"
"And seen me tumble into the water and frighten you out of your senses,
and there's nothing one loves like a downright pest, especially if she
loves us; and I do love you, Mr. Hope, dearly, dearly, and I promise to
be a pest to you all your days. Ah, here he comes at last." She made two
eager steps to meet him, then she said, "Oh! I forgot," and came back
again and looked prodigiously demure and innocent.
Walter came on with his usual rush, crying, "Mary, how good of you!"
Mary put her fingers in her ears. "No, no, no; we are forbidden to
communicate." Then, imitating a stiff man of business--for she was a
capital mimic when she chose--"any communication you may wish to honor me
with must be addressed to this gentleman, Mr. Hope; he will convey it to
me, and it shall meet with all the attention it deserves."
Walter laughed, and said, "That's ingenious."
"Of course it is ingenuous," said Mary, subtly. "That's my character
to a fault."
"Well, young people," said Hope, "I am not sure that I have time to
repeat verbal communications to keen ears that heard them.
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