“Nancy shall not be pressed,” said Captain Richmond.—“Go back to the others, Nancy, and leave this matter to me.—Suppose, Miss Aspray, that I request the life and liberty of the beautiful admiral butterfly, will you, instead of hunting it down, take a walk with me through the woods?”
Flora Aspray gave an indignant toss to her head, but Captain Richmond looked both handsome and gentlemanly, and she found it impossible to resist him, and soon was walking rapidly away from the others by his side.
Augusta found herself between Mr. Archer and Constance, and the three had a very gay time.
“I wonder what this all means,” said Kitty. “I want to ask you a direct question, Nancy. Do you, or do you not, like the Asprays?”
“I wish you had not asked me,” said Nancy; “but I don’t.”
“What is the matter with you, child? You look so queer and nervous. What can the Asprays have done to you?”
“Nothing—nothing. Of course, I ought not to dislike them, but I do. I wish they were not here. I had hoped that when Uncle Peter came everything would be all right, but I sometimes think that nothing will ever be right any more.”
“Why, Nancy,” said Nora—“why are you so miserable?”
“I wish—I wish I could tell you.”
“But can’t you, darling—can’t you?”