“What?” she cried, opening her eyes in amazement.
“May they have short shoes an’ corny toes,” he added with a merry twinkle in his eyes.
“Duke, a toast!” said Souter importantly.
The Duke thought a moment. “Well, I drink to Mrs. MacDougall. May she soon have a house full of bairns,” he thoughtlessly proposed.
Eppy gasped and turned crimson, and Lady Nancy bit her lips to keep back the smile her father’s well-meant but tactless speech occasioned.
“Do you mean to insult me, my lord?” flashed Eppy indignantly.
“Bless my soul, no,” returned the Duke in astonishment, who could see no reason for offense in his kindly-meant remark.
“The Duke meant well,” said Souter pacifically to his wife, whose eyes were flashing angrily. “An’—an’—stranger things might happen, ye ken,” and he rubbed his chin reflectively with a sly look out of the corner of his roguish eye at Robert. She tossed her head haughtily.
“’Twould not be so monstrous strange, Mr. MacDougall, as you seem to think,” she retorted frigidly. Souter opened his eyes in speechless surprise. He was about to speak, but after one bewildered glance at the disdainful face of his bride, concluded that discretion was the better part of valor, and for the rest of that day he remained in thoughtful silence reflecting on the inconsistencies of woman kind in particular, and speculating upon the strange and mysterious workings of human nature in general.