.. I was his companion at table.
"Ah!"
"Oh, only to think! at the table he stands up declaring that he is
engaged."
"Was his lady present?"
"No, that she was not, I think. Do you know who it was?"
"No, how should I know that, Miss Brandt?"
"The whirlwind!"
"The whirlwind?"
"Yes. He said that he, as a young man, in a solemn moment had sent
his love letter or his promise out with the wind, and he was
continually waiting for an answer: he had given his promise, was
betrothed!--Ou!"
"What is it?" asked Miss Hjelm, sympathetically. The truth was,
the young hostess at this moment had relaxed her polite care, and
a limb of a gooseberry-bush had struck against Miss Brandt's
ankle.
The pain was soon over; and the two ladies, who now had reached
the termination of the walk, turned toward the house side by side,
each protecting herself, unconscious that any change had occurred.
"But I hardly believe it," continued Miss Brandt: "he said it
perhaps only to make himself conspicuous, for certain gentlemen
are just as coquettish as ... as they accuse us of being."
Miss Hjelm uttered a doubting, "Um!"
"Yes, that they really are! Have you ever seen any lady as
coquettish as an actor?"
"I don't know any of them, but I should suppose an actress might
be."
"No: no actress I have ever met of the better sort was really
coquettish. I don't know how it is with them, but I believe they
have overcome coquettishness.
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