Better still, I can laughingly allude to
my own prior claim--suggest that I feel hurt at being distanced and left
out in the cold by that demure little younger sister of mine! Oh, yes!"
exclaimed Cornelia, clapping her hands together, "that will cap the
climax; what fun!"
Here the tea-bell rang. Cornelia put her hand on the door-handle.
"Of course, nobody could help loving Sophie--such a dear, simple, good
little thing! and why not he as well as any one else? and, of course, in
that case, Sophie must think that she loved him back--thought it her
duty, too, perhaps! Nobody was to blame."
"But he was mine first!" she whispered to her heart, again and again,
and she found a disastrous solace in each repetition. She flung open the
door, and ran down-stairs with a light step, a smiling face, and a
fierce, tight heart.
CHAPTER XXII.
LOCKED UP.
Bressant's health was now sufficiently established to warrant his moving
back to Abbie's. Not that he was particularly anxious to go, but he had
no pretext for staying, and his engagement to Sophie was a reason in
etiquette why he should not. Accordingly, about a week after Cornelia's
arrival, such of his books and other property as had been sent to him
from the boarding-house were packed in a box, which was hoisted in to
the back of the wagon; he and Professor Valeyon mounted the seat, and,
with Dolly between the shafts, they set out for the village.
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