Arnfinn,
after a minute's silence, repeated his remark,
whereupon his fair cousin wrenched his cane
out of his hand, and held it threateningly over
his head.
"Will you be a good boy and listen?" she
exclaimed, playfully emphasizing each word
with a light rap on his curly pate.
"Ouch! that hurts," cried Arnfinn, and
dodged.
"It was meant to hurt," replied Inga, with
mock severity, and returned to "Copperfield."
Presently the seed of a corn-flower struck the
tip of her nose, and again the cane was lifted;
but Dora's housekeeping experiences were too
absorbingly interesting, and the blue eyes could
not resist their fascination.
"Cousin Inga," said Arnfinn, and this time
with as near an approach to earnestness as he
was capable of at that moment, "I do believe
that Strand is in love with Augusta."
Inga dropped the book, and sent him what
was meant to be a glance of severe rebuke, and
then said, in her own amusingly emphatic way:
"I do wish you wouldn't joke with such
things, Arnfinn."
"Joke! Indeed I am not joking. I wish to
heaven that I were. What a pity it is that she
has taken such a dislike to him!"
"Dislike! Oh, you are a profound philosopher,
you are! You think that because she
avoids--"
Here Inga abruptly clapped her hand over
her mouth, and, with sudden change of voice
and expression, said:
"I am as silent as the grave."
"Yes, you are wonderfully discreet," cried
Arnfinn, laughing, while the girl bit her under
lip with an air of penitence and mortification
which, in any other bosom than a cousin's would
have aroused compassion.
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