A Woman-Hater [95]
to the test," said Zoe, adroitly enough. _"My_ view of all this is--that here is a young lady in want of money _for a time,_ as everybody is now and then, and that the sensible course is to borrow some till your mother comes over with her apronful of dollars. Now, I have twenty pounds to lend, and, if you are so mighty sensible as you say, you won't refuse to borrow it."
"Oh, Miss Vizard, you are very good; but I am afraid and ashamed to borrow. I never did such a thing."
"Time you began, then. _I_ have--often. But it is no use arguing. You _must--_or you will get poor me finely scolded. Perhaps he was on his good behavior with you, being a stranger; but at home they expect to be obeyed. He will be sure to say it was my stupidity, and that _he_ would have made you directly."
"Do tell!" cried Rhoda, surprised into an idiom; "as if I'd have taken money from _him!"_
"Why, of course not; but between _us_ it is nothing at all. There:" and she put the money into Rhoda's hand, and then held both hand and money rather tightly imprisoned in her larger palm, and began to chatter, so as to leave the other no opening. "Oh, blessed darkness! how easy it makes things! does it not? I am glad there was no candle; we should have been fencing and blushing ever so long, and made such a fuss about nothing--and--"
This prattle was interrupted by Rhoda Gale putting her right wrist round Zoe's neck, and laying her forehead on her shoulder with a little sob. So then they both distilled the inevitable dew-drops.
But as Rhoda was not much given that way, she started up, and said, "Darkness? No; I must see the face that has come here to help me, and not humiliate me. That is the first use I'll make of the money. I am afraid you are rather plain, or you couldn't be so good as all this."
"No," said Zoe. "I'm not reckoned plain; only as black as a coal."
"All the more to my taste," said Rhoda, and flew out of the room, and nearly stumbled over a figure seated on a step of the staircase. "Who are you?" said she, sharply.
"My name is Severne."
"And what are you doing there?"
"Waiting for Miss Vizard."
"Come in, then."
"She told me not."
"Then I tell you _to._ The idea! Miss Vizard!"
"Yes!"
"Please have Mr. Severne in. Here he is sitting--like Grief--on the steps. I will soon be back."
She flew to the landlady. "Mrs. Grip, I want a candle."
"Well, the shops are open," said the woman, rudely.
"Oh, I have no time. Here is a sovereign. Please give me two candles directly, candlesticks and all."
The woman's manner changed directly.
"You shall have them this moment, miss, and my own candlesticks, which they are plated."
She brought them, and advised her only to light one. "They don't carry well, miss," said she. "They are wax--or summat."
"Then they are summat," said Miss Gale, after a single glance at their composition.
"I'll make you a nice hot supper, miss, in half an hour," said the woman, maternally, as if she were going to _give_ it her.
"No, thank you. Bring me a two-penny loaf, and a scuttle of coals."
"La, miss, no more than that--out of a sov'?"
"Yes--THE CHANGE."
Having shown Mrs. Grip her father was a Yankee, she darted upstairs, with her candles. Zoe came to meet her, and literally dazzled her.
Rhoda stared at her with amazement and growing rapture. "Oh, you beauty!" she cried, and drank her in from head to foot.
"Well," said she, drawing a long breath, "Nature, you have turned out a _com-_plete article this time, I reckon." Then, as Severne laughed merrily at this, she turned her candle and her eyes full on him very briskly. She looked at him for a moment, with a gratified eye at his comeliness; then she started. "Oh!" she cried.
He received the inspection merrily, till she uttered that ejaculation, then he started a little, and stared at her.
"We have met before," said she, almost tenderly.
"Have we?" said he, putting on a mystified air.
She fixed him, and looked him through and through. "You--don't--remember--me?" asked she. Then, after giving
"Oh, Miss Vizard, you are very good; but I am afraid and ashamed to borrow. I never did such a thing."
"Time you began, then. _I_ have--often. But it is no use arguing. You _must--_or you will get poor me finely scolded. Perhaps he was on his good behavior with you, being a stranger; but at home they expect to be obeyed. He will be sure to say it was my stupidity, and that _he_ would have made you directly."
"Do tell!" cried Rhoda, surprised into an idiom; "as if I'd have taken money from _him!"_
"Why, of course not; but between _us_ it is nothing at all. There:" and she put the money into Rhoda's hand, and then held both hand and money rather tightly imprisoned in her larger palm, and began to chatter, so as to leave the other no opening. "Oh, blessed darkness! how easy it makes things! does it not? I am glad there was no candle; we should have been fencing and blushing ever so long, and made such a fuss about nothing--and--"
This prattle was interrupted by Rhoda Gale putting her right wrist round Zoe's neck, and laying her forehead on her shoulder with a little sob. So then they both distilled the inevitable dew-drops.
But as Rhoda was not much given that way, she started up, and said, "Darkness? No; I must see the face that has come here to help me, and not humiliate me. That is the first use I'll make of the money. I am afraid you are rather plain, or you couldn't be so good as all this."
"No," said Zoe. "I'm not reckoned plain; only as black as a coal."
"All the more to my taste," said Rhoda, and flew out of the room, and nearly stumbled over a figure seated on a step of the staircase. "Who are you?" said she, sharply.
"My name is Severne."
"And what are you doing there?"
"Waiting for Miss Vizard."
"Come in, then."
"She told me not."
"Then I tell you _to._ The idea! Miss Vizard!"
"Yes!"
"Please have Mr. Severne in. Here he is sitting--like Grief--on the steps. I will soon be back."
She flew to the landlady. "Mrs. Grip, I want a candle."
"Well, the shops are open," said the woman, rudely.
"Oh, I have no time. Here is a sovereign. Please give me two candles directly, candlesticks and all."
The woman's manner changed directly.
"You shall have them this moment, miss, and my own candlesticks, which they are plated."
She brought them, and advised her only to light one. "They don't carry well, miss," said she. "They are wax--or summat."
"Then they are summat," said Miss Gale, after a single glance at their composition.
"I'll make you a nice hot supper, miss, in half an hour," said the woman, maternally, as if she were going to _give_ it her.
"No, thank you. Bring me a two-penny loaf, and a scuttle of coals."
"La, miss, no more than that--out of a sov'?"
"Yes--THE CHANGE."
Having shown Mrs. Grip her father was a Yankee, she darted upstairs, with her candles. Zoe came to meet her, and literally dazzled her.
Rhoda stared at her with amazement and growing rapture. "Oh, you beauty!" she cried, and drank her in from head to foot.
"Well," said she, drawing a long breath, "Nature, you have turned out a _com-_plete article this time, I reckon." Then, as Severne laughed merrily at this, she turned her candle and her eyes full on him very briskly. She looked at him for a moment, with a gratified eye at his comeliness; then she started. "Oh!" she cried.
He received the inspection merrily, till she uttered that ejaculation, then he started a little, and stared at her.
"We have met before," said she, almost tenderly.
"Have we?" said he, putting on a mystified air.
She fixed him, and looked him through and through. "You--don't--remember--me?" asked she. Then, after giving