Part 3 (2/2)
Well, you know, when all seemed lost, suddenly there was a strong hand laid on the reins, and my horse was stopped. I tumbled into some strange gentleman's arms, and was carried into a house, where I was resuscitated. I returned home in the gentleman's carriage.
”Now the worst of it is,” said Minnie, with a piteous look, ”that the person who stopped the horse called to inquire after me the next day.
Lady Shrewsbury, like an old goose, was awfully civil to him; and so there I was! His name is Captain Kirby, and I wish there were no captains in the world. The life he led me! He used to call, and I had to go out riding with him, and old Lady Shrewsbury utterly neglected me; and so, you know, Kitty darling, he at last, you know, of course, proposed. That's what they all do, you know, when they save your life.
Always! It's awful!”
Minnie heaved a sigh, and sat apparently meditating on the enormous baseness of the man who saved a lady's life and then proposed; and it was not until Mrs. Willoughby had spoken twice that she was recalled to herself.
”What did you tell him?” was her sister's question.
”Why, what could I tell him?”
”What!” cried Mrs. Willoughby; ”you don't--”
”Now, Kitty, I think it's very unkind in you, when I want all your sympathy, to be _so_ horrid.”
”Well, tell it your own way, Minnie dearest.”
Minnie sat for a time regarding vacancy with a soft, sad, and piteous expression in her large blue eyes; with her head also a little on one side, and her delicate hands gently clasped in front of her.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”ANOTHER MAN!”]
”You see, Kitty darling, he took me out riding, and--he took me to the place where I had met him, and then he proposed. Well, you know, I didn't know what to say. He was _so_ earnest, and _so_ despairing. And then, you know, Kitty dearest, he had saved my life, and so--”
”And so?”
”Well, I told him I didn't know, and was shockingly confused, and then we got up quite a scene. He swore that he would go to Mexico, though why I can't imagine; and I really wish he had; but I was frightened at the time, and I cried; and then he got worse, and I told him not to; whereupon he went into raptures, and began to call me no end of names--spooney names, you know; and I--oh, I did _so_ want him to stop!--I think I must have promised him all that he wanted; and when I got home I was frightened out of my poor little wits, and cried all night.”
”Poor dear child!” exclaimed Mrs. Willoughby, with tender sympathy.
”What a wretch!”
”No, he wasn't a wretch at all; he was awfully handsome, only, you know, he--was--so--_aw_fully persevering, and kept _so_ at my heels; but I hurried home from Brighton, and thought I had got rid of him.”
”And hadn't you?”
”Oh dear, no,” said Minnie, mournfully. ”On the day after my arrival there came a letter; and, you know, I had to answer it; and then another; and so it went on--”
”Oh, Minnie! why didn't you tell me before?”
”How could I when you were off in that horrid Scotland? I _always_ hated Scotland.”
”You might have told papa.”
”I couldn't. I think papa's cruel _too_. He doesn't care for me at all. Why didn't he find out our correspondence and intercept it, the way papas always do in novels? If I were _his_ papa I'd not let _him_ be so worried.”
”And did he never call on you?”
”Yes; he got leave of absence once, and I had a dreadful time with him. He was in a desperate state of mind. He was ordered off to Gibraltar. But I managed to comfort him; and, oh dear, Kitty dear, did you _ever_ try to comfort a man, and the man a total stranger?”
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