She and I | Page 6

as yourself by this time, my Solon!"
"Yaas; but, my deah fellah, I don't know who you know, you know.
Bai-ey Je-ove! there's Lizzie Dangler. Who's that man she's got in tow,
ah?"
"Hang Lizzie Dangler!" I exclaimed, impatiently. "Can't you answer a
question for once in your life--did you see them, or not?"
"Weally, Lorton," said he, in quite an imploring way, "you needn't get
angwy with a fellah, because he can't tell you what you want to know,
you know! It's weally too hot for that sawt of thing. I didn't see them, I
tell you. I can't say mo-ah than that, can I? You mustn't expect a fellah

to see evwybody. Why, it's seem-plee impawsible!"
His languid drawl exasperated me.
"Oh, bother!" I muttered, sotto voce, but loud enough for him to hear;
and turned away from him angrily, leaving him still standing in his pet
attitude, taking mental stock of all the fast-looking fair ones who might
come under his notice. "Oh, bother?" I am not prepared to assert
positively that I did not use a much stronger expletive. He ought to
have seen them! What the deuce was the use of his sticking star-gazing
there, unless to observe people, I should like to know?
Just fancy, too, his comparing my last madonna, the image and eidolon
of whose witching face filled my heart, to that odious little flirt, Baby
Blake, a young damsel that hawked her tender affections about at the
beck and call of every male biped who might for the moment be
enthralled by her charms! It was like his cool impudence. And then,
again, his asking me his stupid, inane questions, as if I cared what man,
and how many. Lizzie Dangler or any other girl might have "in tow," as
he called it. Idiot! I declare to you I positively hated Horner at that
moment, inoffensive and harmless as he was.
I left the precincts of the church; and, walking along the path by the
fosse, directed my steps towards the Prebend's Walk, hoping to light
upon the object of my quest.
The air was filled with the fragrance of wild flowers and the smell of
the new-mown hay from the adjacent meadows. One heard the buzzing
sound of busy insect life around, and the love-calls of song-birds from
the hedge-rows; while the grateful shade of the lime-grove seemed to
invite repose and suggest peaceful meditation: but I heeded none of
these things. I felt, like the singer of "The Banks and Braes of Bonny
Doon," out of harmony with nature and all its surroundings. My
thoughts were jostling one another in a wild dance through my breast.
Where on earth could they have disappeared so very suddenly! It was
quite inexplicable. I must find them. Himmel! I must see her again. I
felt in a perfect state of frenzy. So excited was I, that, although it was a
broiling hot day in July, I walked along as if I were walking for a wager.

I do not think, by the way, that a very learned and distinguished
philosopher was so very much out in his reckoning after all, when he
laid down the general dogma, that all men are more or less mad. I know,
at all events, that I felt mad enough at this moment, as I was careering
along the Prebend's Walk. I was almost nerved up to desperation.
I was an only child; and my parents being both elderly people, rarely
mixing in society, I could not make use of home influence, as I might
have done if I had had any kind sister to assist me in the way that kind
sisters sometimes can assist their brothers when they fall victims to the
tender passion. Whom should I ask to help me in my strait? I could not
go round everywhere, asking everybody after two ladies dressed in
half-mourning, could I? Not exactly. People might take me for a
maniac at large; and, even should I be one, still, I would naturally wish
to keep my mental derangement to myself. What could I do?
While I was thus perplexing myself with vain imaginings, the
recollection of the Dashers occurred to my mind. How was it that I had
not thought of them before, when they were the very people for my
purpose? Why, not a soul could come into Saint Canon's parish without
their knowledge, and a fresh face in church would set them at once on
the qui vive. The Dashers, of course, must have seen my unknown
ladies, and would be able to give me more information concerning
them than I could expect from any one else. I had often heard three to
one betted, with no "takers," that they would tell you everything about
any