"No," Answered Worse. "What New Folly Now?"
"Well, You See, I Have Got An Idea That It Will Make A Favourable
Impression On Miss Madeleine If She Sees Me On Horseback. Just Fancy Me
On A Horse With A Long Mane And Tail, Like The Picture Of General Prim;
There!" And He Went Cantering Round The Room, And Pulled Up Suddenly
Before Worse--"There, Like That: A Good Fierce Expression. Is Not That
It? I Believe That Will Do The Business."
Worse Could Not Help Laughing, Although He Did Not Think Much Of The
Chapter 10 Pg 73
Frivolous Way Delphin Had Of Paying His Addresses To Madeleine.
"You Are Not Going To Ride Up To Sandsgaard This Morning?"
"No, Not Exactly; It Would Not Do. I Can'T Very Well Go Up There Dressed
For Riding, And If I Were To Ride In These Clothes I Should Look Absurd.
But I Thought Of Riding Out There This Evening, Somewhere About Seven
O'Clock. Just Fancy Me Coming In Over The Garden Wall With A Flying
Salute, And Lighted By The Last Rays Of The Evening Sun! Why, It Would
Be Irresistible."
"Well, I Am Afraid, Or Perhaps I Ought Rather To Say I Hope, That Miss
Madeleine Will Not Fully Appreciate Your Novel Way Of Paying Her Your
Addresses," Said Worse, Half-Seriously.
"Ah, My Most Respected Friend, You Know Very Little Of Woman'S Heart;
And How Should You, When Your Ideal Is A Woman Who Goes In For Her
Rights? A Tall Bony Creature With A Moustache Under Her Nose, And
'Woman'S Wrongs' Under Her Arm."
"Leave Off, Will You?" Cried Worse. "You Are Just In Your Most
Disagreeable Vein. You Had Better Go Off To Young Mrs. Garman. She Will
Find You Most Amusing To-Day."
"A Good Idea, Which I Was Already Thinking Of," Answered Delphin, As He
Took His Hat; "And At The Same Time I Will Take A Place For Myself In
Her Carriage For To-Morrow."
"Won'T You Drive With Me?" Cried Worse After Him.
"No, Thanks; I Would Rather Go With Mrs. Garman, If For Nothing Else
Than To Have The Pleasure Of Seeing Her Worthy Husband On The Box," Said
He, As He Went Out Of The Door.
Jacob Worse Stood Watching Him. At First He Had Been Very Glad To Make
Delphin'S Acquaintance. There Were Not Many Young Men In The Town With
Whom He Could Associate. Delphin Was Intelligent, Well Read On Different
Subjects, And When Alone Was Good Company Enough. But By-And-By He
Showed More Of The Frivolous Side Of His Character, And Worse Began To
Get A Little Tired Of His Friend.
Fanny Was Sitting All This Time In a State Of Absolute Boredom. Little
Christian Frederick Had Gone Out With His Nurse, And The Street Was
Uninteresting, Dusty, Hot, And Thronged By Country People Making Their
Saturday Purchases. She Did Not Care To Look Out Of The Window, But Sat
Leaning Back In Her Most Comfortable Armchair, Yawning In Front Of The
Glass. Would It Be Better To Send For Madeleine? It Was Several Days
Since She Had Paid Her A Visit. But Then She Would Have To Play The Part
Of Go-Between Again. Or Should She Begin On Her Own Account? Yes; Why
Not? But Then He Never Came Except When Madeleine Was There. It Really
Was Too Tiresome.
When He Now Came Unexpectedly Into The Room It Gave Her Quite A Start,
But She Still Remained Leaning Back In Her Armchair, And Gave Him Her
Left Hand, Which Was The Nearest, As She Said, "I Am Glad To See You. I
Was Just Thinking Of You As I Was Sitting Here All Alone."
Chapter 10 Pg 74
"It Was Very Kind Of You, I Am Sure," Answered He, As He Sat Down In a
Chair In Front Of Her.
"Yes; All Sorts Of Foolish Things Come Into One'S Head When One Is
Sitting Alone."
"I Hope I Was Not The Most Foolish Thing That Could Come Into Your
Thoughts," Answered Delphin, Jestingly. "But It Is Quite True; You Have
Been Left A Great Deal Alone Lately."
"Yes; But Perhaps I Have My Own Reasons For It."
"May I Venture To Ask What These Reasons Are?"
"Perhaps It Would Be Better If I Were To Tell You," Said She, Regarding
Attentively The Point Of Her Shoe, Which Projected From Her Dress As She
Lay Back In Her Chair. She Had Tiny Pointed French Shoes With Straps
Across The Instep, Through Which Appeared A Blue Silk Stocking.
"I Assure You I Shall Be Very Thankful, And At The Same Time Most
Discreet."
"Well, Then, Madeleine Is So Young," Said Fanny, As If Following The
Train Of Her Own Thoughts, "That I Feel It To A Certain Extent My Duty
To Look After Her, And--"
"I Scarcely See That It Is Absolutely Necessary," Answered He.
"Yes; But When A Girl So Inexperienced As Madeleine Is Brought Into
Contact With Gentlemen Who Are--Well, Who Are So Clever As, For
Instance, Yourself, Mr. Delphin, You See--" She Looked At Him As She
Paused In Her Sentence.
"You Are Paying Me Too Great A Compliment," Said He, Laughing; "And
Besides, You Can Never Imagine That I Would Take Advantage--"
"Nonsense!" Rejoined Fanny; "I Know All About That. You Are Just Like
All The Rest. You Would Never Hesitate To Take Advantage Of Even The
Slightest Opportunity; Would You, Now? Tell Me Frankly."
"Well," Answered He, Rising, "If You Really Wish For An Honest Answer, I
Must Confess That When I See A Strawberry That Nobody Else Seems To
Notice, I Generally Pick It."
"Yes; It Is Just That Greediness That All Men Have, And Which I Find, At
The Same Time, So Dangerous And Incomprehensible."
"Yes; But, Mrs. Garman, Strawberries Are Really So Delicious."
"Yes, When They Are Ripe," Answered Fanny.
The Words Fell From Her Lips As Smoothly As Butter. Delphin Had Taken A
Few Paces Across The Room, And Just Turned In Time To See The Last
Glimpse Of A Look Which Must Have Been Resting On Him While She Spoke.
It Was Not Very Often That He Lost His Self-Possession In a Conversation
Of This Kind, But The Discovery He Had Made, Or Thought That He Had
Chapter 10 Pg 75
Made, With All Its Uncertainty, And The Feeling Of Pleased Vanity It
Brought With It, Confused Him, And He Stood Stammering And Blushing
Before Her. She Still Lay Stretched In The Armchair, A Position Which
Displayed To The Best Advantage The Lines
