"I'm glad of that," pursued the Imp thoughtfully. "Robin Hood was
always saying to somebody, 'Hie thee to the blasted oak at midnight!'
an' it's nice to have one handy, you know."
I thought that under certain circumstances, and with a piece of rope,
it would be very much so, "blasted" or otherwise, but I only said,
"Yes" and sighed.
"'Whence that doleful visage,' Uncle Dick--I mean Little John? Is
Auntie angry with you, too?"
"Yes," I answered, and sighed again.
"Oh!" said the Imp, staring, "an' do you feel like--like--wait a
minute"--and once more he drew out and consulted the tattered
volume--"'do you feel like hanging yourself in your sword-belt to the
arm of yonder tree?'" he asked eagerly, with his finger upon a certain
paragraph.
"Very like it, my Imp."
"Or--or 'hurling yourself from the topmost pinnacle of yon lofty crag?'"
"Yes, Imp; the 'loftier' the better!"
"Then you must be in love, like Alan-a-Dale; he was going to hang
himself, an' 'hurl himself oft the topmost pinnacle,' you know, only
Robin Hood said, 'Whence that doleful visage,' an' stopped him--you
remember?"
"To be sure," I nodded.
"An' so you are really in love with my Auntie Lisbeth, are you?"
"Yes."
"Is that why she's angry with you?"
"Probably."
The Imp was silent, apparently plunged once more in a profound
meditation.
"'Fraid there's something wrong with her," he said at last, shaking his
head; "she's always getting angry with everybody 'bout something--you
an' me an' Mr. Selwyn."
"Mr. Selwyn!" I exclaimed. "Imp, what do you mean?"
"'Well, she got cross with me first--an' over such a little thing, too!
We were in the orchard, an' I spilt some lemonade on her gown--only
about half a glass, you know, an' when she went to wipe it off she
hadn't a handkerchief, an' 'course I had none. So she told me to fetch
one, an' I was just going when Mr. Selwyn came, so I said, 'Would he
lend Auntie Lisbeth his handkerchief, 'cause she wanted one to wipe her
dress?' an' he said, 'Delighted!' Then auntie frowned at me an' shook
her head when he wasn't looking. But Mr. Selwyn took out his
handkerchief, an' got down on his knees, an' began to wipe off the
lemonade, telling her something 'bout his 'heart,' an' wishing he could
'kneel at her feet forever!' Auntie got awfull' red, an' told him to
stand up, but he wouldn't; an' then she looked at me so awfull' cross
that I thought I'd better leave, so while she was saying, 'Rise, Mr.
Selwyn--do!' I ran away, only I could tell she was awfull' angry with
Mr. Selwyn--an' that's all!"