The Romance of Lust: A classic Victorian erotic novel
It was about this time Mrs. Vincent gave birth to a fine boy. I have not
spoken of her since our first interview after her marriage in the summer
house, when all had gone into the town to bring out Miss Frankland. We
had only had two stolen interviews since that time, which I have not
mentioned, because they were too hasty, and with too little comfort to
have been thoroughly enjoyed; then she became too heavy with child to
afford me any further opportunity. Mamma wrote a congratulating letter
to Mr. Vincent, wishing him joy of the advent of a son and heir, little
dreaming that her own son was the father thereof. This brought a visit
from Mr. Vincent to beg that mamma would kindly become godmother to the
little fellow. My mother at once assented, and asked who the godfathers
were. He said an uncle, from whom they had expectations, had consented
to be one, but he was at a loss to know whom to ask as second.
“Why not ask Charlie, he was always very fond of your wife as his
governess, and he, too, has an uncle from whom we hope some day to
receive something handsome.”
“That is a very good idea of yours, Mrs. Roberts, and if you will kindly
send for Charles I shall put it to him, and if he consents, it saves me
all further trouble.”
I was sent for, and, you may be sure, accepted immediately, thanking Mr.
Vincent for the honour he did me, and hoping that Mrs. Vincent would be
equally agreeable that I should be godfather, although so young.
“Leave that to me, my dear wife is so much attached to me that my wish
is her law, so do not make yourself uneasy on that head.”
It may well be supposed I was not at all uneasy, but quite certain that
it was the very thing Mrs. V. would have proposed if she had not been
withheld by prudence. We heard afterwards from Mr. V. that she had
simulated objections on account of my youth, but the very first moment
she could say a word to me in private it was to tell me what delight it
had given her that her husband should have fulfilled in the matter the
very wish nearest and dearest to her heart.
The ceremony eventually came off as had been proposed, but it was at
very rare intervals that I could find an opportunity of renewing our old
combats in the field of Venus. Meanwhile I had no reason to regret this
as far as indulgence of my erotic passions went, because, for nearly two
years, that is until I had passed my eighteenth birthday, I continued to
enjoy uninterrupted bliss in the arms of the luxurious and fascinating
Miss Frankland, or in orgies with her and my sisters, which culminated
in every excess of venery capable of being enjoyed by three women and
one youth. In fact, we all indulged rather too freely, if I may judge
from the fact that, at least to Miss Frankland and myself, the rod had
almost become a necessity, and occasionally even my sisters admitted it
gave them a fillip. Under the able tutorship of Miss Frankland we became
the most perfect adepts in every voluptuous indulgence of lubricity. But
I must also give her the credit of never neglecting our education.
Indeed, I may say it gained by the intimate union of our bodies. For
that estimable woman impressed upon us that to keep her friendship and
confidence we must do justice to her teaching. I have already said her
system of instruction was very superior to anything we had previously
known, and now that she had won our unbounded love and affection, there
was nothing we were not ready to do in school to second her efforts for
our mutual improvement. She had very superior attainments—spoke French
and German like a native, had sufficient knowledge of Latin and Greek to
ground me well in them, and her knowledge of music was very superior. I
have hardly ever heard anyone with a more charming touch on the piano.
In the two years that followed our first orgie we made really
astonishing progress. We all spoke French very fairly, had a pretty good
knowledge of German, especially Mary, who really spoke it well; as for
myself I was well up in French, fairly so in German, and with a very
good groundwork of Latin and Greek.
It was about this time that an event happened which completely changed
the order of my life. My mother had hinted that I had some expectations
from an uncle. These were very vague. He was my father’s brother, but
they had never agreed, and we were almost strangers to each other. He
died, and one day we were all surprised, not to say delighted, to hear
from his executor, a Mr. Nixon, a rich merchant in London, that my uncle
had left my mother four hundred pounds a year as long as she did not
marry again, but at her death the said annuity was to be divided between
my two sisters, independent of any coverture. The residue and bulk of
the property was settled on me, under trust to Mr. Nixon until I was of
age, with a request that I should be brought up to the law and entered
as a barrister in the Inner Temple. Further, a sum of five hundred
pounds was allowed for a new outfit, in every way becoming to all of us.
Mr. Nixon announced that in a fortnight he would take the opportunity of
being in our neighbourhood to come over and make the necessary
arrangements consequent upon the altered state of affairs. He added that
the residue of the property would yield about one thousand pounds a
year, and that, therefore, my education must be looked to more closely
than it probably had been. Here was, indeed, a change. My father had
left the house and grounds, and something like six hundred pounds a year
in the funds, entirely to my mother as long as she remained a widow, or
until her death. Afterwards one hundred and fifty pounds per annum to
each of my sisters, and the house and residue to me—a moderate income
requiring other efforts to make it comfortable to one’s upbringing. Here
I was now the heir eventually to something like fifteen hundred pounds a
year, two country houses, and a very fair house besides attached to my
uncle’s house. You may easily imagine the joy of the whole family when
from somewhat pinched economy, we found ourselves in easy circumstances,
with at once quite double our previous income. We indulged in somewhat
wild dreams of what all this might produce; but mamma brought us to our
senses by informing us that until I was of age Mr. Nixon would entirely
control our destinies, and that it was more than probable he would
insist upon sending me to a public school. This news dashed all our
hopes to pieces with a vengeance, because it was precisely on our
greater freedom that we had been counting, and now there was every
probability our delightful intercourse and delicious orgies would come
to an abrupt termination. We exchanged sad and crestfallen looks on
hearing this from mamma, and met in a very disconsolate humour that
night in Miss Frankland’s room; but that charming and estimable woman
cheered us up with the hope that if a temporary separation did occur, it
would only lead to our safer and more perfect reunion hereafter.
“And, to tell you the truth,” she said, “my dear Charlie, we have been
of late too much for you, and your health and constitution will benefit
by a forced inactivity, for I have observed some symptoms about you
lately that prove we three have taxed you too hard. I have no doubt I
shall be retained as governess to your sisters, and leave me alone to
keep them to a point that will not disappoint you when we meet again,
which must always occur at intervals of not longer than six months.”
To our loving minds six months seemed an age. At the same time Miss F.’s
remarks had, to a certain extent, reassured us, and although we could
not enter into our orgie with the usual fury and letch, nevertheless we
managed to pass a night sufficiently rapturous in the enjoyment of our
libidinous passions, which many would have thought excessive.
In due course Mr. Nixon made his appearance. He was a pleasant-looking
elderly gentleman, and a complete man of the world. Finding that I had
been educated entirely at home under governesses, he fancied I must be a
milk-and-watery ignorant youth, and had already hinted as much to
mamma—who, having told me, put me on my mettle. Mr. Nixon sent for me
into the parlour alone, and began an agreeable conversation apparently
leading to nothing, probably with a view not to render me nervous and
timid, gradually turning the conversation upon educational subjects. He
was agreeably surprised to find the progress I had made, not only in
historical and geographical subjects, but in languages, and above all
was surprised at my knowledge of Latin and Greek. He was particular in
asking if some clergyman had not lent his aid to the governess. After
dinner, during which he paid great attention to Miss Frankland, he
warmly complimented her on her system of teaching and its extraordinary
success. At the same time he observed that, as his dear old friend had
desired that his nephew should become a barrister, it would be necessary
he should be sent to some clergyman taking a few boys, and then to
King’s College, London, before entering a barrister’s chambers. Miss
Frankland at once admitted the justice of the remark, and hoped that
Charles would not shame her teaching.
“Quite the contrary, I assure you, Miss Frankland. I have been struck
with the admirable groundwork you have established, and especially the
advantages you have given him of the knowledge of modern languages. I am
so much pleased that I intend to beg of Mrs. Roberts to keep you as the
able governess of the girls until they are so much older as to require a
little knowledge of the world which a metropolitan ladies’ school is
sure to impart.”
All this was said with a certain deference of manner to Miss Frankland,
that I felt certain the old gentleman was greatly struck with her
person, as well as her system of teaching. But of this it is probable my
readers will learn more hereafter.
My mother, hearing of the intention of sending me to some clergyman,
immediately suggested that her own brother-in-law, the Rev. Mr.
Brownlow, rector of Leeds, in Kent, a retired village close to the
castle of that name, would be a suitable person. He was a gentleman who
had taken honours at Cambridge, and was in the habit of receiving one,
two or even three young gentlemen, but never more, to prepare them for
the universities. At that moment she knew by a letter from her sister
that he had a vacancy. His name, she said, stood high as an instructor,
as Mr. Nixon would find on inquiry; and as Charles had never been away
from home, it would be a great satisfaction to her to know that he was
under the care of her own sister. Mr. Nixon said he perfectly agreed to
her suggestion, provided, as to which he had no doubt, his inquiries
justified his sending me there. He left us with a promise of an early
decision, and, indeed, before the week had passed we received his full
concurrence to my mother’s suggestion. So my aunt was written to, and it
being the period of the holidays, Mr. and Mrs. Brownlow were asked to
come over and spend a week, and then I could return with them to Kent.
We had not seen aunt or uncle since we were little children, and only
remembered her as a very tall immense person. The distance had prevented
personal intercourse, and we only knew of them by interchanges of hams,
Canterbury brawn, and oysters at Christmas time. As they replied by
return of post, saying they would be with us in two or three days
following their letter, you may be sure Miss Frankland and all of us
made the most of what was to be the last of our mutual orgies for the
time. No restrictions were put upon us, and every night was dedicated to
the god of lust and voluptuousness.
At last the fatal day arrived. My mother and the two girls went into the
town to fetch uncle and aunt out, leaving Miss Frankland and me to our