Page:Orange Grove.djvu/259

 "I never felt so bad in my life," replied she in an earnest, emphatic tone.

"Oh yes you have," said Ernest, in that quiet, significant way of his, the meaning of which Rosalind comprehended, when one of her sudden impulses seized her, and she thrust herself unceremoniously into his lap, pulling one of his curls with such force that he was obliged to interfere in its defence.

Milly laughed at this unexpected turn of affairs and left the room. She had enjoyed the day greatly, and was thinking now how she could appropriate some of its incidents to her novel. Going to her chamber, she found it already occupied by Kate, whose mind was busily manufacturing weddings on a scale to suit herself.

"Now Milly," said Kate after singing a snatch of a song, for she never sung a whole one, "wouldn't it be a capital joke if we could get you married off next. Such a funny thing, if the author of a novel should knock the whole thing in head by gettin' married herself. Ye wouldn't find it quite such a moonshiny affair I reckon, as what ye make it out in your novel. Well now, we are in the business, I want to discribe Sykes' weddin'. That was a most magnificent affair, and would be a mighty takin' thing for your book. But before that I must tell you some of his rencounters with miskeeturs, cause you know when a person's married it's just the same as if they was dead. I shouldn't want to bring him up after wards."

"I hope you don't think you are going to impose that thing on me. I never believed there was any