All along the streets the people crowded the windows and stared at the
amazing twins. Troops of small boys flocked after the buggy, excited and
yelling. At first the dogs showed no interest. They thought they merely
saw three men in a buggy--a matter of no consequence; but when they
found out the facts of the case, they altered their opinion pretty
radically, and joined the boys, expressing their minds as they came.
Other dogs got interested; indeed, all the dogs. It was a spirited sight
to see them come leaping fences, tearing around corners, swarming out
of every bystreet and alley. The noise they made was something beyond
belief--or praise. They did not seem to be moved by malice but only by
prejudice, the common human prejudice against lack of conformity. If the
twins turned their heads, they broke and fled in every direction, but
stopped at a safe distance and faced about; and then formed and came
on again as soon as the strangers showed them their back. Negroes and
farmers' wives took to the woods when the buggy came upon them suddenly,
and altogether the drive was pleasant and animated, and a refreshment
all around.
[It was a long and lively drive. Angelo was a Methodist, Luigi was
a Free-thinker. The judge was very proud of his Freethinkers'
Society, which was flourishing along in a most prosperous way and
already had two members--himself and the obscure and neglected
Pudd'nhead Wilson. It was to meet that evening, and he invited
Luigi to join; a thing which Luigi was glad to do, partly because it
would please himself, and partly because it would gravel Angelo.]
They had now arrived at the widow's gate, and the excursion was ended.
The twins politely expressed their obligations for the pleasant outing
which had been afforded them; to which the judge bowed his thanks, and
then said he would now go and arrange for the Free-thinkers' meeting,
and would call for Count Luigi in the evening.
“For you also, dear sir,” he added hastily, turning to Angelo and
bowing. “In addressing myself particularly to your brother, I was not
meaning to leave you out. It was an unintentional rudeness, I assure
you, and due wholly to accident--accident and preoccupation. I beg you
to forgive me.”
His quick eye had seen the sensitive blood mount into Angelo's face,
betraying the wound that had been inflicted. The sting of the slight had
gone deep, but the apology was so prompt, and so evidently sincere, that
the hurt was almost immediately healed, and a forgiving smile testified
to the kindly judge that all was well again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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