g able to communicate the pleasing
intelligence--doubly so to me, as I immediately augured the downfall of
my assumed virginity. Dear mamma was all radiant with joy, and conveyed
me at once to where she intended I should sleep. I marked that it was
in an out of the way room, easy of access, but not likely to be
interfered with by passers-by.

"And here, my dear son, for you know in future you are always to call
me mamma, I hope you will find yourself comfortable, and that you will
not be alarmed because you are in an out of the way part of the house,
but in case you should, before I go to bed, I shall come to see that
you are comfortably asleep."

Here she kissed and embraced me warmly. I repaid her most
affectionately, but apparently in all innocence. She sighed, as I
thought with regret, that she could not at that moment go further, and
then led me away.

The afternoon, the dinner, and the evening passed away without anything
worthy of remark, except that mamma was frequently absent and
preoccupied. She sat by me on the sofa while Ellen played to us; her
hand sought mine, and frequently squeezed it affectionately. Harry sat
by Ellen, which enabled me often to raise my head and pout my lips for
a kiss in a boyish way. It was never refused. She dwelt on my mouth
sensuously with half-opened lips, but apparently afraid to tip me the
velvet of her tongue. She frequently gave a shudder and trembled, and
was evidently greatly excited. In the course of the afternoon, Harry
and I had had an opportunity of exchanging ideas. I told him I was
certain his mother would come to me that night, and he might be sure if
she did that she would remain till daylight. I advised him to watch
her, and when he saw her leave her bedroom to come to me, then he could
slip into his cousin's room, and effect his purpose, but to be sure to
retire at the first dawn. I said that if that time his mother wanted to
leave me, I would keep her another quarter of an hour to enable him to
put matters to rights with his cousin, and regain his own room. I
advised him also to put a towel under his cousin's bottom, as he was
sure to make her bleed, and he must take it away in the morning to
prevent any traces of what he had done being perceived by his mother,
and to tell Ellen to feign deep sleep on his mother's return, and to
appear quite unconscious in the morning of her aunt having been absent.
A little before ten o'clock mamma thought it time for her chil