“Oh,” he said in a relieved tone.
“Why did you say ‘oh,’—did you think I meant her?”
“I didn’t know who you meant.”
“Why, you wouldn’t think o’ marryin’ her, would you?”
“No,” said Joshua emphatically. “I’d as soon think o’ marryin’ you yourself.”
Lucinda deliberated for a minute or so as to whether to accept this insult in silence or not, and finally decided to make just one more remark.
“I wonder if she’ll send any word to Arethusa ’n’ Mary.”
“They’ll know soon enough,” said Joshua oracularly.
“How’ll they know, I’d like to know?”
“You’ll write ’em.”