Love Me Little, Love Me Long

e death of her mother, her sole surviving parent, left in the hands of her two trustees, Edward Foun

he should spend half the year with each trustee in

lgette's own house, two years af

acters. In life it is the same. Men and women wo

it is so nice to have some one to pour out

Bazalg

ture too finely organized, ah! to find its happiness in this rough, selfis

call tha

hen he whistles

upon you, you would find Mr. Bazalgette a much great

ar little souls; but those great troubles only come in stories. Give me a friend that can sympathize with the real hourly mortifications of a too sus

her in low and thrilling tones-his eyes, his long hair, his imaginative expressions, his romantic projects of frugal love; how her harsh papa had warned Adonis off the premises; how A

wave of her white and jeweled hand. But the melody disarms this sort of brutal criticism-a woman's voice relating love's young dream; and then the picture-a matron still h

e rage and feminine remonstrance, feet pattering, and a general hullabaloo, cut

efully back, inch by inch, on the ottoman, with a sigh of osten

to the nursery?" cri

rble slab; "you go; cast some of your oil upon those ever-t

alf-past six, had been baptized in church, after which every child becomes, according to polemic divines of the day, "a little soul of Christian fire" until it goes to a public school. And there it straddled, two scarlet che

ct, but flat, in distant corners, avoiding

ked

y boy!"

ruffia

te destination of so sangu

e so glad you are come up; don't

m. This brought her angelic face level with the fallen cherub's

: he dropped his poker and flung hi

YOU. Oh!

now-what is the matter?

g-it's th-them be

smiled at the word and

en nagging

ost in a sob. It was followed by red faces and two

," said Miss Fountain, quietly. "Regi

. "By nagging he m

at had they bee

itical, like certain pedanticules who figure in story as

make it up, and they keep nagging

, dear," said

ut awestruck, holding her hand, and paddling

ition. During these his eyes wandered about the room in search o

lady will ev

I wouldn't let them; you will m

id

entleman ever breaks their word when they say that; you

nother rule that I

is t

rries a gentleman who

don't

d a wife, and took up the poker, she

, d

sho

not want the poker taken

because we are

e are, shall you tu

sible

ment's hesitation), "I'l

hall be afraid until

how good I am now," added he, with se

fended you; mending it is promising me never, never to call

kill

how can you expect po

m said to George the groom that

to hear anythi

one, those two that keep nagging me must be young ones. What do yo

ught you this other vulgar word

at was

and demanded severely of the te

a grain of his respect for her. "Why, he helps in

you if you keep company with gr

ictim, "I'll give up

d. One struggle more; we must go to

we?

ss them-and

mn reflection, he consented, on condition that Lucy

that, because you wil

ou, cousin-a great favor. You see I am so very little, and

own opinio

to grow any older till I catch you up, I shall b

very good age. I will stay there a

you,

not what we h

ond's part against them, when she opened the door. "Nurse, here is a penitent-a you

aft-the dear child-soon up an

hem both hastily; and, this double formula gone through, ran to Miss Fountain and kis

dn't they nag him at short intervals until sunset! But, strong in the contemplation of his future union with C

ow on the table, her hand shading her high, polished forehead; her grave face refl

siness, but, catching sight of so much mind

rbed air, and delivered itself ve

't think-I quite l

s unfor

Baldwin has just sent me word that her mother is dying, and she can't undertake an

, a

e taste than an owl. Wh

nother

other

n your white mousseline de s

ind to wear the jaune, and I will, in spite of them all; that is, if I can find anybody who cares enough for

the fire. You will find it in the large wardrobe

and told the servant to say she was

o crease it, and destruction to let its hem sweep against any of the inferior forms of matter, she came down the stairs and into the ro

dress and lock one of the doors. She now loc

you like

n to tell a story-about a new gown. Wha

ust my word, aunt. This point behind is very

er is, when it comes to the trimming you have to think for yourself. Th

a little plain, for

Foster's of violets and heart's-ease-the bosom and sleeves covered with blond, you know, and caught up here and there with a sma

d viciously; then cam

s the way. Who is there? Go

e you doing?" said through the keyhole the wre

a dress. Come a

our dresses

got a ne

ucy, in a tone of p

ll have done by when I come back, perhaps," and off went Bazalgette whistling, but not best pleased. He had told his wife

death to her to annoy anyone; so her a

azalgette!"

temper-set transparent; so then, backed by the viole

Olivier do it for you,

d we should have that Emily Clayton out as

ly pretty-aunt, what a

owers and diamonds. There, take it off, and let us think it calmly over. I never act in a hurry but I am sorry for it afterward-I mean in things of real importance." The gown was taken off in silence,

ar," suggested

she, warmly. "And we can't both be mistaken, can we? But where can I get enough?" and her cou

have yar

me form or other, and it musses one

plied Lucy, with gentl

ur Brussels point scarf, and see how it would look, would you? We need not cut the lace, dear; we co

lishing her aunt. The latter reclined with grac

about the skirmi

you can tell me who was the most in

r boy; it is the influence of the stable-yard; and

their paradise. When he grows older his father must inter

. You had got to his look of despair

nk of nothing but this detestable gown. Lucy, I suspect I alm

eon, m

to go down alone; she

heon; there is a dish on p

them; I think they

t is so fond o

you,

ebody to talk to me while I am eating, and I had an idea just now-it is gone-but perhaps it will come back

ibbling cake, came a letter. Mrs. Bazalgette read it with heightening color, l

pale. "Has anything h

been due here three days. I have waited to see whether you would part with her without being dunned. My curiosity on that point is satisfied, and I have now only my affection to consult, which I

all over; you don't care a straw w

n't

ce that you are bored to death; and here we are asked to the Cavendishes' next Wednesday, and the Hunts' ball on Friday-you are such a lucky girl-our best invitati

months with each in turn till you insisted on its being three. You make me almos

t he sees-a good lit

ger than

dy to nurse him and his foe, or to put down your wor

et, p

nto his set-the county set-some beggarly old family that came down from the Conquest, and has been going down ever since; so then he will let you fly-with a string: you mus

ain, what a schem

I have no selfish views for you. I love my few friends too single-heartedly fo

bey. I am overrated there as I am her

id Mrs. Bazalgette, sharply, drawing upon a

untain reall

sked the lady, with

unt's unselfish solicitude, by assuring her that Font Abbey was not a solit

now we should find him literally in single cursedness. Those county folks are not without cunning. They say b

asure awaits yo

ng pleasure," replied

the wrong game to play with all the world. You will be made a tool of, and a slave of, and use of.

ny as love

e head of them all, and I am goin

additional feature in

n for three months, but it shall be

quit us, or, at all even

tier warmly, but hesitatingly; "but

ensing w

the mean

usba

filly just going to start all across the road. Mrs. Bazalgette laid a loving hand on her shoulder, and w

!" cried Lucy, clasping her h

orhood-one of t

happy a

d so I shall save you from being snapped up by some

urely, having just recovered her breath

es in the country without feeling it-the men who make this little island gr

rything that

I said so,

d of me in the house?"

ou will be sure to

t, if I can po

w you rather dislike me' (you could not hate anybody, Lucy,) 'but if you don't take me I shall die of a broken

ed Lucy, coloring, and the

; "we won't call it weakness, but excess of

it," replied Lu

erned you have sometimes a will of your own, and

se, she could understand a lady wishing to marry, if she loved a gentleman who was determined to be unhappy without her; but that women should look about for some hunter to catch instead of waiting quietly till the hunter caught them, this puzzled her; and as for th

"This girl is not flesh and blood; she is made of curds and whey, or something else;" the second was: "No, she is a shade hypocriticaler than other girls-before they a

keen-witted matron caught it, and instantly made a masterly move of feigned retreat. "No," cried she, "I will not tease you anymore,

hat," cried

your h

my h

ow you have pledged your honor. This solemn p

if you knew how l

l be more likely to keep

now I have no idea. Well, there is nothing but meeting and parting in this world; it does not do to love people, does it? (ah!) Don't cry, love, or

ome and h-help

ed to call on Mrs. Hunt this afternoon; and you must not stop in all day yourself-I cann

nd finish my drawing of Harro

ows are wet. Walk upon the Ha

ugly, and I have not

her daughter live-the last cottages on that road; I don't like the shape of the last two collars they

ill, with

n't-never mind; but, if you do, you may choose me

something to occupy me now that I am a little sad." Mrs. Bazalgette

n's factotum got down from the dicky, packed Lucy's imperial on the roof, and slung a box below the dicky; stowed her maid away aft,

ent down, and was handed into the carriage. Her ardent aunt followed presently, and fired many glowing phrases in at the window; and, just as the carriage moved, she uttered a single word quite quie

the horses tightened the traces, the wheels ground the gravel, and Lucy

emb

Brown, ducking and smiling in the background. While the servants were unpacking the carriage, Mr. Fountain took Lucy to her bedroom. Mrs. Brown had gone on before

ucy, mowing down Uncle Fountain and Mr

flamed with

pertinent apologies by way of substitute for warmth; a stuffy room,

every comfort at Font Abbey."

Do bachelors ever put their friends into damp sheets? No; that is the women's trick with their

monuments to us,"

in a pun by the ear, but wit only by the eye. "Do you remember w

led

can but do our best; well, she did

ee I s

le. Dinner

well,

irst day because you are just come from a place where it means twenty minutes to seven; also let me observe tha

a ci

ome with an ap

o tyranny

day. There will be only us two at dinner; and when I see young ladies fiddling with an asparagus head instead of eating their dinner, it don't

lattering, I

Been grubbing like a pig all day, so can't eat li

at decides me to be

elf, and leave them to amuse themselves; that is my notion of politeness. I am going to see my pigs fed, then into the village. I am

p behind the

at soon after the cloth was removed, from fatigue and repletion, he dropped asleep, with his shoulder towa

d not water boiling that moment, drank three cups, then brightened up, rubbed his hands, and with a che

d the blooming Hebe were soon seated with a mountain of p

red an acre, and from its boughs little suckers dropped to earth, and turned t

Because, this effected, he had only to go along that bough by an established pedigree to the great trunk of the Funteyns of Salle, and

to whom he wanted to hook on. Now the logic of women, children, and criticasters is a thing of gaps; they reason as marches a kangaroo; but to mathematicians, logicians, and genealogists, a link wanting is a chain broken. This blank then made Uncle Fountain mise

found them still wallow

hn brought up the bed-candles, "how ti

courtesy she first crushed and then so molde

a delightful

to you

will sleep w

ear," said she, sweet