My quiet determined manner staggered her. She paled when I referred to the past, and she flushed painfully as I indicated what her immediate future would be. After a slight pause I spoke again.
'I have deliberately planned this revenge! I took these rooms solely because they would lend themselves so admirably to this end. I have prepared them for every contingency, even to having to subjugate you by force! Look!' And I proceeded to reveal to her astonished eyes the mechanism concealed in the furniture, etc. 'You know you cannot get out of this room till I choose to let you go; you know that your screams and cries for help will not be heard. You now must decide what you will do. I give you two alternatives, and two only, and you must choose one of them. Will you submit yourself quietly to me, or do you prefer to be forced?'
Alice stamped her little foot in her rage: 'How dare you speak to me in this way?' she demanded furiously. 'Do you think I am a child? Let me go at once!' and she moved in her most stately manner to the door.
'You are no child,' I replied with a cruel smile, 'you are a lusciously lovely girl possessing everything that I desire and able to satisfy my desires. But I am not going to let you waste time. The whole afternoon will hardly be long enough for the satisfaction of my whims, caprices and lust. Once more, will you submit or will you be forced? Understand that if by the time the clock strikes the half-hour, you do not consent to submit, I shall without further delay proceed to take by force what I want from you! Now make the most of the three minutes you have left.' And turning my back on her, I proceeded to get the room ready, as if I anticipated that I would have to use force.
Overcome by her feelings and emotions, Alice sank into an armchair burying her face in her trembling hands. She evidently recognised her dreadful position! How could she yield herself up to me? And yet if she did not, she knew she would have to undergo violation! And possibly horrible indignities as well! I left her absolutely alone, and when I had finished my preparations, I quietly seated myself and watched her. Presently the clock chimed the half-hour. Immediately I rose. Alice quickly sprang to her feet and rushed to the far side of the large divan-couch on which I hoped before long to see her extended naked! It was evident that she was going to resist and fight me, and I welcomed her decision, as now she would give me ample justification for the fullest exercising of my lascivious desires!
'Well, Alice, what is it to be? Will you submit quietly?'
A sudden passion seemed to possess her. She looked me squarely in the eyes for the first time, hers blazing with rage and indignation: 'No! no!' she exclaimed vehemently, 'I defy you! Do your worst. Do you think you will frighten me into satisfying your lust? Once and for all I give you my answer: No! No! No! Oh! you cowardly brute and beast!' And she laughed shrilly as she turned herself away contemptuously.
'As you please,' I replied quietly and calmly, 'let those laugh that win! I venture to say that within half an hour, you will not only be offering yourself to me absolutely and unconditionally, but will also be begging me to accept your surrender! Let us see!'
Alice laughed incredulously and defiantly: 'Yes, let us see! Let us see!' she retorted contemptuously.
Forthwith I sprang towards her to seize her, but quick as thought she darted away, I in hot pursuit. For a short time she succeeded in eluding me, dodging in and out of the furniture, like a butterfly, but soon I manoeuvred her into a corner and pouncing on her gripped her firmly, then half dragged and half carried her to where a pair of electrically worked rope-pulleys hung between two of the pillars, she struggling desperately and screaming for help. In spite of her determined resistance, I soon made the ropes fast to her wrists, then touched the button; the ropes tightened, and slowly but irresistibly, Alice's arms were drawn upwards till her hands were well above her head and she was forced to stand erect by the tension on her arms. She was now utterly helpless and unable to defend her person from the hands that were itching to invade and explore the sweet mysteries of her garments; but what with her exertions and the violence of her emotions she was in such a state of agitation that I deemed it wise to leave her to herself for a brief space, till she became more mistress of herself, then she would be better able to appreciate the indignities which she would now be compelled to suffer!
Here, I think, I had better explain the mechanical means I had at my disposal for the discomfiture and subjugation of Alice.
Between each two of the pillars that supported the lantern-skylight hung a pair of strong rope-pulleys working on a roller mechanism concealed in the beams and actuated by electricity. Should I want Alice upright, I had simply to attach the ropes to her wrists, and her arms would be pulled straight up and well over her head, thus forcing her to stand erect, and at the same time rendering her body defenceless and at my mercy. The pillars themselves could be utilized as whipping posts, being provided with rings to which Alice could be fastened in such a way that she could not move!
Close by the pillars was a huge divan-couch upholstered in dark green satin admirably to enhance the pearly loveliness of a naked girl. It stood on eight massive legs (four on each long side), behind each of which lay, coiled for use, a stout leather strap worked by rollers hidden in the upholstery and actuated by electricity. On it were piled a lot of cushions of various sorts and consistencies, with which Alice and Marion used to make nests for themselves, little dreaming that the real object of the 'Turkish Divan' (as they had christened it) was to be the altar on which Alice's virginity would be sacrificed to the Goddess of Love, the mission of the straps being to hold her in position while being violated, should she not surrender herself quietly to her fate!
By the keyboard of the grand piano stood a duet-stool upholstered in leather and with the usual mechanical power of adjustment for height, only to a much greater extent than usual. But the feature of the stool was its unusual length, a full six feet, and I one day had to satisfy Alice's curiosity by telling her that this was for the purpose of providing a comfortable seat to anyone who might be turning over for the pianist! The real reason was that the stool was, for all practical purposes, a rack actuated by hidden machinery and fitted with a most ingenious arrangement of straps, the efficacy of which I looked forward to testing on Alice's tender self.
The treacherous armchair I have already explained. My readers can now perhaps understand that I could fix Alice in practically any position or attitude and keep her so fixed while I worked my sweet will on her helpless self.
All the ropes and straps were fitted with swivel snap-hooks. To attach them to Alice's limbs, I used an endless band of the strongest and softest silk rope that I could get made. It was an easy matter to slip the band (doubled) round her wrist or ankle, pass one end through the other and draw tight, then snap the free end into the swivel hook. No amount of plunging or struggling would loosen this attachment, and the softness of the silk prevented Alice's delicate flesh from being rubbed or even marked.
Chapter III
During the ten minutes grace that I mentally allowed Alice in which to recover from the violence of her struggles, I quietly studied her as she stood helpless, almost supporting herself by resting her weight on her wrists. She was to me an exhilarating spectacle, her bosom fluttering, rising and falling as she caught her breath, her cheeks still flushing, her large hat somewhat disarranged, while her dainty well-fitting dress displayed her neat comely figure to its fullest advantage.
She regained command of herself wonderfully quickly, and then it was evident that she was stealthily watching me in horrible apprehension. I did not leave her long in suspense, but after going slowly round her and inspecting her, I placed a chair right in front of her, so close to her its edge almost touched her knees, then slipped myself into it, keeping my legs apart, so that she stood between them, the front of her dress pressing against the fly of my trousers. Her head was now above mine, so that I could peer directly
