'I protest, Madam,' said Miss Gertrude, ''tis _too_ bad. Truly, Madam,
it _is vastly_ vexatious to have to answer so strange and affronting a
question. If you ever took the trouble, aunt, to listen to, or look at,
Lieutenant Puddock, you might--'
'Well, niece,' quoth Aunt Becky, interrupting, with a little toss of her
head, 'young ladies weren't quite so hard to please in my time, and I
can't see or hear that he's so much worse than others.'
'I'd sooner die than have him,' said Miss Gertie, peremptorily.
'Then, I suppose, if ever, and whenever he asks you the question
himself, you'll have no hesitation in telling him so?' said Aunt Becky,
with becoming solemnity.
'Laughable, ridiculous, comical, and absurd, as I always thought and
believed Lieutenant Puddock to be, I yet believe the asking such a
question of me to be a stretch of absurdity, from which his breeding,
for he is a gentleman, will restrain him. Besides, Madam, you can't
possibly be aware of the subjects on which he has invariably discoursed
whenever he happened to sit by me--plays and players, and candied fruit.
Really, Madam, it is too absurd to have to enter upon one's defence
against so incredible an imagination.
Pages:
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586