The Last of the Foresters: Or, Humors on the Border; A story of the Old Virginia FrontierCooke, John Esten
General
The Last of the Foresters: Or, Humors on the Border; A story of the Old Virginia Frontier
Cooke, John Esten
Frontier and pioneer life -- Fiction; Virginia -- Fiction
History and tradition--from which, with the assistance of imagination,
(nothing unusual,) our veritable narrative is drawn--history affords
us no information in regard to what occurred at this interview between
Mr. Jinks and Miss Sallianna.
That the interview would have been terrific, full of reproaches,
drowned in tears, objurgations, and jealous ravings, is certainly no
more than the words of Mr. Jinks would have led an impartial listener
to believe. But Mr. Jinks was deep--knew women, as he often said, as
well as need be--and therefore it is not at all improbable that the
jealous ravings and other ceremonies were, upon reflection, omitted
by Mr. Jinks, as in themselves unnecessary and a waste of time. The
reader may estimate the probabilities, pro and con, for himself.
Whatever doubt exists, however, upon the subject of this
interview--its character and complexion--no doubt at all can possibly
attach to the picturesque denouement which we have referred to in the
last lines of our last chapter.
Mr. Jinks was on his knees before the beautiful Sallianna.
The girls and their companions saw it--distinctly, undoubtedly,
without possibility of mistake; finally, hearing the sound of
footsteps on the graveled walks, Mr. Jinks turned his head, and saw
that they saw him!
It was a grand spectacle which at that moment they beheld: Mr. Jinks
erect before his rival and his foes--Mr. Jinks with his hand upon his
sword--Mr. Jinks with stern resolve and lofty dignity in his form and
mien.
"Sir," said Mr. Jinks to Ralph, "I am glad to see you--!"
"And I am delighted, my dear Jinks!" returned Ralph.
"A fine day, sir!"
"A glorious day!"
"A heavy storm."
"Tremendous!"
"Wet?"
"Very!"
And Ralph wrung the water out of his falling cuff.
"I say, though," said he, "things seem to have been going on very
tranquilly here."
"Sir?"
"Come, old fellow!" don't be ashamed of--"
"What, sir! _I_ ashamed?"
"Of kneeling down--you know."
And Ralph, smiling confidentially, made significant signs over his
shoulder toward Miss Sallianna, who had withdrawn with blushing
diffidence to the other end of the portico, and was gently waving her
fan as she gazed upon the sunset.
"The fact is, I was arranging her shoe-bow," said Mr. Jinks.
"Oh!" said Ralph, "gammon,"
"Sir?"
"You were courting her."
"Courting!"
"Ah--you deny it! Well, let us see!"
And to Mr. Jinks' profound consternation he raised his voice, and
said, laughing:
"Tell me, Miss Sallianna, if my friend Jinks has not been courting
you?"
"Oh, sir!" cried Miss Sallianna, in a flutter.
"Did you say, no?" continued Ralph, pretending to so understand the
lady; "very well, then, I may advise you, my dear Jinks, not to do
so."
"Do what, sir?"
"Court Miss Sallianna."
"Why not, sir?" cried Mr. Jinks, bristling up.
"Because you would have no chance."
"No chance, sir!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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