FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109  
110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   >>   >|  
being here alone with you like this. I don't think you had better come in with me." "That's rather unpleasant, dear." "Yes, it is, and I wanted you to have some tea as well as myself too, because you must be tired." "Well, let me have some with you, then. I was denied once before, if you recollect, Fancy." "Yes, yes, never mind! And it seems unfriendly of me now, but I don't know what to do." "It shall be as you say, then." Dick began to retreat with a dissatisfied wrinkling of face, and a farewell glance at the cosy tea- tray. "But you don't see how it is, Dick, when you speak like that," she said, with more earnestness than she had ever shown before. "You do know, that even if I care very much for you, I must remember that I have a difficult position to maintain. The vicar would not like me, as his schoolmistress, to indulge in a tete-a-tete anywhere with anybody." "But I am not any body!" exclaimed Dick. "No, no, I mean with a young man;" and she added softly, "unless I were really engaged to be married to him." "Is that all? Then, dearest, dearest, why we'll be engaged at once, to be sure we will, and down I sit! There it is, as easy as a glove!" "Ah! but suppose I won't! And, goodness me, what have I done!" she faltered, getting very red. "Positively, it seems as if I meant you to say that!" "Let's do it! I mean get engaged," said Dick. "Now, Fancy, will you be my wife?" "Do you know, Dick, it was rather unkind of you to say what you did coming along the road," she remarked, as if she had not heard the latter part of his speech; though an acute observer might have noticed about her breast, as the word 'wife' fell from Dick's lips, a soft silent escape of breaths, with very short rests between each. "What did I say?" "About my trying to look attractive to those men in the gig." "You couldn't help looking so, whether you tried or no. And, Fancy, you do care for me?" "Yes." "Very much?" "Yes." "And you'll be my own wife?" Her heart quickened, adding to and withdrawing from her cheek varying tones of red to match each varying thought. Dick looked expectantly at the ripe tint of her delicate mouth, waiting for what was coming forth. "Yes--if father will let me." Dick drew himself close to her, compressing his lips and pouting them out, as if he were about to whistle the softest melody known. "O no!" said Fancy solemnly. The modest Dick drew back a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109  
110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

engaged

 
varying
 

dearest

 

coming

 

observer

 

unkind

 
escape
 

speech

 

noticed

 

silent


breast

 

remarked

 

breaths

 
delicate
 
waiting
 

father

 

thought

 

looked

 

expectantly

 

solemnly


whistle
 

softest

 
melody
 

compressing

 
pouting
 
modest
 

couldn

 

attractive

 

withdrawing

 
adding

quickened
 
dissatisfied
 
wrinkling
 
farewell
 

retreat

 

unfriendly

 

glance

 

earnestness

 

unpleasant

 
wanted

denied

 

recollect

 

faltered

 
Positively
 

goodness

 

suppose

 

married

 
schoolmistress
 

indulge

 

maintain