A mosquito, which, after considerable reconnoitring, had settled upon

Bressant's broad hand, had sacrificed its life to rescue Cornelia from

her dilemma.

Bressant felt the soft, warm fingers strike smartly, and then begin to

remove, cautiously and slowly, because the mosquito was possibly not

dead after all. What was the matter with the young man? His blood and

senses seemed to quiver and tingle with a sensation at once delicious

and confusing. In the same instant, he had seized the soft, warm fingers

in both his hands, and pressed them convulsively and almost fiercely.

Cornelia very naturally cried out, and sprang to her feet. Bressant, it

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would seem not so naturally, did the same thing, and with the air of

being to the full as much astonished and startled as she.

"What do you mean, sir? how dare you--?" she said, paling after her

first deep flush.

He looked at her, and then at his own hand, on which the accommodating

mosquito was artistically flattened, and then at her again, with a

slight, interrogative frown.

"How did it happen? What was it? I didn't mean it!"

Cornelia was quite at a loss what to do or say under such extraordinary

circumstances. She felt short of breath and indignant; but she had never

heard of a young man's questioning a lady as to how he had come to take

a liberty with her. As she stood thus confounded, her unfortunate

perception of the ludicrous betrayed her once more; but this time her

recent shock played a part in it, and came very near producing a bad fit

of hysterics. Bressant looked on without a word or a motion.

In less than a minute, for Cornelia's nerves were very strong, and had

never been overtaxed, she had regained command of herself. Bressant was

standing between her and the house, and she pointed up the path.

"Please go home as quickly as possible."

Off he walked, with every symptom of readiness and relief. Cornelia

followed after, but, when she reached the house, she found her papa

staring inquiringly out of his study-door; the uncanny pupil in divinity

had disappeared.




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