Will you
give me your blessing, father?"
"I shall certainly go, my dear child--meanwhile, pray for me," said
Father Fabian, as she rose up from receiving his blessing.
"Will you pray for my uncle's conversion, father? and, oh! I had almost
forgotten! My cousin has arrived; shall I bring her to see you soon?"
said May, standing at the door.
"Whenever you please to;" and May went away, feeling quite happy.
Mr. Stillinghast had not forgotten May's refusal to explain the cause of
her appearance, the day before, on the wharf; and being determined to
discover it, he stopped, on his way down to his counting-house, at the
wood-yard office, and inquired "if a young lady had been in there to
purchase wood yesterday?"
"Well, sir, I hardly know how to reply to your question;--but I believe
there were several young ladies in here to buy wood yesterday," said the
young man, looking highly amused.
"But there was one who came with old Copeland; she had on a purple merino
dress--and--something, I don't know what else she had on," said Mr.
Stillinghast, _feeling_ ridiculous.
"Was she very small, sir, with bright hazel eyes?"
"I know nothing about the color of her eyes, but she's something higher
than my walking stick," replied the irascible old man.
"The same, sir. _She_ came with Mr. Copeland; and if her eyes didn't
make me dance in and out, it's a wonder!" observed the clerk.
"Well, what in the deuce did she want here?"
"She bought a quarter of a cord of oak wood, and paid for it!"
"What did _she_ want with oak wood?" cried Mr.
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