And I did not think He would help me, for now I knew I
had been hard, and horrid and nasty, and cruel to you and Allen, the
only people who ever cared for me for myself, and not for my horrid,
horrid money, though I was the nastiest little wretch. Oh! Mother
Carey, I did know it then, and I got quite sick with longing for one
honest kiss—-or even one honest scolding of yours. I used to cry all
Church-time, and they used to try not to let me go—-and I felt just
like the children of Israel in Egypt, as if I had got into heavy
bondage, and the land of captivity. O do speak, and let me hear your
voice once more! Your arm is so comfortable."
Still it seemed that Elvira had resisted till another attempt was
made. While she was at a boarding-house on the Hudson a large picnic
party was arranged, in which, after American fashion, gentlemen took
ladies "to ride" in their traps to and from the place of rendezvous.
In returning, of course it had been as easy as possible for her
chaperon to contrive that she should be left alone with no cavalier
but Gilbert Gould, and he of course pretended to lose his way, drove
on till night-fall, and then judgmatically met with an accident,
which hurt nobody; but which he declared made the carriage incapable
of proceeding.
Pages:
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866