England -- Fiction; Husband and wife -- Fiction; Indiana -- Fiction; Marriage -- Fiction; Mate selection -- Fiction
"Now, keep your match-making hands off Indiana," he said, rising and
throwing down the paper. "I won’t have it. If she marries away from
us, it will break her mother’s heart. If I thought you had any such
schemes in your head—"
"Wouldn’t you like to see Indiana Lady Canning?" she asked sweetly.
"No!" exclaimed Stillwater decidedly. "My girl’s a good, little Yankee
and she shan’t emigrate." He passed up and down the balcony, talking
excitedly. "Yes, there’s rich emigrants and poor emigrants—and it’s
leaving your country, bag and baggage. England’s got the flower of our
women already, and of course, now the men are following suit."
"You talk like a backwood’s man," said Mrs. Bunker, contemptuously.
"You’ve never been abroad."
"No. You can do the globe-trotting for the family. Is there anything
better than this—in Europe?" He gave a comprehensive sweep of his head
toward the lake and the woods. "Those Englishmen are wild over the
place." Mrs. Bunker folded her arms patiently, while he continued his
restless promenade. "Hit me between the eyes with the Jungfrau—what’s
the matter with the Rockies? All the snow I want—there. Where can you
see another Niagara or a Yellowstone Park—or a stretch of balsam woods,
like we have here in the Adirondacks—or a—"
"My dear Horatio," interrupted Mrs. Bunker, "your spread-eagleism is
wasted on me. You can be sure of one thing—when Indiana marries, we
won’t be consulted. She’ll please herself—"
Mr. Stillwater brought his hand down on the railing. "She can have
anything the world affords—but I won’t buy her a title!"
Mrs. Bunker swept inside, laughing good humoredly. Seating herself by
the fire in the hall, she took up a square of chamois upon which she was
embroidering the head of an Indian chief, in full war-paint.
"The others not back yet?" asked Glen, entering presently. "They’re
making a day of it." He placed the gun he carried in a corner of the
hall and threw himself into a chair by the fire. "Those Englishmen are
having the time of their lives. Lord Canning monopolizes Indiana,
without considering whether it’s agreeable to her—"
"She’s not the kind to sacrifice herself, Glen," said Mrs. Bunker,
smiling, and setting colored stones among the feathers on the forehead
of the Indian chief.
Glen stared into the fire.
"I think they’ve been here quite long enough."
"You’re jealous," said Mrs. Bunker, laughing.
He looked at her with kindled eyes. "I am," he answered. "I confess
it—horribly jealous!"
Again Mrs. Bunker laughed.
"You don’t take me seriously, Mrs. Bunker."
"That’s the trouble. I’m trying to laugh you out of this thing for your
own good." She laid down her work and looked at him sympathizingly.
"Yes, I know you mean all right by me," he said with a sigh which was
almost a sob. "But you needn’t try to laugh me out of it—you can’t do
that."
"My dear Glen, you’re making it very hard for your yourself! Take my
advice for once."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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