“I beg your pardon and hers, sir—I am—if I must speak the truth, a little upset upon the subject of that poor girl,” said Alexander, in explanation, again speaking the literal truth, while intentionally giving a wrong impression.
“Oh exactly, to be sure, my dear boy, and it does you credit. I am certain I ought to beg your pardon, now, for doing injustice to your good feelings. But Alick, my lad, your compassion for that poor child need not prevent you from ordinary social pleasures. You really must escort your cousin to the President’s reception to-night.”
“My dear grandfather,” put in Anna, “I will not, if you please, have any gentleman pressed into my service against his will, even though that gentleman should be my affianced husband. Dick is in Washington. He called on me this morning, and begged leave to attend me to the White House this evening. I told him I would hold his proposal in reserve, and let him know in time.”
Now what was there in the name of his old rival, poor Dick, that should have raised Alexander’s jealousy? Mr. Lyon was a married man, and had no right to feel annoyed at the idea of Richard Hammond becoming the escort of his cousin. Nevertheless he did feel annoyed, partly, perhaps, because he had once considered Anna his own property, and however lightly he had valued the possession, he could not, even now, see her pass over to another without a secret feeling of rage and jealousy; and so he hesitated to answer:
“No, my dear cousin; if you please, I claim the right of attending you in person. I can not resign that right to Mr. Hammond.”
“And I claim the right of choosing my own escort,” said Anna, proudly.
Alexander bowed.
“Girl and boy, I will have no lovers’ quarrels here, Anna, you should feel that there is an impropriety in an engaged young lady accepting the attentions of another gentleman, when her betrothed is anxious to show her those attentions himself. Alexander, you are to take Anna to the reception this evening. Young people, both see that you obey me. Some respect should be paid to my gray head and my eighty years,” said the old soldier, with dignity.
Both the young people bowed and acquiesced. And so it was settled that Alexander should attend Anna to the reception of the evening.