How Miss Sharp lay awake, thinking, will he come or not to-morrow? need

not be told here. To-morrow came, and, as sure as fate, Mr. Joseph

Sedley made his appearance before luncheon. He had never been known

before to confer such an honour on Russell Square. George Osborne was

somehow there already (sadly "putting out" Amelia, who was writing to

her twelve dearest friends at Chiswick Mall), and Rebecca was employed

upon her yesterday's work. As Joe's buggy drove up, and while, after

his usual thundering knock and pompous bustle at the door, the

ex-Collector of Boggley Wollah laboured up stairs to the drawing-room,

knowing glances were telegraphed between Osborne and Miss Sedley, and

the pair, smiling archly, looked at Rebecca, who actually blushed as

she bent her fair ringlets over her knitting. How her heart beat as

Joseph appeared--Joseph, puffing from the staircase in shining creaking

boots--Joseph, in a new waistcoat, red with heat and nervousness, and

blushing behind his wadded neckcloth. It was a nervous moment for all;

and as for Amelia, I think she was more frightened than even the people

most concerned.

Sambo, who flung open the door and announced Mr. Joseph, followed

grinning, in the Collector's rear, and bearing two handsome nosegays of

flowers, which the monster had actually had the gallantry to purchase

in Covent Garden Market that morning--they were not as big as the

haystacks which ladies carry about with them now-a-days, in cones of

filigree paper; but the young women were delighted with the gift, as

Joseph presented one to each, with an exceedingly solemn bow.

"Bravo, Jos!" cried Osborne.

"Thank you, dear Joseph," said Amelia, quite ready to kiss her brother,

if he were so minded. (And I think for a kiss from such a dear

creature as Amelia, I would purchase all Mr. Lee's conservatories out

of hand.) "O heavenly, heavenly flowers!" exclaimed Miss Sharp, and smelt them

delicately, and held them to her bosom, and cast up her eyes to the

ceiling, in an ecstasy of admiration. Perhaps she just looked first

into the bouquet, to see whether there was a billet-doux hidden among

the flowers; but there was no letter.

"Do they talk the language of flowers at Boggley Wollah, Sedley?" asked

Osborne, laughing.

"Pooh, nonsense!" replied the sentimental youth. "Bought 'em at

Nathan's; very glad you like 'em; and eh, Amelia, my dear, I bought a

pine-apple at the same time, which I gave to Sambo. Let's have it for

tiffin; very cool and nice this hot weather." Rebecca said she had

never tasted a pine, and longed beyond everything to taste one.

So the conversation went on. I don't know on what pretext Osborne left

the room, or why, presently, Amelia went away, perhaps to superintend

the slicing of the pine-apple; but Jos was left alone with Rebecca, who

had resumed her work, and the green silk and the shining needles were

quivering rapidly under her white slender fingers.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024