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Updated: June 20, 2025
This is the twelfth Christmas I've spent at home, and I assure you I quite look forward to it: that's a confession, eh? from one who has sailed under Nelson and smelt powder in his time." The boy knew that he must be listening to the Touch-me-not, whose keelson came from an old line-of-battle ship. "To be sure," the voice went on graciously, "a great deal depends on one's company."
Mingled with these grow, lower, the spiraeas, white and pink, yellow touch-me-not, fresh white arrowhead, bright blue vervain and skullcap, dull snakehead, gay monkey-flower, coarse eupatoriums, milk-weeds, golden-rods, asters, thistles, and a host beside.
"As a friend, of course," he echoed vaguely, still with the meaningless smile on his face. "I b'lieve she means to be a good 'ooman; but she's listenin' to 'en. Now, I've got 'en a ship up to Runcorn. He shan't sail the Touch-me-not no more. 'Tis a catch for 'en a nice barquentine, five hundred tons. Between this an' then there's danger, and 'tis for you to settle how to act."
It was not as if she were really embarrassed or confused, it came simply from that kind of physical sensitiveness which causes the closing of leaves in those plants we call "touch-me-not." At this precise instant Roger, ready for dinner, came out on to the landing.
She was so well made, and her head so beautifully set upon her shoulders, that it was impossible for her to be awkward. Her uncovered head with its wealth of hair shone with a kind of radiance when she passed under any lamp-post. Her lips were finely set, and she glanced scornfully and with a sort of touch-me-not air at any man or woman who happened to look at her with admiration.
"You do him injustice," said Fleda, colouring; "you do not know him, Charlton." "You do?" "Much better than that." "And he is not one of the most touch-me-not pieces of English birth and wealth that ever stood upon their own dignity?" "Not at all!" said Fleda; "how people may be misunderstood! he is one of the most gentle and kind persons I ever saw." "To you!" "To everybody that deserves it."
So I went to one of those bookcases and pulled out a touch-me-not book from behind the glass door. Then I sat down and read till the supper-bell rang. Father was five minutes late to supper. I don't know whether he looked at me or not. I didn't dare to look at him until Aunt Jane said, in her chilliest manner: "I trust your daughter had good lessons, Charles." I had to look at him then.
Over his tender-heartedness, as I saw him in the old days, played delicious eccentricities, phosphorescent, fitful, touch-me-not antics of feeling. I was glad to meet the long glance of his gray, dazzling eyes, lowered gracefully at last. The gaze seemed to pass through me to the wall, and beyond even that barrier to the sky at the horizon line.
Next day there came out of that room a new Sylvie or rather a dozen new Sylvies: a flighty witch of a Sylvie who tempted her blindness with rash ventures about the rooms and even out of doors, who laughed at Hugh and led him on, and drew him out to his maddest improvisations, who treated Pete to snubs and tauntings that stung like so many little whips; and again a Sylvie who was still and timid and a trifle furtive, who rarely spoke, but sat with locked hands in an attitude of desperate concentration and seemed to be planning something secret and dangerous; and then there was a haughty, touch-me-not Sylvie; and a Sylvie who mysteriously wept.
But every time the demands of the dance made her choose a partner when it was her woman's right to be chosen! every time she was passed rapidly from hand to hand without even the poor power of choice, Wych Hazel avenged it on herself by the sharpest silent comments; while to her partners, she was proud, and reserved, and brilliant, and generally 'touch-me-not; until they too were desperate with admiration.
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