|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 33
"You are not a doll, darling," said James fervently, and he would have
kissed her again, but she pushed him away. "No," said she, "I know the
color won't come off my cheeks, but I might get soft like that doll. One
can never tell. You must stop now. I want to talk to you. It is all
right about my mother."
"It was only because I never saw such a woman in all my life before,"
said James. "I never thought of marrying."
"You would have had to take it out in thinking," said Clemency, "but it
is all right. I think myself that my mother is the most wonderful woman
that ever lived. I think the old Greek goddesses must have looked just
like her. I don't wonder you felt so about her. I don't know as I should
have thought much of you if you hadn't. Why, everybody falls down and
worships her. Of course I know that I am nothing compared to her. I
should be angry if you really thought so."
"I don't think so in one way," James said honestly. "I don't think you
are as beautiful as your mother, but I love you, Clemency."
"Well, that will do for me," said Clemency. "No, you need not kiss me
again. I think myself I shall make you a better wife than a
stepdaughter. You need not think for one minute that I would have minded
you as I do Uncle Tom."
"But you will have to when we are married," said James.
Clemency blushed and quivered. "Well, maybe I will," she whispered. "I
suppose I shall be just enough of a fool to stay in the house, if you
order me, the way I do when Uncle Tom does."
"You shall stay in the house for no man alive when I have you in
charge," said James. "Clemency--"
"What?"
"I will take you out now, if you say so. I can protect you."
"I know you can," Clemency said, "but I guess we had better not. You see
Uncle Tom doesn't know yet, and he will be coming home, and--"
"I am going to tell him just as soon as he does," declared James.
"I wonder if you had better not wait," Clemency said thoughtfully.
"Wait? Why?"
"Nothing, only poor Uncle Tom is frightfully worried about something
now. He worries about that dreadful man, and I am afraid he worries
about mother. I don't know exactly what he worries about; but I don't
want him worried about anything else."
"I can't see for the life of me why he should worry about this," said
James with a piqued air. He was, in fact, considering quite na�vely that
he was not a bad match, taking into consideration his prospects, and
Clemency evidently needed all the protection she could get.
Clemency understood directly what his tone implied. "Oh, goodness," said
she, "of course, as far as you are concerned, Uncle Tom will be pleased.
Why shouldn't he? and so will mother. Here you are young and handsome,
and well educated, and good, what more could anybody want for a girl,
unless they were on the lookout for a ducal coronet or something of that
sort? It isn't that, only there is something queer, there must be
something queer, about that man, and I don't know how much this might
complicate it. I don't know but Uncle Tom might have more occasion to
worry."
"I don't see why," said James mystified, "but I'll wait a few days if
you say so, only I hate to have anything underhanded, you know. How
about your mother?"
"Please wait and tell her when you tell Uncle Tom," pleaded Clemency.
All the time she was completely deceiving the young man. What she was
really afraid of was that James himself might run into danger from this
mysterious persecutor of hers if the fact of her betrothal became known.
"I shall not mind staying in the house at all now," she added. An
expression came over her face which James did not understand, which no
man would have understood. Clemency was wonderfully skilled at
needle-work, and she had plenty of material in the house. She was
reflecting innocently how she could begin at once upon some dainty
little frills for her trousseau. A delight, purely feminine, filled her
fair little face.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|