The Last of the Foresters Part 14

"I'm very sorry, Verty; but never mind--you read your Bible, don't you?"

"Yes," Verty replied, "I promised you; and I read all about Joseph, and Nimrod, who was a hunter, and other people."

"Don't you ever read in the New Testament?" Redbud said. "I wish you would read in that, too, Verty."

And Redbud, with all the laughter gone away from her countenance, regarded Verty with her tender, earnest eyes, full of kindness and sincerity.

"I do," Verty replied, "and I like it better. But I'm very bad. I don't think I'm so good when you are away, Redbud. I don't do what you tell me. The fact is, I believe I'm a wild Indian; but I'll grow better as I grow older."

"I know you will," said the kind eyes, plainly, and Verty smiled.

"I'm coming to see you very often here," he said, smiling, "and I'm going to do my work down at the office--that old lady will let me come to see you, I know."

Redbud looked dubious.

"I don't know whether cousin Lavinia would think it was right," she said.

And her head drooped, the long dusky lashes covering her eyes and reposing on her cheek. It was hard for Redbud thus to forbid her boy-playmate, but she felt that she ought to do so.

"Think it right!" cried Verty, rising half up, and resting on his hand, "why, what's the harm?"

"I don't know," Redbud said, blus.h.i.+ng, "but I think you had better ask cousin Lavinia."

Her head sank again.

Verty remained silent for some moments, then said:

"Well, I will! I'll go this very day, on my way home."

"That's right, Verty," replied the young girl, smiling hopefully, "and I think you will get cousin Lavinia to let you come. You know that I want you to."

Verty smiled, then looking at his companion, said:

"What made you so cold to me when I came at first? I thought you had forgotten me."

Redbud, conscious of her feelings, blushed and hesitated. Just as she was about to stammer out some disconnected words, however, voices were heard behind the shrubbery, which separated the arbor from a neighboring walk, and this created a diversion.

Verty and Redbud could not help overhearing this conversation.

CHAPTER XIII.

VERTY EXPRESSES A DESIRE TO IMITATE MR. JINKS.

The voice which they heard first was that of Mr. Jinks; and that gentleman was apparently engaged in the pleasant occupation of complimenting a lady.

"Fairest of your s.e.x!" said the enthusiastic Mr. Jinks, "how can I express the delight which your presence inspires me with--ahem!"

The sound of a fan coming in contact with a masculine hand was heard, and a mincing voice replied:--

"Oh, you are a great flatterer, Mr. Jinks. You are really too bad. Let us view the beauties of nature."

"They are not so lovely as those beauties which I have been viewing since I saw you, my dearest Miss Sallianna."

("That's old Scowley's sister, he said so," whispered Verty.)

"Really, you make me blush," replied the mincing and languis.h.i.+ng voice--"you men are dreadful creatures!"

"Dreadful!"

"You take advantage of our simplicity and confidence to make us believe you think very highly of us."

"Highly! divinest Miss Sallianna! _highly_ is not the word; extravagantly is better! In the presence of your lovely s.e.x we feel our hearts expand; our bosoms--hem!--are enlarged, and we are all your slaves."

("Just listen, Redbud!" whispered Verty, laughing.)

"La!" replied the voice, "how gallant you are, Mr. Jinks!"

"No, Madam!" said Mr. Jinks, "I am not gallant!"

"You?"

"Far from it, Madam--I am a bear, a savage, with all the rest of the female s.e.x; but with you--you--hem! that is different!"

("Don't go, Redbud!--"

"But, Verty--"

"Just a minute, Redbud.")

"Yes, a savage; I hate the s.e.x--I distrust them!" continued Mr. Jinks, in a gloomy tone; "before seeing you, I had made up my mind to retire forever from the sight of mankind, and live on roots, or something of that description. But you have changed me--you have made me human."

And Mr. Jinks, to judge from his tone of voice, was looking dignified.

The fair lady uttered a little laugh.

"There it is!" cried Mr. Jinks, "you are always happy--always smiling and seducing--you are the paragon of your s.e.x. If it will be any satisfaction to you, Madam, I will immediately die for you, and give up the ghost."

Which Mr. Jinks seemed to consider wholly different from the former.

"Heigho!" said the lady, "you are very devoted, sir."

"I should be, Madam."

"I am not worthy of so much praise."