FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161  
162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   >>  
nger." "And who is it to be?" "Ah, who is it to be? Can you make a guess?" "Not in the least. I don't know of anybody who has been spooning you." "Oh, what a term to use! No one can say that anyone ever--spooned me. It is a horrible word. And I cannot bear to hear it fall from my own lips." "It is what young men do do," said Mrs. Green. "That I think depends on the rank in life which the young men occupy;--and also the young women. I can understand that a Bank clerk should do it to an attorney's daughter." "Well; who is it you are going to marry without spooning, which in my vocabulary is simply another word for two young people being fond of each other?" Miss Altifiorla remained silent for a while, feeling that she owed it to herself to awe her present companion by her manner before she should crush her altogether by the weight of the name she would have to pronounce. Mrs. Green had received her communication flippantly, and had probably felt that her friend intended to demean herself by some mere common marriage. "Who is to be the happy swain?" asked Mrs. Green. "Swain!" said Miss Altifiorla, unable to repress her feelings. "Well; lover, young man, suitor, husband as is to be. Some word common on such occasion will I suppose fit him?" Miss Altifiorla felt that no word common on such occasions would fit him. But yet it was necessary that she should name him, having gone so far. And, having again been silent for a minute, so as to bethink herself in what most dignified language this might be done, she proceeded. "I am to be allied,"--again there was a little pause,--"to Sir Francis Geraldine!" "Him Cecilia Holt rejected!" "Him who I think was fortunate enough to escape Cecilia Holt." "Goodness gracious! It seems but the other day." "Cecilia Holt has since recovered from her wounds and married another husband, and is now suffering from fresh wounds. Is it odd that the gentleman should have found some one else to love when the lady has had time not only to love but to marry, and to be separated from another man?" "Sir Francis Geraldine!" ejaculated Mrs. Green. "Well; I'm sure I wish you all the joy in the world. When is it to be?" But Mrs. Green had so offended Miss Altifiorla by her manner of accepting the news that she could not bring herself to make any further gracious answer. Mrs. Green therefore took her leave, and the fact of Miss Altifiorla's engagement was soon known all over E
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161  
162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   >>  



Top keywords:

Altifiorla

 

common

 
Cecilia
 

manner

 

gracious

 

silent

 

husband

 

spooning

 

Francis

 
Geraldine

wounds
 

answer

 

language

 
proceeded
 
allied
 

bethink

 

occasions

 
engagement
 

minute

 
dignified

accepting

 
suffering
 
ejaculated
 

married

 

recovered

 

separated

 
gentleman
 

rejected

 

offended

 
fortunate

Goodness
 

escape

 

understand

 

occupy

 

depends

 

vocabulary

 

simply

 

attorney

 

daughter

 
spooned

horrible
 
people
 

marriage

 

demean

 

intended

 
flippantly
 

friend

 

occasion

 

suitor

 

unable