"I should be very sorry to see you suffer martyrdom for me," he said.
"But you make your brother out a regular Turk."
Mrs. Penniman hesitated a little.
"I certainly do not regard Austin as a satisfactory Christian."
"And am I to wait till he is converted?"
"Wait, at any rate, till he is less violent. Bide your time, Mr.
Townsend; remember the prize is great!"
Morris walked along some time in silence, tapping the railings and
gateposts very sharply with his stick.
"You certainly are devilish inconsistent!" he broke out at last. "I
have already got Catherine to consent to a private marriage."
Mrs. Penniman was indeed inconsistent, for at this news she gave a
little jump of gratification.
"Oh! when and where?" she cried. And then she stopped short.
Morris was a little vague about this.
"That isn't fixed; but she consents. It's deuced awkward, now, to
back out."
Mrs. Penniman, as I say, had stopped short; and she stood there with
her eyes fixed brilliantly on her companion.
"Mr. Townsend," she proceeded, "shall I tell you something?
Catherine loves you so much that you may do anything."
This declaration was slightly ambiguous, and Morris opened his eyes.
"I am happy to hear it! But what do you mean by 'anything'?"
"You may postpone--you may change about; she won't think the worse of
you."
Morris stood there still, with his raised eyebrows; then he said
simply and rather dryly--"Ah!" After this he remarked to Mrs.
Pages:
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164