I felt that the place was not such as to enable me to attempt to carry the matter farther at present, and delaying for a minute or two in the conservatory that I might calm down my excitement a little, I slipped quietly back to the drawing room. To cover the agitation I still felt, I again joined in the waltz with the first partner I could find. In a few minutes Laura returned to the room, nor could anyone have possibly discovered from her manner that she had so recently undergone such violent emotion. I could hardly believe it possible that the seemingly proud and haughty girl was the same panting, trembling creature who had so recently been in my arms.
I soon, however, found reason to regret I had not chosen a more fitting reason for my denouement, in which case I might perhaps have turned it to greater profit than I appeared likely to do. With the morning, she had recovered all her coolness and self-posses- sion, and had evidently determined on the course she was to pursue. She did not leave her room till breakfast time, and afterwards evaded all my stratagems to obtain a private interview with her.
After luncheon the horses were brought to the door, and a large party started out for a ride. When we had gone a short distance, she contrived to let the others get ahead of us, so as to leave us alone together, for I had got her to dispense with Master John's attend-ance when I accompanied her. She then turned up a quiet lane which led to a common where there was little chance of our meeting anyone, and where the many bushes, scattered in large clumps over it, were high enough to conceal us from observation.
Then, without any hesitation, she entered at once on the subject which engrossed all my thoughts. She said she could not imagine how I could possibly have discovered her secret, but that as it was clear I had done so, it was no use for her now to attempt to deny it, and that she was quite sure I would not make any use of it that could be injurious to her.
"But don't suppose," said she, "that I am offended at the manner you took of showing me you had found out my propensity. It was a very good idea, and I shall be delighted to become better acquainted with my new friend," at the same time placing her hand upon him. "He is a very handsome little fellow, but I must tell you frankly that though I shall be happy to contribute as far as I safely can
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to afford him amusement, you must not expect that I can allow him to do what might get me into most serious difficulties. Perhaps after a time even this may be managed, but at present it is out of the question, so he must be contented for the present with the pleasures I can safely afford him."
As she spoke, she continued to unbutton my trousers and remove my shirt, until she had fairly uncovered her new acquaintance, which started out under the pressure of her soft fingers showing his head proudly erect. She loaded it with caresses, at the same time expressing in the warmest terms her admiration of its size and beauty. I saw at once from her manner that she had made her mind
up on the subject and that there was no chance of complete success on that occasion at least. So I resolved to make the best of the opportunity and humour her inclination, and do all in my power to gratify her in her own way, trusting that on some more propitious occasion I might obtain my wishes in their fullest extent.
Ascertaining, therefore, that there was no one in sight and that we were in such a position as to be able to command a view all round of some considerable distance so that no one could approach us without being observed, I said that all I desired was to contribute to her happiness, and that I only wanted to know in what manner that could be best done, and that I was quite ready to use every exertion in my power to effect it; that if she had any curiosity about her new acquaintance, I was quite prepared to do anything I could to gratify her. She said she was curious about it, and would be delighted to have a better view of it and see what it could do.
I immediately unbuttoned my braces and let down my trousers and tucked up my shirt under my waistcoat, then, bringing my leg over the horse so as to sit on one side in her own fashion, exposed everything to her view. She seemed perfectly enchanted as she took hold of and played with the ivory column and uncovered its ruby head and explored the secrets of the pendant receptacles of the liquid of life. She seemed to be fully aware of the effect of her soft hand moving up and down upon the object of her worship, and she watched with eagerness the consequences her operation produced. I did not attempt to conceal my emotions from her in the least, and gave myself up to the voluptuous sensations which her proceedings could not fail to occasion, till they attained such
a height that a full overflow of the precious liquid, spouting from the overexcited tube, fairly attested the effect produced upon me. She gazed upon the charming sight with evident delight, and dwelt upon every excited motion I made, endeavouring by every means in her power to heighten and increase my enjoyment.
When I had in some measure recovered from the pleasure-trance, I threw my arms around her and thanked her for all the pleasure she had afforded me and said it was not fair that I should enjoy all the delight, and I trusted she would allow me to repeat upon her the lesson she had thus practised on me. She said at once that she would not get off the horse, but that if it would afford me any pleasure she was quite willing that I should do anything I liked with her in that position. I saw it was no use to attempt more, so I resolved to make the most of my situation.
Dismounting from my horse, I removed her leg from the horn of the saddle, and raising up her clothes discovered her most exquisite thighs and the enchanting object between them almost completely hidden under a cluster of dark-auburn curly hair. After kissing and caressing it for some minutes, parting the moist lips, and tickling the surrounding moss, I tried to introduce my finger. The tightness of the aperture and the difficulty I had in getting it in beyond an inch or two soon satisfied me that either the pain or the fear of doing mischief had prevented her from using the substitute to such an extent as to deprive the first living entrant of the glory and pleasure of a victory over her virgin charms, and this discovery increased tenfold the desire I felt to be the conqueror in such
a splendid field of battle. I did the best I could in the situation in which I was placed, and partly with my finger and partly with my tongue I succeeded in creating such a degree of titillation upon her sensitive clitoris and the adjacent parts that, sided as it was by the excitement of the scene that had previously been enacted, it produced such an effect upon her as she had never previously experienced. When her convulsive motions ceased, and the stream flowed over my fingers down her thighs, she bent down her head and fondly kissed me, acknowledging that I had contrived to afford her more pleasure than she had believed it possible she could enjoy.
I seized the opportunity to point out to her the effect which her wanton hand had upon my champion, for she had now bent down to grasp it and play with it again and it still held up its proud head as erect as ever. I endeavoured to persuade her that what she had experienced was nothing in comparison with the bliss he could bestow upon her. But she remained firm, and would not allow me
to give her a practical illustration of my theory, though she was so delighted with her little friend that she continued to caress and fondle him whenever she could, almost all the way till we reached home.
Two or three scenes of this nature followed in the course of the few following days, and still I could not contrive to get further with her. I therefore resolved to try the effect of a stratagem that had occurred to me. Though she had resisted all my entreaties to meet me at the summer house, I had told her the day after our explanation that I would not act so cruelly to her as she did to me, and that I was desirous to contribute to her amusement in any manner she liked best, and, therefore, as she seemed determined that her visits
to the summer house should be solitary ones, I would put some books and pictures in the hiding-place which I was sure would divert her and add to her enjoyment whenever she would take a fancy to repair thither. I kept a watch upon her, but never could catch her there, though I soon became aware from the change in the position of the books that she occasionally visited the place when she
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