“Be not impatient, Mr. Burns,” she said saucily; “you shall see my face in good time, I warrant ye!” It must be Lady Nancy after all, he told himself.
“’Tis a promise of paradise, madam!” he cried fervently, entering into the spirit of adventure.
Mary looked at him reproachfully. Did he think she was really Lady Gordon? she wondered. The thought gave her pause. Well, she would find out how much he really cared for her, how much truth there was in the gossip she had heard. “Rumor sayeth, Mr. Burns, that ye are in love with the beautiful Lady Nancy Gordon; is that so?” she asked, fanning herself languorously.
He smiled quizzically into her face. “Rumor hath many tongues, fair lady, and most of them lying ones. The lady doesna’ suit my taste; even her money couldna’ tempt me, an’ I need the money badly. That will take her conceit down a peg I’ll warrant,” he thought grimly.
“But she is very beautiful, I hear,” said Mary, filled with delight at his answer.
“That I grant ye. Mistress Nancy is most adept in the use of the hare’s foot an’ of the paint box. I’ll wager she can teach even our incomparable actress, Mrs. Siddons, a few tricks in the art of makeup. Oh, but ye should see the lady in the early morning. ’Fore heaven, she resembles damaged goods!” Now would come the explosion of wounded pride and outraged dignity, he thought calmly, but his amazement was unbounded when the seeming Lady Nancy jumped up and down, ecstatically clapping her hands in a very undignified manner. “Ye seem o’er pleased at my remark,” he exclaimed with a puzzled frown.
“I am, I am pleased!” she cried joyfully.
“What?” he stammered taken aback—“why, I—I thought ye were——” He stopped, flushed and embarrassed.
“Were Lady Nancy Gordon!” she finished. “O Lud, if I were, I wouldn’t feel complimented at all the flattering things I’ve heard!” and she went off in a peal of merry laughter.
“Who are ye then, who comes to my chamber at night?” he asked curtly, chagrined at his mistake. She shook her head and laughed softly.