several interesting persons to tear their hair, and bewail his
forgetfulness, when they ought to have blessed their stars he was
out of the way?"

Dick snowballed a dozing crow and looked nettled; for he had
attained that age when "Tom Brown at Oxford" was the book of books,
the twelfth chapter being the favorite, and five young ladies having
already been endowed with the significant heliotrope flower; all of
which facts Dolly had skilfully brought to mind, as a return-shot
for his somewhat personal remarks.

"Bah! they were only girls, and it don't amount to anything among us
young folks; but Bopp is a grown man, and you ought to respect him
too much to play such pranks with him. Besides, he's a German, and
more tender-hearted than we rough Yankees, as any one can see by the
way he acts when you snub him. He is proud, too, for all his
meekness, and waits till he's sure you like him before he says
anything; and he'll need the patience of a family of Jobs at the
rate you're going on,--a honey-pot one day and a pickle-jar the
next. Do make up your mind, and say yes or no, right off, Dolly."

"Would you have me meet him at the door with a meek courtesy, and
say, 'Oh, if you please, I'm ready to say Yes, thank you, if you'll
be good enough to say, Will you'?"

"Don't be a goose, child; you know I mean nothing of the kind; only
you girls never will do anything straight ahead if you can dodge and
fuss and make a mess of it. Just tell me one thing: Do you, or don't
you, like old Bopp?"