"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."