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At that moment Aileen's tongue was suddenly arrested, and, figuratively speaking, Miss Pritty's blood curdled in her veins and her heart ceased to beat, for, without an instant's warning, the woods resounded with a terrific salvo of artillery; grape and canister shot came tearing, hissing, and crashing through the trees, and fierce yells, mingled with fiend-like shrieks, rent the air.
I am going abroad, and may not spend more time with you this evening." "Going abroad!" exclaimed Miss Pritty, in breathless surprise, "where?" "I don't know. To China, Japan, New Zealand, the North Pole anywhere. In fact, I've not quite fixed. Good-bye, dear aunt. Sorry to have seen so little of you. Good-bye." He stooped, printed a gentle kiss between Miss Pritty's wondering eyes, and vanished.
All the way up-stairs, and while they were entering the boudoir, little Miss Pritty's tongue never ceased to vibrate, but when she observed her nephew gazing in surprise at her friend, whose usually calm and self-possessed face was covered with confusion, she stopped suddenly.
To the credit of the timid, and for the encouragement of the weak, we have to add that Miss Pritty likewise became a true heroine! No average individual, male or female, can by any effort of imagination attain to the faintest idea of poor Miss Pritty's horror at the sight of "blood!" "human gore!" particularly. Nevertheless Miss Pritty, encouraged by her friend's example, rose to the occasion.
Mrs Timms went away deeply impressed with Miss Pritty's thoughtful kindness, and the small domestic, shutting the door, indulged in a fit of that species of suppressed laughter which is usually indicated by a series of spurts through the top of the nose and the compressed lips. She was suddenly interrupted by a tap at the knocker.
The sight of her mild innocent face called up a thought. Dozens of other thoughts immediately seized hold of the first thought, and followed it. Mr Hazlit was sometimes, though not often, impulsive. He took Miss Pritty's hand without saying a word, drew her arm within his own, and led her into the cottage.
If a washing-tub had been advertised just then as being A1 at Lloyds' and about to put forth for that region of the earth with every possible convenience on board for the delight of human beings, she would have taken a berth in it at once. We do not intend to inflict Miss Pritty's voyage on our reader.
Two little spots of red appeared for the first time for many weeks on Miss Pritty's cheeks, as she said in a tone of enthusiasm: "What! You not a good comforter? I've a good mind to refuse your invitation, since you dare to insinuate that I could in any degree supplement you in such a matter."
Nay, forgive me, dear," she added, gently, as Miss Pritty's head sank again on her shoulder, with a sob, "I did not mean to hurt your feelings, but really, if you only think of it, our present position demands the utmost resolution, caution, and fortitude of which we are capable; and you know, love, that this shuddering at trifles and imagining of improbabilities will tend to unfit you for action when the time arrives, as it surely will sooner or later, for my father has taken the wisest steps for our deliverance, and, besides, a Greater than my father watches over us."
As if but one piece had been fired the whole broadside burst from the side of the gun-boat, shaking the little vessel violently. Miss Pritty's voice came up responsive with an unearthly yell! "Load!" was instantly ordered, and so quickly was it obeyed that before the enemy were ready with their second volley the gun-boat had charged and fired again, doing great damage.
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