"You are the pearl of your s.e.x, Madam."
"Oh, no! I am only a simple young girl--but twenty-five last January--and I have no pretensions in comparison with many others.
Immured in this quiet retreat, with a small property, and engaged in the opprobrious occupation of cultivating the youthful mind--"
"A n.o.ble employment, Madam."
"Yes, very pleasing; with this, and with a contemplation of the beautiful criterions of nature, I am happy."
"Fairest of your s.e.x, is this all that is necessary for happiness?"
observed Mr. Jinks.
"What more!"
"Is solitude the proper sphere of that divine s.e.x which in all ages of the world--ahem!--has--"
"Oh, sir!"
And the flirting of the fan was heard.
"Should not woman have a companion--a consoler, who--"
The fan was evidently used to hide a number of blushes.
"Should not such a lovely creature as yourself," continued the enthusiastic Jinks, "choose one to--"
Redbud rose quickly, and said, blushing and laughing:--
"Oh, come, Verty!"
"No, no--listen!" said Verty, "I do believe--"
"No, no, no!" cried Redbud, hurriedly, "it was very wrong--"
"What?--courting."
"Oh, no! It"s mean in us to listen!"
And she went out of the arbor, followed by Verty, who said, "I"m glad courting ain"t wrong; I think I should like to court you, Redbud."
Redbud made no reply to this innocent speech of Mr. Verty, but walked on. The noise which they made in leaving the arbor attracted the attention of the personages whose conversation we have been compelled to overhear; and Mr. Jinks and his companion pa.s.sed through an opening in the shrubbery, and appeared in full view.
Miss Sallianna was a young lady of thirty-two or three, with long corkscrew curls, a wiry figure--a smile, of the description called "simper," on her lips, and an elegant mincing carriage of the person as she moved. She carried a fan, which seemed to serve for a number of purposes: to raise artificial breezes, cover imaginary blushes, and flirt itself against the hands or other portions of the persons of gentlemen making complimentary speeches.
She displayed some temporary embarra.s.sment upon seeing Redbud and Verty; and especially stared at that young gentleman.
Mr. Jinks was more self-possessed.
"Ah, my dear sir!" he said, stalking toward Verty, and grimacing, at the same time, at Redbud, "are you there, and with the fairest of her--hem!"
And Mr. Jinks stopped, nearly caught in the meshes of his gallantry.
"Yes, this is me, and I"ve been talking with Redbud," said Verty; "is that Miss Sallianna?"
The lady had recovered her simper; and now flirted her fan as gracefully as ever.
"See how your reputation has gone far and wide," said Mr. Jinks, with a fascinating grimace.
"You know you were talking of her when--how do you do, Miss Sallianna," said Verty, holding out his hand.
"La!" said the fair one, inserting the points of her fingers into Verty"s palm, "and Mr. Jinks was talking of me? What did he say, sir,--I suppose it was in town."
"No, ma"am," said Verty, "it was at the gate, when I came to see Redbud--the pigeon showed me the way. He said you were something--but I"ve forgot."
"The paragon of beauties and the pearl of loveliness," suggested Mr.
Jinks.
"I don"t think it was that," Verty replied, "but it was something pretty--prettier than what you said just now, when you were courting Miss Sallianna, you know."
Mr. Jinks cleared his throat--Miss Sallianna blushed.
"Really--" said Mr. Jinks.
"What children!" said the lady, with a patronizing air; "Reddy, do you know your lesson?"
By which question, Miss Sallianna evidently intended to reduce Miss Redbud to her proper position of child.
"Yes, ma"am," said Redbud "and Mrs. Scowley said I might come in here."
"With this--young man?"
"Yes, ma"am. He is a very old friend of mine."
"Indeed!" simpered the lady.
"Are you not, Verty?"
But Verty was intently watching Longears, who was trying to insert his nose between two bars of the garden gate.
"_Anan_?" he said.
"La, what does he mean?" said the lady; "see! he"s looking at something."
Verty was only making friendly signs to Longears to enter the garden.
Longears no sooner understood that he was called, than he cleared the fence at one bound, and came up to his master.
Mr. Jinks had not heard his own voice for at least half a minute; so he observed, loftily:
"A handsome dog! a very handsome dog, sir! What did you say his name was? Longears? Yes? Here, Longears!"