"Then here you are, EDDY;" and she drew from a pocket in her dress and
held out to him a small worsted mitten.
"You give this to me?" he said, accepting it, and tossing it from one
hand to the other, as though it were something hot.
"Yes, dear, ridiculous friend; and from this day forth let us give up
the cold indifference of people engaged to each other, and be as truly
affectionate as brother and sister."
"Never get married?"
"Not to each other."
Under the ecstatic influence of the moment, the emancipated young
bondman began dancing and turning somersaults like one possessed but,
quickly remembering himself, hastened to regain a perpendicular position
at her side, and coughed energetically, as though, the recent gymnastics
had been prescribed for his cold.
"My own sister!" he exclaimed, "a weight is now lifted from both of our
minds, and both of us should be the better for the lifting-cure It is
noble in you to let me off so."
"And it's perfectly splendid in you, EDDY, to make no horrid fuss about
it."
The beautiful contest of generosities between these two young souls made
each as tender toward the other as though the parents of both had been
alive and frantically opposed to their mutual attachment.
"We are both sorry that we have ever had any absurd engagement between
us," said FLORA, with a manner of exquisite softness, "and now, that we
are like brother and sister, we need not be all the time playing the
Pretty with each other, and needn't be putting on our best things every
time we have to meet.
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