Volume I Part 41 (1/2)
”Very well ? why shouldn't I? ? provided he steals no love from anybody else,” said Fleda, still caressing him.
”What a noise somebody is making down stairs!” said Hugh. ” I don't think I should ever want to go to large parties, Fleda; do you?”
”I don't know,” said Fleda, whose natural taste for society was strongly developed; ”it would depend upon what kind of parties they were.”
”I shouldn't like them, I know, of whatever kind,” said Hugh.
”What are you smiling at?”
”Only Mr. Pickwick's face, that I am drawing here.”
Hugh came round to look and laugh, and then began again.
”I can't think of anything pleasanter than this room as we are now.”
”You should have seen Mr. Carleton's library,” said Fleda, in a musing tone, going on with her drawing.
”Was it so much better than this?”
Fleda's eyes gave a slight glance at the room, and then looked down again with a little shake of her head sufficiently expressive.
”Well,” said Hugh, ”you and I do not want any better than this; do we, Fleda?”
Fleda's smile ? a most satisfactory one ? was divided between him and King.
”I don't believe,” said Hugh, ”you would have loved that dog near so well if anybody else had given him to you.”
”I don't believe I should! ? not a quarter,” said Fleda, with sufficient distinctness.
”I never liked that Mr. Carleton as well as you did.”
”That is because you did not know him,” said Fleda, quietly.
”Do you think he was a good man, Fleda?”
”He was very good to me,” said Fleda, ”always. What rides I did have on that great black horse of his!” ?
”A black horse?”
”Yes, a great black horse, strong, but so gentle, and he went so delightfully. His name was Harold. Oh, I should like to see that horse! When I wasn't with him, Mr. Carleton used to ride another, the greatest beauty of a horse, Hugh ? a brown Arabian ? so slender and delicate ? her name was Zephyr, and she used to go like the wind, to be sure. Mr. Carleton said he wouldn't trust me on such a fly-away thing.”
”But you didn't use to ride alone?” said Hugh.
”O no! ? and I wouldn't have been afraid if he had chosen to take me on any one.”
”But do you think, Fleda, he was a good man ? as I mean?”
”I am sure he was better than a great many others,” answered Fleda, evasively ? ”the worst of him was infinitely better than the best of half the people down stairs ? Mr. Sweden included.”
”Sweden! ? you don't call his name right.”
”The worse it is called the better, in my opinion,” said Fleda.