Not that the boy was anything but foolish," she added
hastily. "I'll do him the justice to admit that he's more of a fool than a
villain--and I hardly know whether it's a compliment that I'm paying him or
not. He got some quixotic notion into his head that Harry Maupin insulted
the girl in his presence, and he called him to account for it. As if the
honour of a barkeeper's daughter was the concern of any gentleman!"
"Oh!" cried Betty, and caught her breath. The word went out of her in a
sudden burst of joy, but the joy was so sharp that a moment afterwards she
hid her wet face in the bedclothes and sobbed softly to herself.
"I don't think Mr. Lightfoot would have taken it so hard but for Virginia,"
said the old lady, with her keen eyes on the girl. "You know he has always
wanted to bring Dan and Virginia together, and he seems to think that the
boy has been dishonourable about it."
"But Virginia doesn't care--she doesn't care," protested Betty.
"Well, I'm glad to hear it," returned Mrs. Lightfoot, relieved, "and I hope
the foolish boy will stay away long enough for his grandfather to cool off.
Mr. Lightfoot is a high-tempered man, my child. I've spent fifty years in
keeping him at peace with the world. There now, run down and cheer him up."
She lay back among her pillows, and Betty leaned over and kissed her with
cold lips before she dried her eyes and went downstairs to find the Major.
With the first glance at his face she saw that Dan's cause was hopeless for
the hour, and she set herself, with a cheerful countenance, to a discussion
of the trivial happenings of the day.
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