CHAPTER XIII. THE PRIMROSES

ingmeRosaliebrokeoffinthemiddleofasentencetoexclaim,withmaliciousglee— “Oh-ho,MissGrey!you’recomeatlast,areyou?NowonderyoulingeredsolongbehindandnowonderyoualwaysstandupsovigorouslyforMr.WestonwhenIabusehim.Ah-ha!Iseeitallnow!” “Now,come,MissMurray,don’tbefoolish,”saidI,attemptingagood-naturedlaugh“youknowsuchnonsensecanmakenoimpressiononme.” Butshestillwentontalkingsuchintolerablestuff—hersisterhelpingherwithappropriatefictioncoinedfortheoccasion—thatIthoughtitnecessarytosaysomethinginmyownjustification. “Whatfollyallthisis!”Iexclaimed.“IfMr.Weston’sroadhappenedtobethesameasmineforafewyards,andifhechosetoexchangeawordortwoinpassing,whatistheresoremarkableinthat?Iassureyou,Ineverspoketohimbefore:exceptonce.” “Where?where?andwhen?”criedtheyeagerly. “InNancy’scottage.” “Ah-ha!you’vemethimthere,haveyou?”exclaimedRosalie,withexultantlaughter.“Ah!now,Matilda,I’vefoundoutwhyshe’ssofondofgoingtoNancyBrown’s!ShegoestheretoflirtwithMr.Weston.” “Really,thatisnotworthcontradicting—Ionlysawhimthereonce,Itellyou—andhowcouldIknowhewascoming?” IrritatedasIwasattheirfoolishmirthandvexatiousimputations,theuneasinessdidnotcontinuelong:whentheyhadhadtheirlaughout,theyreturnedagaintothecaptainandlieutenantand,whiletheydisputedandcommenteduponthem,myindignationrapidlycooledthecauseofitwasquicklyforgotten,andIturnedmythoughtsintoapleasanterchannel.Thusweproceededupthepark,andenteredthehallandasIascendedthestairstomyownchamber,Ihadbutonethoughtwithinme:myheartwasfilledtooverflowingwithonesingleearnestwish.Havingenteredtheroom,andshutthedoor,Ifelluponmykneesandofferedupaferventbutnotimpetuousprayer:“Thywillbedone,”Istrovetosaythroughoutbut,“Father,allthingsarepossiblewithThee,andmayitbeThywill,”wassuretofollow.Thatwish—thatprayer—bothmenandwomenwouldhavescornedmefor—“But,Father,Thouwiltnotdespise!”Isaid,andfeltthatitwastrue.Itseemedtomethatanother’swelfarewasatleastasardentlyimploredforasmyownnay,eventhatwastheprincipalobjectofmyheart’sdesire.Imighthavebeendeceivingmyselfbutthatideagavemeconfidencetoask,andpowertohopeIdidnotaskinvain.Asfortheprimroses,Ikepttwooftheminaglassinmyroomuntiltheywerecompletelywithered,andthehousemaidthrewthemoutandthepetalsoftheotherIpressedbetweentheleavesofmyBible—Ihavethemstill,andmeantokeepthemalways.