"Oh! couldn't she?" cried Lottie, clapping her arms as if they were wings, and giving vent to a crow to express her enjoyment. "As for blushing, don't she know the rub of mullein-leaves? But she did tell him so. She said she was sure that they had been engaged, and that he, Lawrence, had innocently made trouble between them by flirting with Miss Lee;—now, what is flirting, Miss Hyde?"
"The abominable woman!" I involuntarily exclaimed.
"Oh, no," said Lottie, "she's only Babylon. But I tell you what, that Lawrence isn't much of a snoop. He's a nicer fellow than I took him for. What do you think he did?"
"I can't imagine."
"He just turned on Babylon, like a hawk on a June-bug. 'I cannot believe this,' says he; 'but I will go to Bosworth this very day and explain.'
"Then Babylon began to flutter; she didn't want that to happen, you know.
"'He's sick,' says she; 'not expected to live.'
"'The more reason why I should explain,' says he.
"Then she twisted, and fluttered, and coaxed, and finally got him to promise not to say a word to anybody, to be regulated by her advice, and so on—she would be his friend—oh! how sincere a friend!—and then she took his hand, squeezed out a tear or so, and before long she had him in her clutch. Oh! it was as good as one of Miss Jessie's play-books."
I had not interrupted Lottie; when she paused, I was speechless still.