be offended, Miss Amelia; Flat pays you a great compliment in dividing his attentions; but I really wish to know why ladies will spoil muslin in such a predetermined manner. Will you explain that, Mrs. Keene?”
“Yes, Captain Bridgeman: a piece of work is very valuable to a woman, especially when she finds herself in company with gentlemen like you. It saves her from looking down, or looking at you, when you are talking nonsense; it prevents your reading in her eyes what is passing in her mind, or discovering what effect your words may have upon her; it saves much awkwardness, and very often a blush; sometimes a woman hardly knows which way to look; sometimes she may look any way but the right. Now a bit of muslin with a needle is a remedy for all that, for she can look down at her work, and not look up till she thinks it advisable.”
“I thank you for your explanation, madam; I shall always take it as a great compliment if I see a lady very busy at work when I’m conversing, with her.”
“But you may flatter yourself, Captain Bridgeman,” replied my mother; “the attention to her work may arise from perfect indifference, or from positive annoyance. It saves the trouble of making an effort to be polite.”
“And pray, may I inquire, Miss Amelia, what feeling may cause your particular attention to your work at this present moment?”
“Perhaps in either case to preserve my self-possession,” replied Amelia; “or perhaps, Captain Bridgeman, I may prefer looking at a piece of muslin to looking at a marine officer.”
“That’s not very flattering,” replied the captain; “if you spoil the muslin, you’re determined not to spoil me.”
“The muslin is of little value,” said Amelia, softly, walking to the other side of the shop, and turning over the books.
“Mr. Flat,” said my mother, “your subscription to the library is out last month; I presume I can put your name down again?”
“Well, I don’t know; I never read a book,” replied Mr. Flat, yawning.
“That’s not at all necessary, Mr. Flat,” said my mother; “in most businesses there are sleeping partners; besides, if you don’t read, you come here to talk, which is a greater enjoyment still, and luxuries must be paid for.”
“Well, I’ll try another quarter,” replied Mr. Flat, “and then—”
“And then what?” said my aunt Milly, smiling.
“Well, I don’t know,” says Flat. “Is that clock of yours right, Mrs. Keene?”
“It is; but I am fearful that your thoughts run faster than the clock, Mr. Flat; you are thinking of the dress-bugle for dinner.”
“No, I was not.”
“Then you were thinking of yourself?”
“No, I wasn’t, Mrs. Keene,” said Flat, rising, and walking out of the shop.
“I’ll tell you,” said he, turning round as he went out, “what I was thinking of, Mrs. Keene; not of myself—I was thinking of my bull pup.”
My mother burst out a laughing as the lieutenant disappeared. “I was not far wrong when I said he was thinking of himself,” said she, “for a calf is a sort of bull pup.”
At this sally Captain Bridgeman laughed, and danced about the shop; at last he said, “Poor Flat! Miss Amelia, he’s desperately in love with you.”
“That’s more than I am with him,” said Amelia, calmly.
Here two ladies came in.
Captain Bridgeman made a most polite bow. “I trust Mrs. Handbell is quite well and Miss Handbell—I hardly need ask the question with the charming colour you have?”
“Captain Bridgeman, you appear to live in this library; I wonder Mrs. Keene don’t take you into partnership.”
“If I were not honoured with the custom of Mrs. Handbell and other ladies; I fear that my shop would have little attraction for gentlemen,” replied my mother, with a courtesy.
“Mrs. Keene is quite correct in her surmise, Miss Handbell,” said Captain Bridgeman, “now that I have seen you, I shall not think my morning thrown away.”
“If report says true, Captain Bridgeman,” replied Mrs. Handbell, “you would be quite as often here, even if no ladies were to be customers of Mrs. Keene. Mrs. Keene, have you any of that narrow French ribbon left?”
“I think I have, madam; it was off this piece, was it not?”
“Yes; but I really don’t know exactly how much I require; perhaps you will measure it and allow me to return what is left?”
“Certainly, madam; will you take it with you, or shall I send it?”
“I wish for it directly; will you be very long in measuring it, for I ought to be home now?”
“Perhaps you’ll have the kindness to measure what you take off yourself, madam,” replied my mother, “and then you need not wait.”
“You put confidence in me, I observe, Mrs. Keene,” replied Mrs. Handbell; “well, I will do you justice.”
My mother smiled most graciously, put the piece of ribbon in paper, and handed it to Mrs. Handbell, who, bowing to Captain Bridgeman, quitted the shop.
“I wonder whether you would trust me in that way?” said Captain Bridgeman to my mother.
“I don’t think I should; Amelia says you will help yourself to cigars and that she is sure you cheat when you count them.”
“Does she really say that? Well, I did think that if there was any one who would have upheld my character, it would have been Miss Amelia.”
“Perhaps, Captain Bridgeman, she is getting tired of so doing.”
“Or tired of me, Mrs. Keene, which would be worse still. Here comes a fair young lady—Miss Evans, if I mistake not; I believe she is a good customer to your library?”
“She reads a great deal, and is therefore only a customer to the library.”
“Ladies who are fond of reading are seldom fond of working.”
“Good morning Miss Evans,” said Captain Bridgeman; “you come for more food for the mind, I presume?” (Miss Evans gave a bob, and turned to my mother.)
“Have you anything new, Mrs. Keene? I have brought back the three volumes of Godolphin.”
“Yes, miss, I have some books down to-day.”
While Miss Evans was selecting from the new books, enter Mr. Jones, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Claville, of the marine corps, for cigars. Amelia comes out to attend them—they purchase a few articles, and are talking very loud, when three more ladies enter the shop, all for books.
It being now about three o’clock, the customers and loungers come in fast.
