Mr. Brice was not sorry to be left to himself in his utter bewilderment!
Flo, separated from her detrimental uncle, and placed in a convent
school! Tarbox, the obscure pioneer, a shrewd speculator emerging into
success, and taking the uncle's place! And all this within that month
which he had wasted with absurd repinings. How feeble seemed his own
adventure and advancement; how even ludicrous his pretensions to any
patronage and superiority. How this common backwoodsman had set him in
his place as easily as SHE had evaded the advances of the journalist and
Heckshill! They had taught him a lesson; perhaps even the sending back
of his handkerchief was part of it! His heart grew heavy; he walked to
the window and gazed out with a long sigh.
A light laugh, that might have been an echo of the one which had
attracted him that night in Tarbox's cabin, fell upon his ear. He turned
quickly to meet Flora Dimwood's laughing eyes shining upon him as she
stood in the doorway.
Many a time during that month he had thought of this meeting--had
imagined what it would be like--what would be his manner towards
her--what would be her greeting, and what they would say. He would be
cold, gentle, formal, gallant, gay, sad, trustful, reproachful, even as
the moods in which he thought of her came to his foolish brain. He would
always begin with respectful seriousness, or a frankness equal to her
own, but never, never again would he offend as he had offended under the
buckeyes! And now, with her pretty face shining upon him, all his plans,
his speeches, his preparations vanished, and left him dumb. Yet he moved
towards her with a brief articulate something on his lips,--something
between a laugh and a sigh,--but that really was a kiss, and--in point
of fact--promptly folded her in his arms.
Yet it was certainly direct, and perhaps the best that could be done,
for the young lady did not emerge from it as coolly, as unemotionally,
nor possibly as quickly as she had under the shade of the buckeyes. But
she persuaded him--by still holding his hand--to sit beside her on the
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