by James Simpson
Angela was reaching the end of her first term at Midchester University, a Victorian redbrick university with an excellent academic reputation. She had taken to it like a duck to water, and was having a great time. Her weakness was partying and drinking too much, after the repression of a very strict grammar school.
That Wednesday afternoon she was frantically finishing off an essay that was due on Friday. Due to her procrastination (another of her faults) she had been working all hours to finish it, and was very sleepy.
She finished her last cigarette and realised she had none left. She cursed and decided that fresh air and a walk to the corner shop about half a mile down the road to buy some more fags would do her good. She pulled her coat on, grabbed her bag and left without checking her ashtray.
On the way back she saw two fire engines race up to the Hall of Residence. She broke into a run to see what was going on. To her horror, she realised it was her room that was the centre of attention. As she reached the entrance, her friends greeted her with, "Angela, Thank God you're all right!"
After the initial shock had worn off, she was told that smoke was seen coming under the door of her room and one of the girls had pressed the fire alarm. The head porter had found her wastepaper bin blazing and put it out with a fire extinguisher, and apart from a scorched sheet and a soaked mattress, there was thankfully little damage.
The firemen had concluded that Angela had carelessly left her last cigarette on the ashtray, and the filter tip had dropped, still alight, into her wastepaper bin and caught fire.
The housekeepers changed Angela's bed and bedding and helped her clear up the mess. A very chastened Angela had a disturbed sleep that night, thinking about the possible consequences of her stupidity, had a neighbour not smelt smoke coming from her room so quickly.
Next morning at breakfast the senior tutor of the hall of residence beckoned her over and summoned her to a meeting at 7 pm, immediately after dinner. Angela knew she was in for it, particularly as smoking was only just tolerated, but heavily discouraged as unladylike and unpleasant.
After a dinner that tasted like cardboard, and many jokes from her friends about her foolishness, and comments that it was a good job she wasn't at boarding school or she would be in for a good swishing, she nervously made her way to Professor Wainwright's suite of rooms. She felt just as nervous as she had at school when reporting to the headmistress. Apart from butterflies in her tummy, she had a nervous twitching in her bottom, like she experienced before the slipperings she had received at school. She knocked on the door, a stentorian, "Enter!" boomed out, and she obeyed.
Present in the drawing room were the Principal Tutor, Angela's personal tutor, Doctor Anderson, and a third year student called Susan Collins, who was introduced as her student representative.
"Take a seat, Miss Johnson," ordered Professor Wainwright. "You have been a very fortunate young woman. Despite your gross stupidity and carelessness, no serious damage has been done, and it will hopefully be a salutary lesson to you and your fellow students. I have the reports here from the fire brigade and the head porter and housekeeper, about the damage to your room. Kindly read them and then you may explain yourself and comment on them."
Angela glanced through them and turned to the professor.
"They appear to be correct, but I wish to make it quite clear that I don't consider I was deliberately careless. I was sure that I had put out my last cigarette before leaving. I am always most careful about that. I do, however, accept complete responsibility for my actions, and will learn from them."
"That's as maybe, Miss Johnson, but I have about two hundred young ladies in my care and standards of responsibility have to be maintained. I would be remiss if I did not ensure that a salutary message about the potential dangers of smoking in rooms was not sent to other residents.
"I therefore have no other option but to order you to pay ten pounds restitution to cover the insurance excess, and as you are a first year student and University rules say you have to live in Hall, then I cannot expel you, but must fine you twenty five pounds. You have a right of appeal to the Vice Chancellor. I would, however, strongly suggest you discuss the matter seriously with your student representative, Susan Collins, and your personal tutor, Dr Kathleen Anderson, as soon as possible, and then inform me of your decision by Monday lunchtime. You may go."
Angela was deeply shocked and made to speak, but the Professor stopped her, saying the interview was over; any further discussions should be with her rep and personal tutor. She would not discuss the matter again until Monday.
When Angela had left the room, Emily Wainwright offered Susan and Kathleen a drink. They all had a gin and tonic.
Kathleen said to the Professor, "I think you were over severe there, Professor. I happen to know she's a not a wealthy girl and she will struggle to pay her fine."
Emily smiled and replied, "Exactly right, Kathleen my dear. But of course I forget you are not familiar with our ways. I don't expect her to pay the fine for one moment."
Kathleen interjected, "I don't understand."
Susan answered quietly, "I think Professor Wainwright expects young Angela to accept the corporal option. In other words, she accepts a sound swishing with the cane and a very sore bottom rather than a very empty purse."
"Exactly, my dear, and it's up to the two of you to make sure she sees sense. Now as to the details: the ten pound excess will have to be paid, but that can be paid in reasonable instalments when she gets her grant cheques over the rest of the year, and I think that four canings, each of six of the best will be appropriate - twenty four strokes for a twenty five pound fine and nearly burning the house down sounds fair enough.
"She will receive one next week before the end of term, and one at the beginning, middle and end of next term. I shall deliver the first and last, the housekeeper the second to pay for the extra work the staff had to do, and you, Kathleen, the third. Do you agree, Susan?"
"Well, it's a little harsh but not too unfair, considering she could have burnt the Hall down. I would certainly accept it if I were in her shoes."
"Excellent. I'll leave it up to you, then. Susan, would you excuse us? I need a private word with Dr Anderson."
Susan said goodbye and left.
"Now Kathleen, I see from your expression you may not approve. Let me explain. Up until about 1957 the standard disciplinary measure in this hall was a continuation of school - in other words, the cane for girls under twenty-one. It had gradually fallen out of favour, therefore fines were instituted. However, when they were formalised, they proved so unpopular with the girls that, through their representatives, they asked for the reintroduction of a voluntary corporal punishment equivalent.
"The majority of girls value the ability to buy pretty clothes and go out to dances and parties. They are perfectly prepared to accept a very sore bottom for a week or so in order to have sufficient money to enjoy themselves. We agreed with pleasure, provided the girl requested it in writing. The standard is a senior girls' cane as used in schools, and the punishment is over one tight thin layer, either thin shorts, knickers, thin pyjamas, or a leotard. Sufficient force is used to cause considerable pain and bruising that lasts for about a week. This has proved popular with the majority of girls. Most miscreants choose the corporal option."
"Well, I won't hide my astonishment," Kathleen replied, "but I can see the sense, and I shall certainly encourage young Angela to accept that option."
"Thank you, Kathleen. As a matter of interest, were you ever caned, or have you caned or slippered girls before?"
"I went to a strict school, Professor, and was both slippered on a number of occasions and caned a couple of times. As a prefect, I slippered several junior girls."
"Excellent, Kathleen. I shall see you on Monday when young Angela informs me of her decision."
Angela meanwhile had returned to her room in a state of shock. She let herself in and threw herself on the bed, sobbing. Her neighbour and friend Josie had heard her door, and knocked. Angie went to her door and when she saw who it was, invited her in. Josie, seeing the state her friend was in, put her arm around her and comforted her. Angie slowly stopped crying, and while she was tidying her face up, Josie made them a coffee and sat down and asked Angie why she was crying.
Angie explained that she would never be able to pay the huge fine and would probably leave and take articles or similar back at home. Just then Susan knocked and put her head round the door. She immediately realised that Angela was very distressed, and when she told her that she was thinking of leaving, she was horrified.
"Good grief, Angie, you mustn't think of that. We shall have to find another solution. Let's have a good talk right now."
Angie asked what point there was, as there was no way she could even think of paying the fine.
Susan then explained the other option that Professor Wainwright had offered to her, and that if she was in the same position she would certainly accept it.
Josie was horrified, telling Angie not to even consider such a barbaric option, and if necessary she would get her prosperous parents to lend Angela the money, which she could repay when she had finished university and started working.
Angela was very surprised at both suggestions, but told them that she needed a couple of days to think about it. Susan reminded Angela that term ended next week, and if she chose the corporal option she must inform the Prof by Monday.
Later that day Angela went to see Susan privately, to find out more details about the corporal option. Susan described the procedure to her in some detail and the four lots of six strokes that she would have to accept. Angela asked Susan if she had ever received the cane in the hall of residence and Susan replied that during the last two years she had received six strokes twice and ten strokes once, all for being caught with a man in her room after hours.
Susan then asked Angela if she had been caned at school, to which Angela replied that she had been slippered once by the gym mistress for taking a short-cut on a cross country, and once by her form-mistress for being late three times in a month. As a result she had received three strokes of the cane from the head of house that year for an unsatisfactory disciplinary record. However, the very next year her school gained a progressive new young headmistress who banned caning, except for the most serious offences. Consequently, she had not experienced the slipper or the cane again.
Susan asked about the punishments and Angie explained that the gym mistress had been watching on her bike. As the six girls who had taken the short cut were coming out of the shower with just towels on, she had given them each six strokes of the slipper on their wet naked bums.
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