“Not at all, for he knew nothing of her fortune when he married her. And now, also, please remember you are speaking of my cousins.”
“Beg your pardon, Anna! I mean no harm; and you know you and I are such old, old friends!”
Very often it would be Richard Hammond who would be called to the witness stand with a—
“Hillo, Dick! so you are a lucky dog after all! How was it now? Come, tell us all about it! Did you cut Alick out with Anna, or did the pretty little parson’s daughter cut Anna out with Alick?”
“Each one of us cut all the others out,” Dick would reply, with owl-like gravity.
“Eh? what? stop, don’t go away! How can that be? We don’t understand!”
“Well, if you don’t that’s your look out. I can’t make you understand.”
And so Dick would turn off impertinent inquiry.
Fortunately, also, everywhere Drusilla’s face and manners inspired perfect confidence and warm esteem. No one could look on her, or hear her speak, and doubt her goodness.
“It is very queer. There’s a screw loose somewhere; but whoever may be wrong, she is all right,” was the verdict of the neighborhood in the young wife’s favor.