"There was already a Sleeping Beauty in the Wood!"
"Charming!" cried Mrs. Light. "Do you hear that, my dear?"
"When the prince says a brilliant thing, it would be a pity to lose it,"
said the young girl. "Your servant, sir!" And she smiled at him with a
grace that might have reassured him, if he had thought her compliment
ambiguous.
Roderick meanwhile had risen to his feet, and Mrs. Light began to
exclaim on the oddity of their meeting and to explain that the day was
so lovely that she had been charmed with the idea of spending it in the
country. And who would ever have thought of finding Mr. Mallet and Mr.
Hudson sleeping under a tree!
"Oh, I beg your pardon; I was not sleeping," said Rowland.
"Don't you know that Mr. Mallet is Mr. Hudson's sheep-dog?" asked
Christina. "He was mounting guard to keep away the wolves."
"To indifferent purpose, madame!" said Rowland, indicating the young
girl.
"Is that the way you spend your time?" Christina demanded of Roderick.
"I never yet happened to learn what men were doing when they supposed
women were not watching them but it was something vastly below their
reputation.
Pages:
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294