“Well, I am rather vindictive.  But my aunt is ten times worse, as her deserter shall find, unless—­”

“Unless whawt?”

“Unless you beg my pardon directly.”  And at this part of the conversation Lucy was fain to turn her head away, for she found it getting difficult to maintain that severe countenance which she thought necessary to clothe her words with terror, and subjugate the gallant captain.

“Well, then, I apolojaize,” said Kenealy.

“And I accept your apology; and don’t do it again.”

“I won’t, ’pon honaa.  Look heah; I swear I didn’t mean to affront yah; I don’t waunt yah to mayrry me; I only proposed out of civility.”

“Come, then, it was not so black as it appeared.  Courtesy is a good thing; and if you thought that, after staying a month in a house, you were bound by etiquette to propose to the marriageable part of it, it is pardonable, only don’t do it again, please."

“I’ll take caa—­I’ll take caa.  I say your tempaa is not—­quite—­what those other fools think it is—­no, by Jove;” and the captain glared.

“Nonsense:  I am only a little fiendish on this one point.  Well, then, steer clear of it, and you will find me a good crechaa on every other.”

Kenealy vowed he would profit by the advice.

“Then there is my hand:  we are friends again.”

“You won’t tell your aunt, nor the other fellaas?”

“Captain Kenealy, I am not one of your garrison ladies; I am a young person who has been educated; your extra civility will never be known to a soul:  and you shall not join the army but as a volunteer.”

“Then, dem me, Miss Fountain, if I wouldn’t be cut in pieces to oblaige you.  Just you tray me, and you’ll faind, if I am not very braight, I am a man of honah.  If those ether begaas annoy you, jaast tell me, and I’ll parade ’em at twelve paces, dem me.”

“I must try and find some less insane vent for your friendly feelings; and what can I do for you?”

“Yah couldn’t go on pretending to be spooney on me, could yah?”

“Oh, no, no.  What for?”

“I laike it; makes the other begaas misable.”

“What worthy sentiments! it is a sin to balk them.  I am sure there is no reason why I should not appear to adore you in public, so long as you let me keep my distance in private; but persons of my sex cannot do just what they would like.  We have feelings that pull us this way and that, and, after all this, I am afraid I shall never have the courage to play those pranks with you again; and that is a pity, since it amused you, and teased those that tease me.”

In short, the house now contained two “holy alliances” instead of one.  Unfortunately for Lucy, the hostile one was by far the stronger of the two; and even now it was preparing a terrible coup.

This evening the storm that was preparing blew good to one of a depressed class, which cannot fail to gratify the just.