Tales of Trail and Town by Bret Harte
page 59 of 225 (26%)
page 59 of 225 (26%)
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"Why are you not enjoying yourself with the others?"
"I have a headache," she said, languidly, "but," lifting her eyes suddenly to his, "why are YOU not? You are their good friend, you know,--even their relation." "No more than you are," he returned, with affected gayety. "But look at the report--it is only half finished! I have already been shirking it for them." "You mustn't let your devotion to the Indians keep you from your older friends," said Mrs. Lascelles, with an odd laugh. "But you never told me about these people before, Peter; tell me now. They were very kind to you, weren't they, on account of your relationship?" "Entirely on account of that," said Peter, with a sudden bitterness he could not repress. "But they are very pleasant," he added quickly, "and very simple and unaffected, in spite of their rank; perhaps I ought to say, BECAUSE of it." "You mean they are kind to us because they feel themselves superior,--just as you are kind to the Indians, Peter." "I am afraid they have no such sense of political equality towards us, Jenny, as impels me to be just to the Indian," he said with affected lightness. "But Lady Elfrida sympathizes with the Indians--very much." "She!" The emphasis which his sister put upon the personal pronoun was unmistakable, but Peter ignored it, and so apparently did she, as she said the next moment in a different voice, "She's very pretty, don't you |
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