"Hush," returned my companion, looking furtively over her shoulder, "that young Englishman seems to be engrossing the attention of the rest of the party, and, perhaps, I shall have time to tell you"——
"Do, my dear, if anything has annoyed you—surely so old a friend may claim your confidence."
"I have heard of the 'son of a gun,'" replied she, evidently making a strong effort to recall the natural sprightliness that seemed so singularly to have deserted her of late; "I don't see why I am not the daughter of a gun, at this moment, and so entitled to be very brave! But about this Mr. E——, Colonel," she almost whispered, bending her head so as to screen her face from my observation. "You know Mrs. M—— called for me the other morning to go and walk with her alone, because, as she said, she wanted to talk a little about old times, when we were in the convent school at C—— together. Well, as we came to a little "shop," as she styled it—a hardware store, we should say—she begged me to go in with her a moment, while she gave some directions about a hall-stove, saying, with an apology: "We wives of government officers here, do all these things, as a matter of course." While she walked back in the place, I very naturally remained near the door, amusing myself by observing what was passing in the street. Presently, a fine horse arrested my eye, as he came prancing along. His rider seemed to have some ado to control him, as I thought, at first, but I suddenly became aware that he was endeavoring to stop him, in mid career, and that, when he succeeded—he—I—there was no mistaking it—his glance almost petrified me, in short, and I had only just power to turn quickly in search of Mrs. M——."
The slight form of the speaker quivered visibly, and she paused abruptly.
"Why, my poor child," said I, soothingly, "never mind it! How can you allow such a thing to distress you in this way?"
"If anything of the kind had ever happened to me before, I should have thought it my fault, in some way; but when I got back to our hotel, and reviewed the whole matter, and—but there come the rest of the party"—she added, hurriedly. "Do you wonder now at my manner at the dinner? I knew his face the moment the man entered the dining room; and when Mr. M—— introduced him, and requested him to conduct me, the burning glow that flashed over his swarthy brow convinced me that he, too, recognized me. I would sooner have encountered a basilisk than your elegant, parliamentary Frenchman!"
"Doctor, what may I eat?" inquired a dyspeptic American, who had just received a prescription from Abernethy—the eccentric and celebrated English physician.
"Eat?" thundered the disciple of Galen, "the poker and tongs, if you will chew them well!"