He is accustomed to these sort of things; I
am not."
Mr. Bradshaw was rather perplexed by this want of bustling energy
on the part of the new candidate; and if it had not been for the
four thousand pounds aforesaid, would have doubted whether Mr.
Donne cared sufficiently for the result of the election. Jemima
thought differently. She watched her father's visitor
attentively, with something like the curious observation which a
naturalist bestows on a new species of animal.
"Do you know what Mr. Donne reminds me of, mamma?" said she, one
day, as the two sat at work, while the gentlemen were absent
canvassing.
"No! he is not like anybody I ever saw. He quite frightens me, by
being so ready to open the door for me if I am going out of the
room, and by giving me a chair when I come in. I never saw any
one like him. Who is it, Jemima?"
"Not any person--not any human being, mamma," said Jemima, half
smiling. "Do you remember our stopping at Wakefield once, on our
way to Scarborough, and there were horse-races going on
somewhere, and some of the racers were in the stables at the inn
where we dined?"
"Yes! I remember it; but what about that?"
"Why, Richard, somehow, knew one of the jockeys, and, as we were
coming in from our ramble through the town, this man, or boy,
asked us to look at one of the racers he had the charge of."
"Well, my dear?"
"Well, mamma! Mr. Donne is like that horse!"
"Nonsense, Jemima; you must not say so.
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