Bressant

"He's stopped here--speaking to somebody--father, I believe; he's

coming in--there! do you hear?" cried Cornelia, turning round with large

eyes and her finger at her mouth, and speaking in a thrilling whisper.

The sound of the quick, irregular tread of Mr. Bressant, following the

professor into the study, was audible from below.

"Who can he be?" resumed she presently, as Sophie said nothing.

"If he's a gentleman, we don't need to know any more, do we?" replied

her sister, from behind her sewing.

"Well, he is one," rejoined Cornelia, uncertain whether she was being

made fun of or not. "He was dressed like one; not bandboxy, you know,

but nicely and easily; and he stands and moves well; and then his

face--"

"Is he handsome?" asked Sophie, as Cornelia paused.

"Oh! he has that refined look--I can't describe it--better than

handsome," said she, giving a little wave with her hand to carry out her

meaning.

"It's lucky he was so big," remarked Sophie, very innocently, "or you

might not have been able to see so much of him in such a little time."

"Sophie!" said Cornelia, after a silence of some moments, speaking with

tragic deliberation, "you're making fun of me; I think you're very

unkind. I don't see what there is to laugh at in what I said; and if

there was any thing, I think you might not laugh."

"O Neelie--dear Neelie!" exclaimed Sophie, coloring with regret and

shame; "I didn't think you'd mind it; it was only my foolishness. Don't

think I meant to be unkind to you, dear. I wish the man had never come

here, whoever he is, if he is to come between us in any way. Won't you

forgive me, darling?" and she held out her hand to Cornelia with a

wistful, beseeching look in her eyes that thawed her sister's resentment

immediately, and after a very brief struggle to preserve her dignity,

she subsided with her face upon the pillow beside her sister's.

"We won't ever quarrel or any thing again, will we, Sophie?" said she,

after a while.

"Never about that gentleman, at all events!" answered Sophie; and then

they both laughed and kissed each other to seal the bargain.

Once, long afterward, Cornelia remembered that kiss, and the words that

had accompanied it; and pondered over the bitter significance with which

the simple act and playful agreement had become fraught.

But now, the subject was soon forgotten, and they fell to talking about

the dresses once more; nor was the topic by any means exhausted when

they were interrupted by the professor's voice calling to them from

below.