The Midnight Queen [45]
in the
presence of a third party; and Sir Norman had no intention of
wasting his time on anything, and went at it immediately. Taking
her hand, with a grace that would have beaten Sir Charles
Grandison or Lord Chesterfield all to nothing, he led her to a
couch, and took a seat as near her as was at all polite or
proper, considering the brief nature of their acquaintance. The
curtains were drawn; the lamp shed a faint light; the house was
still, and there was no intrusive papa to pounce down upon them;
the lady was looking down, and seemed in no way haughty or
discouraging, and Sir Norman's spirits went up with a jump to
boiling-point.
Yet the lady, with all her pretty bashfulness, was the first to
speak.
"I'm afraid, Sir Norman, you must think this a singular hour to
come here; but, in these dreadful times, we cannot tell if we may
live from one moment to another; and I should not like to die, or
have you die, without my telling, and you hearing, all my
gratitude. For I do assure you, Sir Norman," said the lady,
lifting her dark eyes with the prettiest and moat bewitching
earnestness, "that I am grateful, though I cannot find words to
express it."
"Madame, I would not listen to you it you would; for I have done
nothing to deserve thanks. I wish I could tell you what I felt
when Ormiston told me you were alive and safe."
"You are very kind, but pray do not call me madame. Say
Leoline!"
"A thousand thanks, dear Leoline!" exclaimed Sir Norman, raising
her hand to his lips, and quite beside himself with ecstasy.
"Ah, I did not tell you to say that!" she cried, with a gay laugh
and vivid blush. "I never said you were to call me dear."
"It arose from my heart to my lips," said Sir Norman, with
thrilling earnestness and fervid glance; "for you are dear to me
- dearer than all the world beside!"
The flush grew a deeper glow on the lady's face; but, singular to
relate, she did not look the least surprised or displeased; and
the hand he had feloniously purloined lay passive and quite
contented in his.
"Sir Norman Kingsley is pleased to jest," said the lady, in a
subdued tone, and with her eyes fixed pertinaciously on her
shining dress; "for he has never spoken to me before in his
life!"
"That has nothing to do with it, Leoline. I love you as
devotedly as if I had known you from your birthday; and, strange
to say, I feel as if we had been friends for years instead of
minutes. I cannot realize at all that you are a stranger to me!"
Leoline laughed:
"Nor I; though, for that matter, you are not a stranger to me,
Sir Norman!"
"Am I not? How is that!"
"I have seen you go past so often, you know; and Prudence told me
who you were; and so I need - I used - " hesitating and glowing
to a degree before which her dress paled.
"Well, dearest," said Sir Norman, getting from the positive to
the superlative at a jump, and diminishing the distance between
them, "you need to - what?"
"To watch for you!" said Leoline, in a sly whisper. "And so I
have got to know you very well!"
"My own darling! And, O Leoline! may I hope - dare I hope - that
you do not altogether hate me?"
Leoline looked reflective; though her bleak eyes were sparkling
under their sweeping lashes.
"Why, no," she said, demurely, "I don't know as I do. It's very
sinful and improper to hate one's fellow-creatures, you know, Sir
Norman, and therefore I don't indulge in it."
"Ah! you are given to piety, I see. In that case, perhaps you
are aware of a precept commanding us to love our neighbors. Now,
I'm your nearest neighbor at present; so, to keep up a consistent
Christian spirit, just be good enough to say you love me!"
Again Leoline laughed; and this time the bright, dancing eyes
beamed in their sparkling darkness fall upon him.
"I am afraid your theology is not very sound, my
presence of a third party; and Sir Norman had no intention of
wasting his time on anything, and went at it immediately. Taking
her hand, with a grace that would have beaten Sir Charles
Grandison or Lord Chesterfield all to nothing, he led her to a
couch, and took a seat as near her as was at all polite or
proper, considering the brief nature of their acquaintance. The
curtains were drawn; the lamp shed a faint light; the house was
still, and there was no intrusive papa to pounce down upon them;
the lady was looking down, and seemed in no way haughty or
discouraging, and Sir Norman's spirits went up with a jump to
boiling-point.
Yet the lady, with all her pretty bashfulness, was the first to
speak.
"I'm afraid, Sir Norman, you must think this a singular hour to
come here; but, in these dreadful times, we cannot tell if we may
live from one moment to another; and I should not like to die, or
have you die, without my telling, and you hearing, all my
gratitude. For I do assure you, Sir Norman," said the lady,
lifting her dark eyes with the prettiest and moat bewitching
earnestness, "that I am grateful, though I cannot find words to
express it."
"Madame, I would not listen to you it you would; for I have done
nothing to deserve thanks. I wish I could tell you what I felt
when Ormiston told me you were alive and safe."
"You are very kind, but pray do not call me madame. Say
Leoline!"
"A thousand thanks, dear Leoline!" exclaimed Sir Norman, raising
her hand to his lips, and quite beside himself with ecstasy.
"Ah, I did not tell you to say that!" she cried, with a gay laugh
and vivid blush. "I never said you were to call me dear."
"It arose from my heart to my lips," said Sir Norman, with
thrilling earnestness and fervid glance; "for you are dear to me
- dearer than all the world beside!"
The flush grew a deeper glow on the lady's face; but, singular to
relate, she did not look the least surprised or displeased; and
the hand he had feloniously purloined lay passive and quite
contented in his.
"Sir Norman Kingsley is pleased to jest," said the lady, in a
subdued tone, and with her eyes fixed pertinaciously on her
shining dress; "for he has never spoken to me before in his
life!"
"That has nothing to do with it, Leoline. I love you as
devotedly as if I had known you from your birthday; and, strange
to say, I feel as if we had been friends for years instead of
minutes. I cannot realize at all that you are a stranger to me!"
Leoline laughed:
"Nor I; though, for that matter, you are not a stranger to me,
Sir Norman!"
"Am I not? How is that!"
"I have seen you go past so often, you know; and Prudence told me
who you were; and so I need - I used - " hesitating and glowing
to a degree before which her dress paled.
"Well, dearest," said Sir Norman, getting from the positive to
the superlative at a jump, and diminishing the distance between
them, "you need to - what?"
"To watch for you!" said Leoline, in a sly whisper. "And so I
have got to know you very well!"
"My own darling! And, O Leoline! may I hope - dare I hope - that
you do not altogether hate me?"
Leoline looked reflective; though her bleak eyes were sparkling
under their sweeping lashes.
"Why, no," she said, demurely, "I don't know as I do. It's very
sinful and improper to hate one's fellow-creatures, you know, Sir
Norman, and therefore I don't indulge in it."
"Ah! you are given to piety, I see. In that case, perhaps you
are aware of a precept commanding us to love our neighbors. Now,
I'm your nearest neighbor at present; so, to keep up a consistent
Christian spirit, just be good enough to say you love me!"
Again Leoline laughed; and this time the bright, dancing eyes
beamed in their sparkling darkness fall upon him.
"I am afraid your theology is not very sound, my