122 THE STORY OF A BLUE VEIL.
my Tony. I intend to marry her myself, one of these days."
“ Redwood! ” I exclaimed, angrily; but he ran off laughing.
Mr. Fauntleroy laughed, too.
"Redwood is a sharp-sighted boy," he said.
I left my chair, and moved toward the nearest window, feeling provoked and mortified with both Redwood and myself. As for Mr. Fauntleroy, I hated him worse than ever.
He stopped me before I had taken three steps.
"Stay one minute," he said. "Is the idea that I am in love with you so very disagreeable?"
"Please let me pass, Mr. Fauntleroy?"
"Tell me first."
"It is very disagreeable, then. I don't like you."
There was so much pettishness in this reply that he only seemed amused.
"I like you very much as it happens, and I intend that you shall like me."
"You cannot force me"
"Yes, I shall force you, if necessary. You had much better promise me frankly to try."
"Indeed, I shall do no such thing. Don't teaze me any more, Mr. Fauntleroy. I wish to go. "
"You shall go, little girl. Good-night!"
"Are you not coming in again?"
"Yes; but I want to bid you good-night here."
And before I could prevent him, he had pressed two or three quick kisses on my hand.
I felt the blood rush into my face, and I tried to withdraw my hand , but he held it closely within his arm till we reached the dancing room; and then, slipping his arm around my waist, whirled me off in a waltz without giving me a chance to refuse.
The ball was over. The musicians packed their instruments in odd, gloomy- looking boxes, or swathed them in green-baize bags, and departed. The ball - room was strewed with bits of ribbon, lace, and withered bouquets ; and the toys, false-faces, flags, bells, and countless little things that are used in a German cotillion were piled together in most perplexing confusion . The supper-room was a most dismal and dreary spectacle ; and for the rest of the house, below stairs, you could scarcely move without stumbling over saucers of melted ices, glasses of Roman punch, or plates of salad.
Our little family- party were glad to bid each other good-night, or rather good-morning, for the day had begun to break, and betake thenselves to bed. For myself, I found it impossible to sleep, for, try as I would to think of some- thing else, my thoughts would revert to Mr. Fauntleroy, and I found myself repeating, over and over again , everything he had said. He had said very little, to be sure ; but after Redwood's speech, and after those eager kisses on my hand- my face grew hot when I recalled them- everything had a significance to me.
Is it not a very odd thing that a girl may know a man for months, see him constantly, yet never give him a second thought? But let some one put it into her head that he is in love with her, when voila! she can think of nothing else; and, ten to one, she will like him from that minute.
One may not absolutely love: but a woman cannot help having a certain tendresse for a man who is in love with her.
Several days passed without our seeing Mr. Fauntleroy. I looked for him vainly on the crowded Avenue, and was secretly a little disappointed when evening after evening slipped by without his making his appearance.
Redwood had taken it into his head to he jealous- and very disagreeable he made himself in consequence. After having considered Mr. Fauntleroy's attentions to me a good joke, he suddenly took a fancy that I was " smitten," as he elegantly expressed it--and from that moment I had no peace. He worried and fumed, and followed me wherever I went, till I heartily wished Master Redwood could be induced to bestow a portion of his time upon some of his numerous inamoratas.
One morning my aunt came to me with a note in her hand. "From Mr. Fauntleroy,” she explained, giving it to me. "He has been in New York for the last fortnight.”
The note was an invitation for us all to spend the next evening with him, and a request to my aunt to matronize the party and receive his guests.
"You will go, I hope, Antoinette, and not let your absurd dislike to Mr. Fauntleroy interfere?"
“Yes, aunt, I will go. " I replied , and was rather ashamed of the pleasure the invitation had given me.
Redwood at first declared that he would not go to that "prigs" house; and reproached me for having been weak enough to accept.
"But what else is to be expected of a girl ?" he exclaimed, in deep scorn. "After declaring you hated the man, you turn about and fall in love with him- though I did think better of you, Tony."
"Now, Redwood, you know you are making yourself very absurd," I said, severely.
