Nor would she have known what to say to him. Old
Mr. Belamour in the dark was a very different matter, and she had
probably had an escape from much awkwardness.
Molly received her with her favourite exclamation: "Lawk, miss, and
who do you think have been here?"
"Jumbo told me, Molly."
"Ain't he a perfect pictur of a man? And such a gentleman! He gave
me a whole goolden guinea for my good care of his little sisters, and
says he: 'Their father shall hear of them, and what little ladies
they be.'"
"I am glad they behaved themselves prettily."
"Yes, that they did, ma'am. It was good luck that they had not been
grubbing in their gardens as you lets 'em do, ma'am, but they was all
as clean as a whistle, a picking up horse-chestnuts under the big tree
at the corner of the bowling green, when out on the steps we sees him,
looking more like an angel than a man, in his red coat, and the goold
things on his shoulders, and out he comes! Miss Amy, she was afeard
at first: 'Be the soldiers a coming?' says she, and runs to me; but
Miss Letty, she holds out her arms, and says "It's my papa,' and Miss
Fay, she stood looking without a word. Then when his Honour was in
among them: "My little sisters, my dear little sisters,' says he,
'don't you know me?' and down he goes on one knee in the grass, never
heeding his beautiful white small-clothes, if you'll believe me, miss,
and holds out his arms, and gets Miss Fay into one arm, and Miss
Letty into t'other, and then Miss Amy runs up, and he kisses them
all.
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