Читать книгу Three Bright Girls. A Story of Chance and Mischance онлайн

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"Good gracious!" exclaims Doris with wide-open eyes, "was that to take the old lady's attention from off you?"

"Well, yes and no," says Colonel Danvers taking up a pear and slowly peeling it with great nicety; "but the fact is I didn't wait to see, for the much ill-used lady, on receiving what she thought to be an insult added to the injury she had sustained, flew, so to speak, at this gentleman, one Major Carpenter; and seeing that for the moment my very existence was forgotten, I must confess that I was cowardly enough to slip out of my place unperceived and into the hall, where a good-natured young footman, who had seen the whole thing, I suppose, opened the library door, remarking as he did so, 'There's a nice fire in here, sir.' You see, I couldn't go into the drawing-room when even the ladies had not left the table."

"Poor old lady!" says Doris, cracking nuts perseveringly; "she must have been put out with such outrageous behaviour on the part of two gentlemen. Now, don't you think so?"