Part 71 (1/2)

Just before his eyes--

Up there on the top of the bank, not far from where Dacres and Mrs.

Willoughby had made their appearance, the Baron caught sight of a tall, lank, slim figure, clothed in rusty black, whose thin and leathery face, rising above a white neck-tie, peered solemnly yet interrogatively through the bushes; while just behind him the Baron caught a glimpse of the flutter of a woman's dress.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”HE GAVE A LOUD CRY OF JOY, AND THEN SPRANG UP THE BANK.”]

He gave a loud cry of joy, and then sprang up the bank.

But over that meeting I think we had better draw a veil.

CHAPTER x.x.xIX.

ASTONIs.h.i.+NG WAY OF CONCLUDING AN ADVENTURE.

The meeting between the Baron and Minnie gave a new shock to poor Mrs.

Willoughby, who looked with a helpless expression, and walked away for a little distance. Dacres and Hawbury were still eagerly conversing and questioning one another about their adventures. Tozer also had descended and joined himself to the priest; and each of these groups had leisure for a prolonged conversation before they were interrupted.

At length Minnie made her appearance, and flung herself into her sister's arms, while at the same time the Baron grasped Tozer by both hands, and called out, in a voice loud enough to be heard by all,

”You shall marry us, parson--and this very day, by thunder!”

These words came to Mrs. Willoughby's ears in the midst of her first joy at meeting her sister, and shocked her inexpressibly.

”What's that, Minnie darling?” she asked, anxiously. ”What is it? Did you hear what that dreadful--what the--the Baron said?”

Minnie looked sweetly conscious, but said nothing.

”What _does_ he mean?” asked her sister again.

”I suppose he means what he says,” replied Minnie, with a timid air, stealing a shy look at the Baron.

”Oh dear!” said Mrs. Willoughby; ”there's another dreadful trouble, I know. It's very, very hard--”

”Well, I'm sure,” said Minnie, ”I can't help it. They all do so. That clergyman came and saved me, and he wasn't a Roman Catholic clergyman at all, and he proposed--”

”Proposed!” cried Mrs. Willoughby, aghast.

”Oh yes,” said Minnie, solemnly; ”and I had hard work preventing him.

But, really, it was _too_ absurd, and I would not let him be too explicit. But I didn't hurt his feelings. Well, you know, then all of a sudden, as we were sitting there, the bugle sounded, and we came back. Well, then, Rufus K. Gunn came--and you know how very violent he is in his way--and he said he saved my life again, and so he proposed.”

”_He_ proposed! Why, he had proposed before.”

”Oh yes; but that was for an engagement, and this was for our marriage.”

”Marriage!”

”Oh yes; and, you see, he had actually saved my life twice, and he was very urgent, and he is so awfully affectionate, and so--”