"Your speech is unbridled and
unseemly. I am not worthy to be likened to that holy man of old, for
whose sake the Lord well nigh saved Sodom, nor am I placed in so sore
a strait. You spoke of nothing worse than kissing. The girl will not
be the worse, I trow, for a buss or two. Women are not so mighty
tender. So long as girls like not the kissing, be sure t'will do them
no harm, eh, Desire?" and he pinched her arm.
She snatched it away, and rushing across the room, threw herself upon
the settle, with her face in the cushion.
"Pish!" said her father, peevishly, "she grudges a kiss to save her
father from disgrace and ruin. It is a sinful, proud wench!"
"Proud!" echoed the girl, raising her tear-stained face from the
cushion and sitting up. "I was proud, but I'm not any more. All the
rabble are welcome to kiss me, seeing my father thinks it no matter."
"Pshaw, child, what a coil about a kiss or two, just because the
fellow smells a little, maybe, of the barn! Can't you wash your face
after? Take soap to 't, and save your tears. Bless me! you shall hide
in the garret after this, but for my part, I shall still treat the
fellow civilly, for he holds us, as it were, in the hollow of his
hand," and he went into the store in a pet.
Pages:
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326