"Do you dream about Mr. Sullivan?" asked f.a.n.n.y, fixing her eyes on Belle as she spoke. "I mean to go and ask Miss Gertrude if she does."
"Do," said Kitty; "I"ll go with you."
They ran across the entry into the dining room, and put the question at the same time. Taken by surprise, Gertrude neither blushed nor looked confused, but answered, quietly, "Yes, sometimes; but what do you know of Mr. Sullivan?"
"Oh, nothing," answered Kitty; "only _some others do_, and we are inquiring around to see how many there are;" and she ran back in triumph to tell Belle she might as well be frank, like Gertrude, and plead guilty to the weakness; it looked so much better than blushing and denying it.
But it would not do to joke with Belle any longer; she was offended, and did not conceal the fact. Mr. Bruce felt annoyed, and soon left, leaving the two cousins to settle their difficulty as best they could. As soon as he had gone, Belle folded up her work, and walked upstairs to her room with great dignity, while Kitty stayed behind to laugh over the matter, and improve her opportunity to make friends with f.a.n.n.y Bruce; for Kitty laboured under the idea that in cultivating the acquaintance of the sister she should advance her cause.
She therefore called f.a.n.n.y to sit beside her, put her arm round her waist, and commenced talking about Gertrude, and the origin and extent of the intimacy which seemed to exist between her and the Bruce family.
f.a.n.n.y, who was always communicative, willingly informed her of the circ.u.mstances which had attached her so strongly to a friend who was some years her senior.
"And your brother," said Kitty, "he has known her some time, hasn"t he?"
"Yes, I suppose so," answered f.a.n.n.y, carelessly.
"Does he like her?"
"I don"t know; I should think he would; I don"t see how he can help it."
"What did he whisper to you when you came up the steps?"
"Oh, he bade me ask Miss Gertrude if she wasn"t coming back to see him again, and tell her he was tired to death waiting for her."
Kitty pouted and looked vexed. "Has Miss Flint been in the habit of receiving company here, and been treated like an equal?"
"Of course she has," answered f.a.n.n.y, with spirit; "why shouldn"t she?
She"s the most perfect lady I ever saw, and mother says she has beautiful manners, and I must take pattern by her."
"Oh, Miss Gertrude!" called she, as Gertrude, who had been to place the strawberries in the refrigerator, crossed the back part of the long entry, "Are you ready now?"
"Yes, f.a.n.n.y, I shall be in a moment," answered Gertrude.
"Ready for what?" inquired Kitty.
"To read," said f.a.n.n.y. "She is going to read the rest of Hamlet to Miss Emily; she read the first three acts yesterday, and Miss Emily let me sit in her room and hear it. I can"t understand it when I read it myself, but when I listen to Miss Gertrude it seems quite plain. She"s a splendid reader, and I came in to-day on purpose to hear the play finished."
Kitty"s last companion having deserted her, she lay on the entry sofa and fell asleep. She was wakened by her aunt, who returned from the city a short time before dinner--"I say Kitty Ray, wake up and go dress for dinner! I saw Belle at the chamber window looking like a beauty. I wish you"d take half the pains she does to improve your appearance."
Kitty yawned, and, after delaying a little, followed Mrs. Graham"s directions. It was Kitty"s policy, after giving offence to her cousin Belle, to appear utterly unconscious of the existence of any unkind feelings; and, though Belle often manifested some degree of sulkiness, she was too dependent upon Kitty"s society to retain that disposition long. They were soon chatting together as usual.
"Belle," said Kitty, as she stood arranging her hair at the gla.s.s, "do you remember a girl we used to meet every morning on our way to school, walking with a paralytic old man?"
"Yes."
"Do you know, I think it was Gertrude Flint. She has altered very much, to be sure; but the features are still the same, and there certainly never was but one such pair of eyes."
"I have no doubt she is the same person," said Belle, composedly.
"Did you think of it before?"
"Yes, as soon as f.a.n.n.y spoke of her knowing Willie Sullivan."
"Why, Belle, why didn"t you speak of it?"
"Lor", Kitty, I don"t feel so much interest in her as you and some others do."
"What others?"
"Why, Mr. Bruce; don"t you see he is half in love with her?"
"No, I don"t see any such thing; he has known her for a long time (f.a.n.n.y says so), and, of course, he feels a respect for a girl that the Grahams make so much account of. But I don"t believe he"d think of such a thing as being in love with a poor girl like her, with no family connections to boast of."
"Perhaps he didn"t _think_ of being."
"Well, he _wouldn"t_ be. She isn"t the sort of person that would suit him. He has been in society a great deal, not only at home, but in Paris; and he would want a wife that was very lively and fond of company, and knew how to make a show with money."
"A girl, for instance, like Kitty Ray."
"How ridiculous, Belle! just as if people couldn"t talk without thinking of themselves all the time! What do I care about Ben Bruce?"
"I don"t know that you care anything about him; but I wouldn"t pull all the hair out of my head about it, as you are doing. There"s the dinner-bell."
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE DISAPPOINTED WOOER.
Twilight found Gertrude and Emily seated at a window which commanded a delightful western view. Gertrude had been describing to her blind friend the gorgeous picture presented to her vision by the ma.s.ses of brilliantly-painted cloud; and Emily, as she listened to the glowing description, experienced a partic.i.p.ation in Gertrude"s enjoyment. The glory had now faded away, save a long strip of gold which skirted the horizon; and the stars as they came out, one by one, seemed to look in at the chamber window with a smile of recognition.
In the parlour below there was company from the city, and the sound of mirth and laughter came up on the evening breeze; so mellowed, however, by distance, that it contrasted with the peace of the quiet room, without disturbing it.
"You had better go down, Gertrude," said Emily; "they appear to be enjoying themselves, and I love to hear your laugh mingling with the rest."
"Oh, no, dear Emily!" said Gertrude; "I prefer to stay with you: they are nearly all strangers to me."
"As you please, my dear; but don"t let me keep you from the young people."
"You can never keep me with you, dear Emily, longer than I wish to stay; there is no society I love so well." And so she stayed, and they resumed their pleasant conversation. They were interrupted by Katy, whom Mrs.
Graham sent to announce a new visitor--Mrs. Bruce--who had inquired for Emily.
"I suppose I must go down," said Emily; "you"ll come too, Gertrude?"
"No, I believe not, unless she asked for me. Did she, Katy?"
"Mrs. Graham was only afther mintioning Miss Emily," said Katy.