Part 4 (1/2)
Meanwhile Marmaduke and Miss McQuinch were becoming curious about Marian and Conolly.
”I say, Nelly,” he whispered, ”Marian and that young man seem to be getting on uncommonly well together. She looks sentimentally happy, and he seems pleased with himself. Dont you feel jealous?”
”Jealous! Why should I be?”
”Out of pure cussedness. Not that you care for the electric man, but because you hate any one to fall in love with any one else when you are by.”
”I wish you would go away.”
”Why? Dont you like me?”
”I _loathe_ you. Now, perhaps you understand me.”
”That's a nice sort of thing to say to a fellow,” said Marmaduke, roused. ”I have a great mind to bring you to your senses as Douglas does, by not speaking to you for a week.”
”I wish you would let me come to my senses by not speaking to me at all.”
”Oh! Well, I am off; but mind, Nelly, I am offended. We are no longer on speaking terms. Look as contemptuous as you please: you will be sorry when you think over this. Remember: you said you loathed me.”
”So I do,” said Elinor, stubbornly.
”Very good,” said Marmaduke, turning his back on her. Just then the concertinists returned from the platform, and a waiter appeared with refreshments, which the clergyman invited Marmaduke to a.s.sist him in dispensing. Conolly, considering the uncorking of bottles of soda water a sufficiently skilled labor to be more interesting than making small talk, went to the table and busied himself with the corkscrew.
”Well, Nelly,” said Marian, drawing her chair close to Miss McQuinch, and speaking in a low voice, ”what do you think of Jasper's workman?”
”Not much,” replied Elinor, shrugging her shoulders. ”He is very conceited, and very coa.r.s.e.”
”Do you really think so? I expected to find you delighted with his unconventionality. I thought him rather amusing.”
”I thought him extremely aggravating. I hate to have to speak to people of that sort.”
”Then you consider him vulgar,” said Marian, disappointed.
”N--no. Not vulgarer than anybody else. He couldnt be that.”
”Sherry and soda, Marian?” said Marmaduke, approaching.
”No, thank you, Marmaduke. Get Nelly something.”
”As Miss McQuinch and I are no longer on speaking terms, I leave her to the care of yonder scientific amateur, who has just refused, on teetotal grounds, to pledge the Rev. George in a gla.s.s of eighteen s.h.i.+lling sherry.”
”Dont be silly, Marmaduke. Bring Nelly some soda water.”
”Do nothing of the sort,” said Miss McQuinch.
Marmaduke bowed and retired.
”What is the matter between you and Duke now?” said Marian.
”Nothing. I told him I loathed him.”