"An infirmity, you call it?--Well, displace anybody you like, but me," said Wych Hazel, arranging herself in a small luxury of fatigue against the not too luxurious back of the rockaway.
Her companion was silent a few minutes until the carriage pa.s.sed out from the Moscheloo grounds and had gone a few rods; then he tapped Mr. Falkirk"s factotum on the shoulder.
"Mr. Gotham," said he, in tones of pleasant authority, "I can"t stand anybody"s driving but my own to-night. Stop, if you please. You and Dingee may take a place with my man; my trap is just behind. Tell him to keep close and follow."
"Sorry to do h"anything that looks un"ansome, sir," said Gotham, swallowing his surprise with the adroitness of long practice, "but I "ave Miss "Azel in charge, sir."
"You _had_, my friend. I will relieve you. Come, jump out, and don"t keep your young lady waiting." The voice was of calm authority which most people understand and obey. And Wych Hazel laughed.
"I"m sure I can"t say what Mr. Falkirk will think, sir!" said Gotham, in a displeased voice. " "Owever--I will h"a.s.sume it"s h"all right, sir.--Though why he couldn"t drive his h"own team, if he"d such an "ankering for the ribbands," he muttered to Dingee as he got down, "I"m sure is a perplexity."
"Wanted to drive Missee Hazel," said Dingee, climbing like a cat into the other conveyance, and proceeding to drive Mr.
Rollo"s man nearly out of his wits. "You never does sound de gen"lman, Mas" Gotham. Telled you so long ago."
Having got his wish, Mr. Rollo drove regularly enough for a mile or two; till all carriages going their way had pa.s.sed before or dropped behind or turned off, and they had the road entirely to themselves. The moon was riding high, and though an old moon, gave enough light to make driving a thing of no difficulty. Thus far Rollo had driven in comparative silence, with only a word or two occasionally to Wych Hazel. He had not removed himself by any means out of her companionship, but throwing himself sideways on the front seat of the carriage, looked sometimes out and sometimes in. Now, when the road was their own, and the old horse could find his way along with very little guiding, and the moonlight seemed to illuminate nothing so much as the stillness, Rollo turned his head and spoke.
"Miss Kennedy, do you like to have people come suing to you with pet.i.tions?"
"I think I might--if I could answer them myself," she said, thinking of some that had been preferred that night. "But when my yes or no depends on somebody else, it is rather stupid.
One tires of a perpetual referee at one"s back."
"This depends on n.o.body but you. But I am rushing into the middle of things," said Rollo, giving the old steed an intimation that he need not absolutely fall back upon walking.
"Miss Kennedy, I am coming to you with a great pet.i.tion to- night--and I am too impatient to wait for it."
"Mr. Rollo with a pet.i.tion!" said Wych Hazel. "And impatient!
Well--then why _does_ he wait?"
His voice told well enough why he waited, at least in part; the earnestness of it was so blended with not a little anxiety and not a little tenderness. He spoke slowly.
"Miss Hazel," he said, "you have neither father nor mother nor brother nor sister. I am almost as much alone in the world.
May I speak to you as one who knows what it means?"
" "It?"--being alone?" she said.
"Just that. Having no one near enough to care or dear enough to dare, what would be for your happiness. As it is so with you, and I know it, may I for once step into the gap, without being too severely punished by you for my venturing?"
"Why I thought you always ventured,--everything!" she said, stirring up now in her surprise.
"Then shall I make my pet.i.tion? I never dared so much in my life as I am daring now."
"Of course you may make it," said Wych Hazel. "As fast as you like. I shall begin to be impatient too."
"If you choose to question me for my reasons, I will have the honour to give them. Or if you ask what right I have to move in the matter, I will answer that, too."
"Beforehand?"
"Certainly. If you wish."
"No matter," she said, with a slight laugh which was yet a little disturbed. What was looming up behind this barricade of preliminaries? "I thought you based your right just now-- But never mind. Go on, please."
He was silent nevertheless a minute, while the old horse came to an unchallenged slow walk. Then Rollo ungloved his right hand and held it out.
"I cannot see your face," said he. "Give me your hand, so that I may know, while I hold it, that you are not displeased."
"Why, Mr. Rollo?" said Hazel, with the same half laugh, "you are very--extraordinary! It strikes me your one pet.i.tion covers a good many. Must I take the glove off?--if you are to be indulged."
"There!" said he, taking her hand in the same warm firm grasp she had known before. "I am going to ask you to promise me something--that it will not be pleasant to promise. Miss Hazel"--speaking low and slowly--"do not dance round dances any more!"
The tone was low, also it was very earnest and very grave.
"What?" she said, in a sort of but half comprehending way.
"Why not? what is the matter with them? I am hardly the least bit tired."
"You don"t know!" he said, with a slight pressure of the hand he held. "You don"t know. This is why not, Miss Hazel--that I would not see my sister in them. Do you understand?"
"O yes," she answered. "I have seen people before who did not like dancing,--two or three, perhaps. But there is always somebody to dislike everything, I think. You do not enjoy it yourself, Mr. Rollo,--and so you do not know."
"I have danced twenty dances where you have danced one. I know what they are made of. You only know how they look."
"Hardly that," said Wych Hazel. "I know a little how they feel. I have never had an outside view, I believe."
"Can you do me the great honour to take my view,--and my word for it?"
"If you liked flying to music as well as I do, you would take mine," she said. "Air is better than earth, when you can get it."
"Do you think I would wish to interfere with your pleasure, or presume to interfere with your actions, without reasons so strong that I can hardly express their significance? Believe me, if you knew these round dances as well as I know them, you would never be mixed up in one of them any more."
"Mixed up?" said Wych Hazel. "Do you suppose I do all the wild things some people do, Mr. Rollo?"
"No," he said; but he left his plea standing.
"Well then what is the matter? If ever you hear of my "exchanging hospitalities," I will give you leave for a lecture a mile long."
"Your eyes are innocent eyes and do not see. Can you not trust me far enough to act upon my knowledge, and distrust yours?"
"But trusting you does not make me distrust myself," she said.
"And even Prim confessed to me once that you do occasionally make mistakes."
"I do not in this," said he, very gravely. "Yet there is no particular reason why you should believe me. Miss Kennedy--you cannot continue this pastime, and keep yourself."
"What do you mean?" she said quickly.
"You cannot remain just what you are."
"Mr. Falkirk thinks there is room for improvement," said Wych Hazel, with some coldness; "but your words seem to point the other way. Perhaps you will be kind enough to tell me at once all that you think it needful I should hear in the connexion."
"You need not take that tone," he said; "but perhaps I _must_ displease you. Miss Kennedy, I have always thought of you as one who would never permit a liberty to be taken with her."
"I am happy that we agree for once," she said, with a lift of the eyebrows and a voice to match. "It is precisely the way in which I have always thought of myself."