Part 74 (2/2)
By this time the intelligent boy was fond enough of her to notice her face. ”What's the matter, Perta?”
”Ruperta. The matter? Puzzled again! It is very serious this time.”
”Tell me, Ruperta.”
”No, dear.”
”Please.”
The young lady fixed her eyes on him, and said, with a pretty solemnity, ”Let us play at catechism.”
”I don't know that game.”
”The governess asks questions, and the good little boy answers. That's catechism. I'm the governess.”
”Then I'm the good little boy.”
”Yes, dear; and so now look me full in the face.”
”There--you're very pretty, Ruperta.”
”Don't be giddy; I'm hideous; so behave, and answer all my questions.
Oh, I'm so unhappy. Answer me, is young people, or old people, goodest?”
”You should say best, dear. Good, better, best. Why, old people, to be sure--much.”
”So I thought; and that is why I am so puzzled. Then your papa and mine are much betterer--will that do?--than we are?”
”Of course they are.”
”There he goes! Such a child for answering slap bang I never.”
”I'm not a child. I'm older than you are, Ruperta.”
”That's a story.”
”Well, then, I'm as old; for Mary says we were born the same day--the same hour--the same minute.”
”La! we are twins.”
She paused, however, on this discovery, and soon found reason to doubt her hasty conclusion. ”No such thing,” said she: ”they tell me the bells were ringing for you being found, and then I was found--to catechism you.”
”There! then you see I _am_ older than you, Ruperta.”
”Yes, dear,” said Ruperta, very gravely; ”I'm younger in my body, but older in my head.”
<script>