Their Silver Wedding Journey — Complete by William Dean Howells
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page 48 of 522 (09%)
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again, but he could not hide from her that he was not feeling altogether
satisfied. "Would you like me to send Mr. March, if I see him?" he asked, as if he did not know on what other terms to get away. "Do, please!" she entreated, and it seemed to her that he had hardly left her when her husband came up. "Why, where in the world did he find you so soon?" "Did you send him for me? I was just hanging round for him to go." March sank into the chair at her side. "Well, is he going to marry her?" "Oh, you may laugh! But there is something very exciting!" She told him what had happened, and of her belief that Burnamy's handsome behavior had somehow not been met in kind. March gave himself the pleasure of an immense laugh. "It seems to me that this Mr. Burnamy of yours wanted a little more gratitude than he was entitled to. Why shouldn't he have offered him the lower berth? And why shouldn't the old gentleman have taken it just as he did? Did you want him to make a counteroffer of his daughter's hand? If he does, I hope Mr. Burnamy won't come for your advice till after he's accepted her." "He wasn't very candid. I hoped you would speak about that. Don't you think it was rather natural, though?" "For him, very likely. But I think you would call it sinuous in some one you hadn't taken a fancy to." "No, no. I wish to be just. I don't see how he could have come straight at it. And he did own up at last." She asked him what Burnamy had done |
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