“Punished?” exclaimed the startled matron.
“Severely punished,” he said suavely. “And if an over soft heart and lack of business acumen such as hers deserves proper punishment-what shall we say as to the frivolous woman who has brought about her present and degrading plight?”
Mrs. Tasker gasped and flushed. She rose from her chair in offended dignity. “You are being very harsh- too harsh for me to deal with. Of course, I realize I have been careless-in letting my bill run up. I intend to pay it-and also my daughter's-as soon as possible!”
She turned towards the door. He made no move to detain her-yet she felt his watching eyes holding her back. She meant to leave immediately-to go out and close the door firmly behind her… and yet-and yet…
“Certainly,” she observed — nervously and curiously too-“I cannot accept seriously what you Have just said about Mrs. Bolton's being punished? This is the twentieth century, Mr. Freeman-and women are no longer subject to masculine whims and discipline. They are only subject to the law-which she has in no way offended!” She turned once more to depart.
“Not all laws are made in legislative bodies, Mrs. Tasker, my dear,” he said. “And all women, of whatever age, should be subject to a private code of laws devised for them by stronger persons.”
Doris Tasker shrugged her perfect shoulders-attracting his attention to lines which made him regret she was not in evening dress.
“I shall go,'“ she announced. “Obviously I can have no dealings with you. Tell Mrs. Bolton that I hope to settle in the very near future!”
“Yes,” he agreed, “you are going to settle those hills in the very near future indeed!”
She started at something sinister in his voice. Then she turned again to regard him with apprehension.
“I mean, of course.” he said softly, “that it will be in your husband's hands-with full particulars-within the next half hour. He will undoubtedly be glad to discharge your due obligations-which after all are his also!”
Reddening to her white brow beneath the silken glories of her red gold hair. Mrs. Tasker turned slowly to the chair she had recently occupied, and sank into it once again with a nervous sigh.
“You have misunderstood,” she said breathlessly. “I am so very sorry if I was cross with you just now-hut the fact is-this business is just between Mrs. Bolton and myself. Even my husband is an outsider where this is concerned…”
“That is impossible. I am afraid.” he murmured. “Dr. Tasker is bound legally, of course, in this matter.”
“But…” she said, with widened, apprehensive blue eyes harboring a pleading expression for the first time. “I see I shall have to tell you-he knows nothing of all this-and I could not endure having him know. He… my husband can be very unreasonable when-”
“Louise and I simply had to have some nice things- and I supposed that Mrs. Bolton was soundly enough financed to carry our account for a time!”
“Mrs. Bolton has been driven to distraction-by you and others like you,” he said sternly. “She will be soundly financed in the near future-at some expense, perhaps, to her pride and… other senses. But tell me-your husband must have observed that you and your lovely daughter were dressing like the family of a millionaire?”
“He thought-we had a small bequest-it is spent long ago!” she stammered. He was startled out of his composure by the sudden cracking up of Doris Tasker. The lovely woman was whimpering like a child.
“I–I simply cannot face having him know!” she said tearfully. “You cannot understand — it might break up our household-I would rather die!” she gazed at him in despair. “Ohh!” she wailed, “is there no way out of this fearful predicament?”
“There is…” breathed Francis Freeman. “And you are going to take it!”
“Ohh! If I only could…” she almost sobbed. Her hands were clasped prayerfully, but in her face was a look of what might be called apprehensive relief. For although she had no suspicion of his dire purpose, she knew that whatever could get her out of this difficulty must be no simple matter.
“Justice must be done,” he said calmly. “You will have to accept blindly what I consider to be justice in this case — and later on you may have the pleasure of seeing me tear up this account of yours and hand you the pieces.”
“Justice?” she whispered tremulously. “You mean… I must?”
“There will be retribution,” he said firmly. “I shall be both secret judge and executioner. There will be no appeal from what I determine-or order-during this next hour and perhaps one or two hours on subsequent days!”
“But-good heavens,” she stared at him with deep and suffused violet eyes. “It sounds so limitless!” she said in consternation. “Why-it would be like going before some kind of inquisition-which could do anything with the poor culprit!”
“Three thousand dollars are not blotted out in a breath of wind,” he said. “However-since you don't fancy squaring your debt by accepting whatever penalty I impose- I'll just get your husband on the phone…”
“Stop-ohh-for God's sake, stop!” she wailed as he turned towards the phone. “I promise-I do indeed… to atone as you wish. I know I've been foolish-thoughtless…. but I'm certain,” she added pleadingly, “that you'll spare my womanly dignity?”
“Your womanly dignity,” he murmured, “is likely to be greatly impaired, I'm afraid! Do you still promise to be really submissive?”
“Ohh! I must… I must!” she cried, wringing her lovely white hands.
There was a long silence in the room where a palpitating and flushed beauty and a triumphant but outwardly composed man sat. Finally Doris could endure the quiet no longer.
“I suppose,” she said nervously, “that you wish me to apologize to you for the harsh words I used earlier and perhaps to Mrs. Bolton for the trouble I've caused?”
“Ask Mrs. Bolton,” he smiled, “just how far a simple apologize to you for the harsh words I used earlier and he touched a button beneath the desk. There was a slight grating sound, and a panel some twenty inches or so square opened in the wall opposite them. Through the hole thus disclosed there was nothing to be seen. But the sound of sighs and sobs-came to the ears of the startled Mrs. Tasker.
“This delay is ridiculous — and suggests further and much heavier punishment for the culprit!” said Freeman.
A gasp and then a convulsive sob-became audible.
“Have pity… on my-my shame!” came a pleading whisper. “I can't, really I can't-before Mrs. Tasker!”
He pressed a button on the desk. The sound rang very clearly and imperiously. There was another sob-a moaning little cry. And Mrs. Tasker, staring with incredulous eyes, beheld a whiteness framing itself in the square opening. More accurately speaking, the vision was what had once been a whiteness-but it was now a rosy and gleaming pinkness. It was the perfectly naked bottom of a young woman-and its full curves and soft beauty testified to the sex of the mortified possessor of that lovely pair of buttocks…
“But… but… o-o-o-h! Heavens! She's been beaten — whipped!” gasped Doris Tasker shudderingly.
“Let's be accurate-a closer study will help,'.! he said. Obviously he was enjoying the shame and consternation of the participants in the discussion.
He extended his hand to Doris. Confusedly she gave him her slim fingers. She rose-and followed him up to the lovely but unseemingly display in the opening of the wall.
“If she had been whipped there would have been stripes on this delicate skin,” he said, as he softly and lewdly caressed the swelling mounds which quivered at his touch.
“Tell me, Doris, what do you now think has happened to this fair lady?”
“I… I-my God! She has been fearfully spanked- at the least!” stammered Doris, too shaken to notice that he had used her given name so informally.
“Yes-spanked-rather heartily but not fearfully!” he acquiesced. “I pass your blunder this time. But feel this beautiful bottom and note how warm it is.”
In shrinking shame the woman would have drawn back. He gave her a look that crumpled her resistance. And he laid a timid hand on the nude cheeks and promenaded her fingers across it slowly.