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Updated: June 13, 2025
On Monday morning I was in the garden at sunrise. Toddie was to carry his expiatory bouquet to Miss Mayton that day, and I proposed that no pains should be spared to make his atonement as handsome as possible. I canvassed carefully every border, bed, and detached flowering plant until I had as accurate an idea of their possibilities as if I had inventoried the flowers in pen and ink.
At any rate, I fancied I could arrange flowers to the taste of any lady whose face I had ever seen; and for Alice Mayton I would make something so superb that her face could not help lighting up when she beheld it.
This he succeeded in doing, but as Miss Mayton thanked him and stooped to kiss him he wriggled off the piazza like a little eel, shouted, "Tum on!" to his brother, and a moment later my nephews were following the "cutter-grass" at a respectful distance in the rear. "Those are my sister's best children in the world, Miss Mayton," said I.
And Alice strolled down to the gate with her to say good-by; and they had so much to talk about that Helen walked Alice nearly to our house, and then insisted on her coming the rest of the way so she might be driven home. And then Mike was sent back with a note to say to Mrs. Mayton that her daughter had been prevailed upon to stay to evening dinner, but would be sent home under capable escort.
Mayton, whose only son had died fifteen years before, raised her head and adopted me in the manner peculiar to mothers, while Alice burst into tears and kissed us both. A few moments later, as three happy people were occupying conventional attitudes, and trying to compose faces which should bear the inspection of whoever might happen into the parlor, Mrs. Mayton observed:
As she stooped to kiss him, he wriggled off like a little eel, shouted "Tum on!" to his brother, and a moment later both were following the lawn-mower at a respectful distance. "Bless the little darlings!" said Miss Mayton. "I do love to see children enjoying themselves!" We settled down to a pleasant chat about books, pictures, music, and the gossip of our set.
Have I not lost my right hand, the sunbeam of my house, my sweet, little, mischievous, pretty, fidgety Gatty," and he raised his eyes reverently to heaven, as if to invoke a blessing on his lost child; and this was Gatty's Father, who had left his court, and had come down purposely with Sir Walter Mayton to consult on the best mode of discovering the lost party, and taking the advice of all those nearly and dearly interested in them.
Suddenly a small shadow came from behind us and stood between us, and the voice of Budge remarked: "Uncle Harry 'spects you, Miss Mayton." "Suspects me? of what, pray?" exclaimed the lady, patting my nephew's cheek. "Budge!" said I I feel that my voice rose nearly to a scream "Budge, I must beg of you to respect the sanctity of confidential communications."
After the benediction, Budge was the recipient of a great deal of attention, during the confusion of which I embraced the opportunity to say to Miss Mayton: "Do you still sustain my sister in her opinion of my nephews, Miss Mayton?" "I think they're too funny for anything," replied the lady, with great enthusiasm. "I DO wish you would bring them to call upon me.
We were to shape our course so as to fall in with the Esperanza, which we did in about ten days. During those days fancy alone can paint the innumerable questions asked, the pang and half fear ere they were answered. We lived a life time, it seemed, in those ten days. We submissively struck our colours, and ere long were boarded by my brother and Sir Walter Mayton.
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