MARTHA FINLEY Ultimate Collection – Timeless Children Classics & Other Novels. Finley Martha

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ still a flatterer!" laughed her friend.

      "Yet you've come back to us single," Lucy went on, ignoring the interruption, "though we all know you had ever so many good offers. Pray, do you intend to remain single all your days?"

      At that, Elsie's face dimpled all over with blushes and smiles.

      Lucy signed to the nurse to take the babe, and as the woman walked away with it in her arms, turned eagerly to her friend.

      "Now do tell me; for I'm sure you are not going to live single. Shall we have the pleasure of hailing you as duchess yet?"

      "No, Lucy; I intend to marry; am actually engaged, but not to a foreigner."

      "Dear me! I don't believe I could have resisted the title. That is," she added, hastily, "if I'd been heart-whole like you: but after seeing my Phil, of course I wouldn't give him up for all the nobles in Europe, Asia, and Africa. But do tell me who is the fortunate man?"

      "Suppose you try your skill at guessing."

      "Perfectly useless, never had any. It must be somebody I don't know."

      "My good little woman, you know him well."

      "Either of Harry's brothers-in-law? Richard? Harold?"

      "No, no, no; you are wide of the mark! Could you suppose papa would ever consent to such a mixture of relationships? Why, it would make papa my brother and mamma's brother her son-in-law."

      "So it would. Well, I give it up and beg of you to put a speedy end to my suspense."

      Lucy bent her head to listen, and Elsie murmured the name low and softly, the rose deepening on her cheek as she spoke. For a moment Lucy seemed struck dumb with astonishment. Then, "Elsie!" she exclaimed, "I can't believe it; you are only jesting."

      Elsie shook her head with a low, musical, happy laugh.

      "He's splendid, I don't deny that; but then—only think—your father's most intimate friend from boyhood up; and almost as old."

      "Some people seem like wine—to improve with age. But Mr. Travilla is not old to me now. He has been standing still, I believe, while I have grown up to him."

      "And you really are in love with him?"

      "He has all my heart, all the love I could give to any one, and I respect, honor, and trust him as I do no one else but my father."

      "And that reminds me; I was so afraid your father would not let you come to see me. But—you are your own mistress now, of course."

      "Papa tells me so sometimes," laughed Elsie, "and yet I know he would be greatly surprised should I take the liberty of doing anything he would not approve. I asked his permission to come, and he not only gave consent but brought me himself."

      "That was good in him; but I hope he won't hurry you away. I want to hear about your European conquests, and have ever so much to say besides."

      "No, he has kindly promised me time for a long talk. Besides, I can ride over any day and supplement it with another."

      Mr. Dinsmore was as good as his word; their chat had lasted more than an hour when his summons came, yet Lucy declared it had not been half long enough, and would not be satisfied to let Elsie go without a promise to come again very soon.

      "Roselands, too, looks very natural, and very homelike," remarked Mr. Dinsmore, as they rode up its avenue.

      "Yes, papa; and yet, do you know, it seems to me it has grown smaller and less grand since I lived here as a child."

      "Ah! did you think it very grand then, daughter?" he asked, turning to her with a smile.

      "I believe so, papa; but it is beautiful yet, even after all the fine places we have seen in our own country and Europe."

      Adelaide met them at the door. "Just in time," she said, "for there is the dressing-bell. Your own old room, Elsie dear: you know the way and will find Aunt Chloe in waiting. Horace, you will make yourself at home of course."

      It was strictly a family party, sociable and informal. Elsie had not met Arthur since their return, and at the first moment scarcely recognized him in the moustached and bewhiskered young man who rose and came forward, with a slight limp, to meet her as she entered the drawing-room.

      "How do you do?" he said, holding out his right hand, while steadying himself with a cane held in the left. "I hope you're glad to get back to America?"

      "Arthur, is it? Yes; thank you: and I'm very glad your injuries have proved less serious than was at first feared," she said, kindly meeting his advances half-way.

      "Oh yes," he replied, with attempted nonchalance, "I shall be all right by and by."

      Then retreating to the seat from which he had just risen, the corner of a sofa by the side of his sister Adelaide, his eye following Elsie as she crossed the room to pay her respects to her grandfather and others. "What on earth you call that girl little for, I can't imagine," he remarked in an undertone; "why she's quite above the average height; graceful as a young fawn, too; splendid figure, and actually the most beautiful face I ever saw. I don't wonder she turned the heads of lords and dukes on the other side of the water. But what do you call her little for?"

      "I hardly know, Art; with me it's a term of endearment more than anything else, I believe," replied his sister; "but there is something in the expression of her face—something that has always been there, a sweet simplicity and innocence—that moves one to a sort of protecting love as to a little one who has not yet attained sufficient worldly wisdom to take care of herself."

      Old Mr. Dinsmore greeted his lovely granddaughter almost affectionately, holding her hand in his for a moment, and looking from her to her father. "Really, she's a girl to be proud of, Horace," he said with a paternal smile. "But I've no need to tell you that."

      "No, she is not bad looking," observed his wife with a slight sneer; "few girls would be in such elegant attire; but it surprises me to see that, with all her advantages and opportunities for improvement, she has not yet lost that baby expression she always had. She'll never be half the woman Enna is."

      The days were past in which the lady mother had gloried in the fact that anywhere Enna would have been taken for the elder of the two; and now the contrast between her faded, fretful face and Elsie's fresh bloom was a sore trial to madam's love, and pride in her household pet.

      But no one deemed it necessary to reply to the unpleasant remark. Elsie only smiled up into her father's face as he came forward and stood at her side, and meeting his look of loving content and pride in her, just as she was, and calling to mind how fully satisfied with her was another, whose loving approbation was no less precious, turned away with a half-breathed sigh of heartfelt happiness, finished her greetings, and, the dinner-bell ringing at that moment, accepted Walter's offered arm to the dining-room.

      Arthur was more and more charmed with his niece as he noted the modest ease and grace of her manners, both at the table, and afterwards in the drawing-room; listened to her music—greatly improved under the instructions of some of the first masters of Europe—and her conversation with his father and others, in which she almost unconsciously revealed rich stores of varied information gathered from books, the discourse of the wise and learned met in her travels, and her own keen yet kindly observations of men and things. These, СКАЧАТЬ