I
"Do you see that mountain just behind Elizabeth's toque? A young man
fell in love with me there so nicely twenty years ago. Bob your head a
minute, would you, Elizabeth, kindly."
"Yes'm," said Elizabeth, falling forward on the box like an unstiffened
doll. Colonel Leyland put on his pince-nez, and looked at the mountain
where the young man had fallen in love.
"Was he a nice young man?" he asked, smiling, though he lowered his
voice a little on account of the maid.
"I never knew. But it is a very gratifying incident to remember at my
age. Thank you, Elizabeth."
"May one ask who he was?"
"A porter," answered Miss Raby in her usual tones. "Not even a
certificated guide. A male person who was hired to carry the luggage,
which he dropped."
"Well! well! What did you do?"
"What a young lady should. Screamed and thanked him not to insult me.
Ran, which was quite unnecessary, fell, sprained my ankle, screamed
again; and he had to carry me half a mile, so penitent that I thought
he would fling me over a precipice. In that state we reached a certain
Mrs. Harbottle, at sight of whom I burst into tears. But she was so
much stupider than I was, that I recovered quickly."
"Of course you said it was all your own fault?"
"I trust I did," she said more seriously. "Mrs. Harbottle, who, like
most people, was always right, had warned me against him; we had had
him for expeditions before."
"Ah! I see."
"I doubt whether you do. Hitherto he had known his place. But he was
too cheap: he gave us more than our money's worth. That, as you know,
is an ominous sign in a low-born person."
"But how was this your fault?"
"I encouraged him: I greatly preferred him to Mrs. Harbottle. He was
handsome and what I call agreeable; and he wore beautiful clothes.
We lagged behind, and he picked me flowers. I held out my hand for
them--instead of which he seized it and delivered a love oration which
he had prepared out of _I Promessi Sposi_."
"Ah! an Italian."
They were crossing the frontier at that moment. On a little bridge amid
fir trees were two poles, one painted red, white and green, and the
other black and yellow.
"He lived in Italia Irredenta," said Miss Raby. "But we were to fly to
the Kingdom. I wonder what would have happened if we had."
"Good Lord!" said Colonel Leyland, in sudden disgust. On the box
Elizabeth trembled.
"But it might have been a most successful match."
She was in the habit of talking in this mildly unconventional way.
Colonel Leyland, who made allowances for her brilliancy, managed to
exclaim: "Rather! yes, rather!"