"
"Yes, and a great deal more, Miss Banning," he replied with a
formal bow. "In all your scheming you hadn't set your heart on my
coming out and--does modesty permit me to say it?--helping a
little."
"Now, you HAVE helped wonderfully, and you must not think I don't
appreciate it."
"Ah, how richly I am rewarded!"
She looked at him with a laughing and perplexed little frown, but
only said, "No irony, sir."
By this time they had joined her father and begun to set out the
row of hemlocks. To her surprise, Sue had found herself a little
disappointed that he had not availed himself of his one
opportunity to be at least "a bit friendly" as she phrased it. It
was mortifying to a girl to be expecting "something awkward to
meet" and nothing of the kind take place. "After all," she
thought, "perhaps he came out just for a lark, or, worse still, is
amusing himself at my expense; or he may have come on an exploring
expedition and plain old father and mother, and the plain little
farmhouse, have satisfied him. Well, the dinner wasn't very plain,
but he may have been laughing in his sleeve at our lack of style
in serving it.
Pages:
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312