He
had just opened a timid conversation and was deep in blushes, when a
hurried step came bounding up the stairs as though of one over whom the
force of gravity had little power, and a man burst into the room saying,
"I'm come before my time." It was Towneley.
His face dropped as he caught sight of Ernest. "What, you here,
Pontifex! Well, upon my word!"
I cannot describe the hurried explanations that passed quickly between
the three--enough that in less than a minute Ernest, blushing more
scarlet than ever, slunk off, Bible and all, deeply humiliated as he
contrasted himself and Towneley. Before he had reached the bottom of the
staircase leading to his own room he heard Towneley's hearty laugh
through Miss Snow's door, and cursed the hour that he was born.
Then it flashed upon him that if he could not see Miss Snow he could at
any rate see Miss Maitland. He knew well enough what he wanted now, and
as for the Bible, he pushed it from him to the other end of his table. It
fell over on to the floor, and he kicked it into a corner. It was the
Bible given him at his christening by his affectionate aunt, Elizabeth
Allaby. True, he knew very little of Miss Maitland, but ignorant young
fools in Ernest's state do not reflect or reason closely.
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