Single women -- Fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
"Of course. I see you think it wouldn't be safe. Girls just can't help
telling, to save their lives. Sometimes they don't intend to, and then
it's bad enough. But sometimes they do it just to be mean, and you can't
help yourself. I have plenty of confidence in you though, and you don't
look as if you'd be easily shocked. You look as though you could tell a
good deal if you wanted to. You're an awfully comfortable sort of a
person. Now, let me tell you. I have two offers. One is from Clinton
Frost, and the other is from Jack Whitehouse. You have seen me with Mr.
Frost, haven't you? A dark, fierce, melancholy man, with black eyes and
hair, and very distinguished looking.
"I think he has a history. He throws out hints that way. He is gloomy with
everybody but me, and Brian will do nothing but joke with him. There is
nothing Mr. Frost dislikes as much as to laugh or to see other people
laugh. Brian calls him 'Pet's nightmare,' and threatens to give him ink to
drink.
"I believe Mr. Frost hates Brian. He says the name of our yacht, _Hittie
Magin_, is unspeakably vulgar. Nothing pleases Brian more than to force
Mr. Frost or Grace to tell strangers the name of it. Their mere speaking
the words throws Brian into convulsions of laughter. Then, if people
comment on it, he tells them that the name is of his wife's selection, in
deference to his Irish family. And Grace almost faints with mortification.
Mr. Frost says he will give me a yacht twice as good as Brian's. He adores
me. He says I am the only thing in life which makes him smile."
I felt that I could sympathize with Mr. Frost on this point.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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