They came, and went--
'Their hold was frail, their stay was brief,
Restless, and quick to pass away'--
while she remains," replied Case. "Bart seems to be a new inspiration,
and she is as gay and lively as a spring butterfly."
"And worth forty young flirts," observed Ransom.
"Oh, come, boys!" cried Bart, "hold up. Miss Giddings is an attractive
woman, full of accomplishment and goodness--"
"And experience," put in Case.
"Who permits me to enjoy her society sometimes," continued Bart. "The
benefit and pleasure are wholly mine, and I can't consent to hear her
spoken of so lightly."
"Bart is right, as usual," said Case, gravely; "and I don't know of
anything more unmanly than the way we young men habitually talk of
women."
"Except the way they talk of us," said Kennedy.
"You would expect a lady to speak in an _un_manly way," remarked Bart.
"Of course, if we are ever spoken of by them, it is in our absence;
but I'll venture that they seldom speak of us at all, and then in
ignorance of our worst faults. We are not likely to receive injustice
at their hands."
"Bart, you must always have been lucky," said Ransom.
"I am doing my best not to be conceited and vain, and find it
confounded hard work," was the frank, good-natured reply.
CHAPTER XL.
THE DISGUISE.
Mrs. Ridgeley received the following:
"JEFFERSON, June 8, 1838.
"_Dear Mother_:--A strange thing has happened to me, for which I am
indebted to Henry; indeed, I am destined to trade upon his capital.
Pages:
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279