Middleboro. 'Come, woman,' said the officer, 'come with me to the magistrate.' My face must have blanched with terror and I nearly fainted in his grasp.
“'What-what is the matter?' I stammered, and at this the stylishly dressed woman laughed callously. 'What is the matter, indeed! You stole my money, you little hussy!' she shouted, shaking her finger in my face. 'You stole my money off the desk, there.'
“'Oh, it's a lie!' I shouted, thinking how easily I could remove this false charge. I had not stolen her money; I had not even been in its vicinity. I shouted forth my innocence. By this time we were all in the outer room and the elderly woman, stepping to where my jacket hung on the hook, drew forth from the outer pocket the roll of money I had seen the other woman place on the desk!
“I was confounded at this apparently indisputable sign of my guilt and stood, my mouth open, unable to say a word in my own defense. The old harridan then ransacked my pockets, at length bringing forth certain personal papers of mine setting forth my identity in Middleboro and I knew that comparison of these papers with the false application I had signed would bring about my conviction! I was doomed!
“What a cruel chain of circumstance. Entrapped by my own lying pen, I was about to suffer for a crime not of my doing. 'A bad example,' said the officer, starting to drag me toward the door. 'Come, you, to the magistrate.'
“'Madame!' I cried, turning to the woman that had accused me; 'You know well that this charge is unfounded. Surely you will not send me to jail for another's acts! I beg you; let mercy kindle your heart and dismiss this officer and allow me to go my way in peace!'
“Little fool as I was. If I had only known! The 'officer' was one of the inmates of this dive, masquerading as such to intimidate such poor innocent fools as I!
“At my impassioned plea for mercy, the woman seemed to hesitate. Upon seeing this sign of relenting, I redoubled my pleas and she finally motioned the officer away and directed that I step into the inner chamber.
“Inside, she motioned me to a seat and after gazing fixedly at me for a moment, said, 'My child, you are in a bad situation. If you are carted away to jail, you will be severely punished, with perhaps a long time in the workhouse.'
“'I will do anything, anything you say, only please let me go. I haven't any friend and I am nearly starving, but I really didn't steal your money and will do anything, if you will only let me go.'
“She considered a moment. Finally, she said, 'Perhaps we can do something about this.' Going to a table, she prepared a paper which she indicated I was to sign. It was something similar to the one I signed for you this morning, my lord, only that it was a purported confession of my theft of her money from her, together with a full confession of the affair with my husband in Middleboro. Frightened and cowed as I was, I could only sign it, hoping it would bring about my release.
“Upon my appending my signature to the paper, she motioned to the officer and told him she had decided not to press my case and that she would give me a chance to redeem myself, etc.
“He, in turn, informed her that she was foolish to be lenient; that I was no good, that harm would come of it, and so forth, but he finally took his leave.
“Immediately after his departure the lady placed the incriminating paper in a strong box and, motioning me to follow, proceeded to the rear of the house.
“No longer caring what happened to me, I slowly followed her and was ushered into a splendidly furnished room. Here the lady paused and, after bidding me seat myself, departed. I awaited her return for some time and, not seeing her, advanced to the door through which we had entered, finding, to my terror, that it was securely bolted! I ran to the window and, parting the heavy shades, found them blocked in, no stray beam of sunshine permeating their sturdy thickness!
“In a frenzy of fear I ran about the room, which was quite large, shouting and screaming and pounding upon the door with my fists. No response! I slipped to the floor, weeping, and must have passed into a swoon, as I awakened to find someone grasping my arm. Looking up, I saw the room was occupied by two people besides myself. The door remained shut and I could not understand whence they had come.
“The two people were strangers. One was a trim young waiting maid, slight yet muscular, the other an elderly gentleman, fashionably dressed, wearing a boutonniere and carrying a cane under his arm. Stumbling to my feet, I begged them to open the door and allow me to depart. Neither of my strange visitors vouched an answer, the maid smiling at my pleas for freedom and the elderly dandy twirling his mustache as his eyes devoured me from top to toe.
“Laying aside his topcoat, hat, — and gloves, as my wails for succor filled the chamber, he bent a cold gaze upon me and commanded me to rise to my feet.
“'Kiss me, little one!' he commanded, holding his arms out to me. The sight of the man was repellent to me. I turned to the maid, hoping for some mercy from another woman, but was amazed at the indifferent look that mantled her brow! Apparently no help from that quarter!
“Consider, my lord. Up to the present moment I had had but one man in my life, my husband; and the thought of embracing this elderly stranger was extremely distasteful to me, yet I knew I was doomed!
“'Kiss me!' again cried the old man impatiently. I stated I would have nothing to do with him. The maid sprang suddenly behind me, grasped my arms firmly and held them to my sides. I was helpless. The old roue advanced and seized my head and pressed a kiss upon my mouth. I struggled and fought, to no avail. The maid, well trained in long experience with unwilling girls, was more than my match. The old man showered caresses upon me. He opened my waist, took out my breasts, and then squeezed and molded them. I kicked and squirmed but could do nothing. The maid handled me as though I were a child; she dragged me to a bed occupying one comer of the large room, flung me upon it, and securely held me while the old satyr boldly rolled up my dress, exposing my lower body to his sensual gaze.
“He ran his hands over my legs and thighs, not forgetting to touch and rub that central spot that quivered beneath these alien fingers. I draw a curtain over the disgusting scene. Lord, sir! I am a woman, after all, and something of my modesty still remains. I shudder at the thought of the fingerings and maulings of the degenerate beast upon my body, particularly in view of the shameless exposure of my body before a member of my own sex, my face red with blushes as her greedy eyes fixed on my humiliating and exposed attitude.
“The fingers of the old roue eventually accomplished his purpose; the continued rubbing and touching of my touchstone of passion finally brought me around and I was lost in that ecstatic state that nothing can cool except the inserting of a man's shaft. I was squirming and tossing with passion. I am a very passionate woman, as your lordship has discovered, and in spite of my horror and repulsion, the old goat's manipulations had worked me up to such a state that I was unconscious of anything except my lustful sensations.