The pleased affectionate smile was gone.
"I object to nothing but its being for her good," he said gravely.
"But now, does not it make her very happy, and suit her excellently?"
"May be so, but that is not the reason you introduced it."
"You have a shocking habit of driving one up into corners, Alick, but it
shall be purely, purely for my own selfish delight," and she clasped her
hands in so droll an affectation of remorse, that the muscles round his
eyes quivered with diversion, though the hair on his lip veiled what the
corners of his mouth were about; "if only," she proceeded, "you won't
let it banish you. You must come over to take care of this wicked little
sister, or who knows what may be the consequences."
"I kept away partly because I was busy, and partly because I believe
you are such a little ape as always to behave worse when you have the
semblance of a keeper;" he said, with his arm fondly on her shoulder as
they walked.
"And in the mean time fell out the adventure of the distinguished
essayist."
"I am afraid," he returned, "that was a gratuitous piece of mischief,
particularly annoying to so serious and thoughtful a person as Miss
Rachel Curtis."
"Jealousy?" exclaimed Bessie in an ecstatic tone. "You see what you
lost by not trusting me, to behave myself under the provocation of your
presence."
"What! the pleasure of boxing your ears for a coward?"
"Of seizing the happy opening! I am very much afraid for you now,
Alick," she proceeded with mock gravity. "What hope can a poor Captain
of Highlanders, even if he does happen to be a wounded hero or two, have
against a distinguished essayist and landscape painter; if it were a
common case indeed, but where Wisdom herself is concerned--"
"Military frivolity cannot hope," returned Alick, with a shake of his
head, and a calm matter-of-fact acquiescent tone.
"Ah, poor Alick," pursued his sister, "you always were a discreet youth;
but to be connected with such a union of learning, social science, and
homeaopathy, soared beyond my utmost ambition. I suppose the wedding
tour--supposing the happy event to take place--will be through a series
of model schools and hospitals, ending in Hanwell."
"No," said Alick, equally coolly, "to the Dutch reformatory, and the
Swiss cretin asylum."
She was exceedingly tickled at his readiness, and proceeded in a
pretended sentimental tone, "I am glad you have revealed the secrets of
your breast. I saw there was a powerful attraction and that you were
no longer your own, but my views were humbler. I thought the profound
respect with which you breathed the name of Avonmouth, was due to the
revival of the old predilection for our sweet little--"