He forgot all his jealousy and pride,
and listened, with flashing eyes and eager face, and felt no angry
impulse, although Phyllis sat between the Bishop and John, and John
held her hand in his. But when the two young men were left alone the
reaction came to Richard. He was shy and cold. John did not perceive
it; he was too happy in his own thoughts.
"What a tender heart your sister has, Richard. Did you see how
interested she was when I was telling about the sufferings of the women
and children on the frontier?"
"No; I fancied she was rather bored."
John was at once dashed, and looked into Richard's face, and felt as
if he had been making a bragging fool of himself. And Richard was
angry, and ashamed, for a gentleman never tells a lie, though it be
only to his own consciousness, without feeling unspeakably mean. And by
a reflex motion of accountability he was angry with John for provoking
him into so contemptible a position.
The "good-night" was a cooler one than the evening had promised; but
Richard had recollected himself before he met John in the morning;
and John, for Phyllis's sake, was anxious to preserve a kindly feeling.
Love made him wise and forbearing; and he was happy, and happiness
makes good men tolerant; so that Richard soon saw that John would give
him no excuse for a quarrel.
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