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At least I am." "And so am I." "And we came to thank you. Didn't we, Compton?" "Yes, Ruperta." "And to ask your advice. How are we to make our parents be friends? Old people will not be advised by young ones. They look down on us so; it is dreadful." "My dear young lady," said Mrs.
"Do you believe in 'Let dogs delight?" "I don't know." "What!" screamed Ruperta. "Oh, you wicked boy! Why, it comes next after the Bible." "Then I do believe it," said Compton, who, to tell the truth, had been merely puzzled by the verb, and was not afflicted with any doubt that the composition referred to was a divine oracle. "Good boy!" said Ruperta, patronizingly.
Maid was for hiding, but Ruperta made a wry face, blushed, and stood her ground. "How can he scold me, when he comes himself?" she whispered. During the sermon, of which, short as it was, I can only afford to give the outline, in crept Compton Bassett, and got within three or four of Ruperta. Finally Sir Charles Bassett came up, in accordance with his promise to Angelo.
The invitation to be masculine did not tempt her a bit; the only thing she put out was her hand, and that she drew in, with a laugh, the moment he threw at it. At this juncture a voice cried, "Ruperta! what are you doing there?" Ruperta made a rapid signal with her hand to Compton, implying that he was to run away; and she herself walked demurely toward the person who had called her.
Now Ruperta had told her mother all; and her mother had not forbidden her to speak to Compton, but had insisted on reserve and discretion. She now told her mother she thought he would not speak to her any more, she had snubbed him so. "Dear me!" said Mrs. Bassett, "why did you do that? Can you not be polite and nothing more?" "No, mamma." "Why not? He is very amiable. Everybody says so." "He is.
But Compton, I'm so sorry your papa and mine are bears and lions. Why doesn't the clergyman scold them?" "Nobody dare scold my papa," said Compton, proudly. Then, after reflection, "Perhaps, when we are older, we may persuade them to make friends. I think it is very stupid to quarrel; don't you?" "As stupid as an owl." "You and I had a quarrel once, Ruperta." "Yes, you misbehaved."
For all that, he was one of the bowlers in the Wolcombe Eleven, whose cricket-ground was the very meadow in which he had erst gathered cowslips with Ruperta Bassett; and he had a canoe, which he carried to adjacent streams, however narrow, and paddled it with singular skill and vigor.
"I can't help it: now you are out, it is rather insipid. There, you see I can pay compliments as well as you." Then she made a graceful inclination and moved away. Compton felt his heart ache at parting. He took a thought and ran quickly to a certain part of the field. Ruperta and her attendant walked very slowly homeward. Compton caught them just at their own gate.
"Well, are you coming?" said Reginald, ironically, "or do you like young women better than old ones?" Compton instantly drew back a little, made two steps, laid his hand on the palings, vaulted over, and followed Reginald. "That's your boy," said Mrs. Bassett. Ruperta made no reply, but began to gulp. "What is the matter, darling?" "The fighting the blood" said Ruperta, sobbing. Mrs.
"Give me a kiss, children," said she. "You have done me a world of good. My own heart often flags on the road, and you have warmed and comforted it. God bless you!" And so they parted. Compton and Ruperta walked homeward. Ruperta was very thoughtful, and Compton could only get monosyllables out of her. This discouraged, and at last vexed him.
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