On the wall was hung on a nail a leather girdle with buckles; there was also a rope about the thickness of the finger, ending in a loop; there were also two dog-collars, part of a sword-stick, leather reins, and fetters for wrists and ankles, the former being heavy iron handcuffs.
The window in the wall separating the “black room” from the bathroom, the glass of which was frosted, was covered with special hangings. The inner side of the door of the room was also hung with black.
In respect to this “black room” A. testified:
“Z. insisted that one room should be entirely draped with black, as the ‘hall of judgment.’ He sent me pulleys from Cologne, by which he was to be drawn up and hanged.[622] This excited him, his face got quite blue, and it made him ‘ready’ for intercourse. I was afraid that it might kill him, and I only allowed him to have it done once.
“To the wooden framework in the ‘black room,’ Z. was securely fastened, so that he had the illusion that he was on the scaffold.”
In all large towns widely diffused masochistic prostitution subserves the desires of male masochists, and frequently also those of female masochists. These priestesses of Venus flagellatrix hide themselves commonly under the cloak of a “masseuse”[623] an “educationalist,” or “governess,” adding to this professional title the expressive adjective “severe” or “energetic.” “Wanda” is also a favourite pseudonym, which corresponds to the masochistic nickname of “Severin” (the principal character of Sacher-Masoch’s “Venus im Pelz”).
These women, the “mistresses,” treat their masochistic clients as “slaves” or “dogs,” and maintain this fiction not only in personal association, but also in correspondence—masochists are all passionate correspondents. The relationship also of the “lady” to her “page” is a favourite one (the so-called “pagism”). The nature of the relationship is clearly shown in the following original letter of such a masochist:
“Berlin,
“June 7, 1902.
“Gracious Lady,—
“First of all I must sincerely ask your pardon for daring, most honoured lady, to write to you. I saw recently a lady with a glorious figure and magnificent hips enter your house, and I suspect that you are this lady. If you, gracious lady, desire a servant and a slave, who will blindly obey all your commands, and upon your order, as a slave, without any will but your own, will perform the basest and dirtiest services, I should be happy if you would be so gracious as to make me that slave, if I might visit you from time to time in order to serve you, my strict mistress and commander. If at any time I should fail to obey you absolutely, you can treat me most cruelly and chastise me most severely.