In fact she detests me.'
'Oo ses that tom-my-rot?' asked the girl, turning on me almost fiercely.
'Miss Warrington was so excessively rude and abrupt in her manner to me
the other evening,' I explained, 'that I am now convinced she has
suddenly grown to hate me.'
'If you're not as blind as a bat!' commented Elizabeth. 'Can't you see
she's doin' that to 'ide 'er feelings--so that you'll never guess 'ow
'er 'eart is torn an' bleedin' like.'
'Dear me, Elizabeth, do you mean this?' I asked in the utmost concern.
'Sure of it. As a matter o' fact she's more gone on you than ever.
She's got to not eatin' now, so you can guess 'ow bad she is.'
I wiped the gathering moisture from my brow. 'Elizabeth, this is
terrible--it must be stopped. I must discover some way to make Miss
Warrington actually dislike me. In this I hope for your assistance.
You know Miss Warrington much better than I do. You are, no doubt,
acquainted with her likes and prejudices?'
'Not 'arf, I aint,' she said.
Taking this as meaning an affirmative, I continued, 'Perhaps you are
able to tell me what it is about me that attracts her. I have a
plan--I shall do exactly the opposite of what she desires of me.'
'To set her agen you, like,' remarked Elizabeth.
'Exactly.'
She stood for a few moments regarding me with her head on one side.
Had you known her to be capable of it you might almost have imagined
that she was thinking.
Pages:
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94