"There it is--you girls always deny it, and always believe it," said Mr. Ralph, philosophically. "Now, you would die for me."
"Die, indeed!"
"Would"nt you?"
"Fiddlesticks!"
"That"s an impressive observation, and there"s no doubt about your meaning, though the original signification, the philological origin of the phrase, is somewhat cloudy. You won"t expire for me, then?"
"No!"
"Then live for me, delight of my existence!" said Mr. Ralph Ashley, with a languishing glance, and clasping his hands romantically as he spoke; "live for one, whose heart is wrapped in thee!"
Miss f.a.n.n.y"s sense of the ludicrous was strong, and this pathetic appeal caused her to burst into laughter.
"More ridiculous than ever, as I live!" she cried, "though I thought that was impossible."
"Did you?"
"Yes."
Mr. Ashley gently twined a lock around his finger, and a.s.suming a foppish air, replied:
"I don"t know whether you thought it impossible for me to become more ridiculous; but you can"t help confessing, my own f.a.n.n.y, that you doubted whether I could grow more fascinating."
f.a.n.n.y"s lip curled.
"Oh, yes!" she said.
"Come--don"t deny what was perfectly plain--it won"t do."
"Deny--?"
"That you were desperately in love with me, and that I was your sweetheart, as the children say."
And Mr. Ralph gently caressed the downy covering of his chin, and smiled.
"What a conceited thing you are," said f.a.n.n.y, laughing; "you are outrageous."
And having uttered this opinion, Miss f.a.n.n.y"s eyes suddenly fell, and her merry cheek colored. The truth was simply, that Ralph had been a frank, good-humored, gallant boy, and the neighbors _had_ said, that he was f.a.n.n.y"s "sweetheart;" and the remembrance of this former imputation now embarra.s.sed the nearly-grown-up young lady. No one could remain embarra.s.sed in Mr. Ralph"s society long however; there was so much careless ease in his demeanor, that it was contagious, and so f.a.n.n.y in a moment had regained all her self-possession, and returned the languishing glances of her admirer with her habitual expression of satirical humor.
"Yes, perfectly outrageous!" she said; "and college has positively ruined you--you cannot deny it."
"Ruined me?"
"Wholly."
"On the contrary, it has greatly improved me, my dearest."
And Ralph sat down on the trellised portico, stretching out his elegant rosetted shoes, and laughing.
"I am not your dearest," said f.a.n.n.y; "that is not my name."
"You are mistaken! But come, sit by me: I"m just in the mood to talk."
"No! I don"t think I will."
"Pray do."
"No," said f.a.n.n.y, shaking her head coquettishly, "I"ll stand while your lordship discourses."
"You positively shan"t!"
And with these words, the young man grasped Miss f.a.n.n.y"s long streaming hair-ribbon, and gently drew it toward him, laughing.
f.a.n.n.y cried out. Ralph laughed more than ever.
There was but one alternative left for the young girl. She must either see her elegantly bound up raven locks deprived of their confining ribbon, and so fall in wild disorder, or she must obey the command of the enemy, and sit quietly beside him. True, there was the third course of becoming angry, and raising her head with dignified hauteur.
But this course had its objections--it would not do to quarrel with her cousin and former playmate immediately upon his return; and again the movement of the head, which we have indicated, would have been attended by consequences exceedingly disastrous.
Therefore, as Ralph continued to draw toward him gently the scarlet ribbon, with many smiles and admiring glances, Miss f.a.n.n.y gradually approached the seat, and finally sat down.
"There, sir!" she said, pouting, "I hope you are satisfied!"
"Perfectly; the fact is, my sweet f.a.n.n.y, I never was anything else _but_ satisfied with _you_! I always was fascinated with you."
"That"s one of the things which you were taught at college, I suppose."
"What?"
"Making pretty speeches."
"No, they didn"t teach that, by Jove! Nothing but wretched Latin, Greek and Mathematics--things, evidently, of far less importance than the art you mention."
"Oh! of course."
"And the reason is plain. A gentleman never uses the one after he leaves college, and lays them by with the crabbed books that teach them; while the art of compliment is always useful and agreeable--especially agreeable to young ladies of your exceedingly juvenile age--is"t not?"
"Very agreeable."
"I know it is; and when a woman descends to it, and flatters a man--ah! my dear f.a.n.n.y, there"s no hope for him. I am a melancholy instance."
"You!" laughed f.a.n.n.y, who had regained her good-humor.
"Yes; you know Williamsburg has many other things to recommend it besides the college."
"What things?"
"Pretty girls."