"
"You have none?" he said, fixing his mild eyes reproachfully upon his
clergyman, who winced a little beneath the gaze. "Then if you have no
intentions, my advice to you is, that you quit it and let the gal
alone, or you'll ruin her, if she ain't sp'ilt already, as some of the
women folks say she is. It don't do no gal any good to have a chap,
and specially a minister, gallyvantin' after her, as I must say you've
been after this one for the last few weeks. She's a pretty little
creature, and I don't blame you for liking her. It makes my old blood
stir faster when she comes purring around me with her soft ways and
winsome face, and so I don't wonder at you; but when you say you've no
intentions, I blame you greatly. You orter have--excuse my plainness.
I'm an old man who likes my minister, and don't want him to go wrong,
and then I feel for her, left alone by all her folks--more's the shame
to them, and more's the harm for you to tangle up her affections, as
you are doing, if you are not in earnest; and I speak for her just as
I should want some one to speak for Anna."
The old man's voice trembled a little here, for it had been a wish of
his that Anna should occupy the rectory, and he had at first felt a
little resentment against the gay young creature who seemed to have
supplanted her; but he was over that now, and in all honesty of heart
he spoke both for Lucy's interest and that of his clergyman.
Pages:
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87