So, angry and irritated, and exaggerating every little incident
which could add to my irritation, I went on till we were all
assembled in the great parlour at the "George." Major and Mrs
Gordon and pretty Flora and Mr Ludovic were all as bright and
handsome and friendly as could be; but I could hardly attend to
them for watching Mr Peter, and I saw that Miss Pole was equally
busy. I had never seen Mrs Jamieson so roused and animated before;
her face looked full of interest in what Mr Peter was saying. I
drew near to listen. My relief was great when I caught that his
words were not words of love, but that, for all his grave face, he
was at his old tricks. He was telling her of his travels in India,
and describing the wonderful height of the Himalaya mountains: one
touch after another added to their size, and each exceeded the
former in absurdity; but Mrs Jamieson really enjoyed all in perfect
good faith. I suppose she required strong stimulants to excite her
to come out of her apathy. Mr Peter wound up his account by saying
that, of course, at that altitude there were none of the animals to
be found that existed in the lower regions; the game,--everything
was different. Firing one day at some flying creature, he was very
much dismayed when it fell, to find that he had shot a cherubim!
Mr Peter caught my eye at this moment, and gave me such a funny
twinkle, that I felt sure he had no thoughts of Mrs Jamieson as a
wife from that time.
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