wishMarkwasalittledifferent;Idon’tlikehiscarelessways!
Headmiresme,Icantellone;thatbythewayhelooks,butheadmireshimselfjustasmuch,andexpectsmetodothesame;
still,Isupposenoneofthemareperfect,andgirlshavetoforgivelotsoflittlethingswhentheyareengaged。Mothermusthaveforgivenagoodmanythingswhenshetookfather。Anyway,Markisgoingawayforamonthonbusiness,soIshan’thavetomakeupmymindjustyet!\"Heresleepdescendedupontheslightlypuzzled,butonthewholedelightfullycomplacent,littlecreature,bringinghermostalluringanduntrustworthydreams。
Thedearinnocenthad,indeed,noneedofhaste!YoungMr。
MarquisdeLafayetteWilson,Markforshort,wasnotintheleastagaydeceiverorruthlessbreakerofhearts,and,sofarasknown,noscalpsofvillagebeautieswerehungtohisbelt。Hewasalikable,light—weightyoungchap,asindolentandpleasure—lovingasthestrictcustomsofthecommunitywouldpermit;andakiss,inhismind,mostcertainlyneverwouldleadtothealtar,elsehehadalreadybeenmanytimesabridegroom。MissPatienceBaxter’smaidenmeditationsanduncertaintiesandperplexities,therefore,weredecidedlypremature。Shewasanatural—born,unconsciouslyartistic,highlyexpert,andfinishedcoquette。Shewasallthisatseventeen,andMarkattwenty—fourwasbynomeansamatchforherinthisfieldofeffort,yet!——butsometimes,ingettinghervictimintothenet,thecoquettelosesherbalanceandfallsinherself。Therewasn’tabitofharminMarquisdeLafayette,buthewasextremelyagileinkeepingoutofnets!