"Then he won"t know me. Jennie, will you oblige by introducing Mr.
Rivers to me under an a.s.sumed name?"
"Why----"
"There! there! don"t ask questions; I"ll tell by and by. Go and do it."
"Well, you have always some new crotchet in your crotchety little head,"
said Jennie, as she started to obey.
In a few moments she reappeared, leaning on the arm of the "distinguished" Mr. Rivers. Our Archie has not changed as much as Gipsy has done during these years, save that he has grown taller and more manly-looking. He has still his frank, handsome, boyish face; his merry blue eye and boisterous manner, a _little_ subdued.
The indistinct tone in which Miss Moore introduced him prevented him from catching the name, but he scarcely observed; and seeing in the young lady, whose lips were now pursed up and whose eyes were cast modestly on the floor, a shrinking, bashful girl, he charitably began to draw her out.
"There is quite an a.s.sembly here this evening," was his original remark, by way of encouraging her.
"Yes, sir," was the reply, in a tone slightly tremulous, which _he_ ascribed to maiden bashfulness.
"What a delightful young lady your friend, Miss Moore, is," continued Archie.
"Yes, sir."
"There are a great many beautiful ladies in the room."
"Yes, sir."
"Confound her!" muttered Archie, "can she say nothing but "_Yes, sir_?"
But the most beautiful lady present is by my side," he continued, aloud, to see how she would swallow so palpable a dose of flattery.
"_Yes, sir!_"
"Whew! if that"s not cool! I wonder if the girl"s an idiot!" thought Master Archie. Then, aloud: "Do you know you"re very beautiful?"
"Yes. I know it."
A stare of surprise followed this answer. Then he continued:
"You are a most bewitching young lady! Never was so much charmed by anybody in my life!"
"Sorry I can"t return the compliment."
"Hallo!" thought Archie, rather taken aback. "She"s not such a fool as I took her to be. What do you think of that lady!" he added, pointing to a handsome but dark-complexioned girl, whom report said would one day be Mrs Rivers.
"Oh! I don"t think her pretty at all--she"s such a _gipsy_."
Archie gave a little start at the name. Poor Gipsy! he had quite forgotten her of late.
"Do you know," he said, "I once had a little friend called Gipsy? Your words recalled her to my memory. You remind me of her, somehow, only you are handsomer. She was dark and ugly."
"Indeed! Did you like her?"
"Ye-e-e-s--a little," said Archie, hesitatingly; "she was a half-crazy little thing--black as a squaw, and I don"t think I was very fond of _her_, but she was _very_ fond of me."
"Indeed, sir!" said the young lady, a momentary flash gleaming from her dark eyes; "she must have been a bold girl, rather, to let you know it."
"She was bold--the boldest girl ever I knew, with nothing gentle and womanly about her whatever."
"What did you say her name was?"
"Gipsy--Gipsy Gower. You seem interested in her."
"I am, sir--I know her."
"_You do?_" cried Archie, aghast.
"Yes, sir; but I like her no more than you do. She was a rough, uncouth savage, detested by every one who knew her. I had the misfortune to be her room-mate in school, and she used to bore me dreadfully talking about her gawky country friends, particularly some one whom she called _Archie_."
"Yes? What used she to say about him? She liked him, didn"t she?" said Archie, eagerly.
"Why, _no_; I should say not. She used to say he was a regular fool--always laughing. She said she never knew such a greeny in all her life."
Mr. Rivers suddenly wilted down, and hadn"t a word to say. Just at that moment a party of Gipsy"s friends came along, and it was:
"Oh, Gipsy! Gipsy! Oh, Miss Gower! we"ve been searching all over for you. Everybody"s dying of the blues, because you are absent. Do come with us!"
Archie leaped from his seat as though he had received a bayonet thrust.
Gipsy rose, saying, in a low, sarcastic voice, as she pa.s.sed him:
"Remember me to Gipsy when you see her. Tell her what I said about Archie," and she was gone.
During the remainder of the evening the "distinguished" Mr. Rivers looked about as crestfallen as a young lawyer possessed of a large stock of native impudence could well do. There he stood and watched Gipsy, who had never been so magnetic, so bewitching, so entrancing in her life before. Never by chance did she look at him; but there was scarcely another masculine head in the room she had not turned.
"Confound the little witch!" muttered Master Archie, "no wonder she called me a fool! But who the deuce would ever think of finding little Gipsy Gower in one of the belles of Washington? Had it been Celeste, now, I should not have felt surprised. And who would ever think that yonder dazzling, brilliant, magnetic girl was the little shy maiden who, ten minutes ago, sat beside me with her demure "_yes, sir_!" Well, she seems to be enjoying herself anyway. So, Miss Gipsy, I"ll follow your example and do the same."
For the remainder of the evening Archie threw himself into the gay throng with the evident determination of enjoying himself or dying in the attempt. And more than one fair cheek flushed, and more than one pair of bright eyes grew brighter, as their owner listened with downcast lashes and smiling lips to the gallant words of the handsome young lawyer. He was, if not _the_ handsomest, at least _one_ of the handsomest, men in the room; and
"Oh! he had that merry glance, That seldom lady"s heart resists."
And eclipsed belles raised their graceful heads in triumph to find the bewildering Gipsy had no power over him. But if they had known all, they would have found that those "merry glances" were not for them, but to pique the jealousy of the evening star.
Ere the company dispersed he sought out Gipsy, who withdrawing herself from the revelers, stood, silent and alone, by the window.
"Gipsy!" he said, gently.
"Mr. Rivers!" she said, drawing herself up.
"Forgive me, Gipsy, for what I said."
"I have nothing to forgive! I rather think we are quits!" replied Gipsy, coolly.