Page:Life's Handicap - Kipling (1891).djvu/69

 else. "An' what have I done, Miss Shadd," sez I, very bould, plantin' mesilf forninst her, "that ye should not pass the time of day?"

Ye've half-killed rough-rider Dempsey," sez she, her dear blue eyes fillin' up.

May be," sez I. "Was he a friend av yours that saw ye home four times in the fortnight?"

Yes," sez she, but her mouth was down at the corners. "An'—an' what's that to you?" she sez.

Ask Dempsey," sez I, purtendin' to go away.

Did you fight for me then, ye silly man?" she sez, tho' she knew ut all along.

Who else?" sez I, an' I tuk wan pace to the front.

I wasn't worth ut," sez she, fingerin' in her apron,

That's for me to say," sez I. "Shall I say ut?"

Yes," sez she in a saint's whisper, an' at that I explained mesilf; and she tould me what ivry man that is a man, an' many that is a woman, hears wanst in his life.

But what made ye cry at startin', Dinah, darlin'?" sez I.

Your—your bloody cheek," sez she, duckin' her little head down on my sash (I was on duty for the day) an' whimperin' like a sorrowful angil.

'Now a man cud take that two ways. I tuk ut as pleased me best an' my first kiss wid ut. Mother av Innocence! but I kissed her on the tip av the nose an' undher the eye; an' a girl that let's a kiss come tumble-ways like that has never been kissed before. Take note av that, sorr. Thin we wint hand in hand to ould Mother Shadd like two little childher, an' she said 'twas no bad thing, an' ould Shadd nodded behind his pipe, an' Dinah ran away to her own room. That day I throd on rollin' clouds. All earth was too small to hould me. Begad, I