human
Come, she said, in a sort of undertone, to him; and she had a pretty, coaxing, goodnatured way with her when she chose,
gpt
I am not going to allow you to quarrel with me, Vin; and I bring a flag of truce; and honourable proposals. I saw you were offended with me last evening; and perhaps I was a little selfish in refusing your invitation; but you see I confess the error of my ways, for here I am begging you to ask me again.
human
Oh, if you put it that way, aunt—
gpt
Oh, no, I don’t put it that way! she said.
human
Not if you speak like that. Come, be amiable! I’ve just been talking to Lord Musselburgh—
gpt
And, of course, you crammed all your wild ideas into his head!
human
Whoever heard of poor me having ideas! she said, with a winning good-humour to which he could not but yield.
gpt
It isn’t for me to have ideas; but I may have prejudices; and I’m going to leave them, all on board the _Villeggiatura_ this evening, if you say yes.
human
Of course I say yes—when you are like yourself, aunt, he responded at once,
gpt
said he, in a still lower tone,
human
Oh, but, mind you, said she,
gpt
You’re always good to me, aunt—when you choose to be reasonable and exercise your common-sense—
human
Common-sense! she retorted, with a malicious laugh in her eyes. Then she said, quite seriously:
gpt
Very well, Vin: seven o’clock: that is an excellent hour, leaving us all a nice long evening; for I must get back to the _Villeggiatura_ early.
human
My aunt is coming to dinner to-night; but I will not allow you to submit yourself to any ordeal of inspection. You shall dress as you like, as carelessly or as neatly as you like; you shall wear your hair hanging down your back or braided up, without any thought of her; you shall be as silent as you wish—and leave her, if she chooses, to call you stupid, or shy, or sulky, or anything else. And he would have gone to the old man and said:
gpt
Talk as much and as long as ever you have a mind; you cannot babble o’ green fields too discursively for me; I, at all events, am sufficiently interested in your claims of proud lineage, in your enthusiasm about Scotland and Scottish song, in your reminiscences of many lands. Be as self-complacent and pompous as you please; fear nothing; fear criticism least of all. And perhaps, in like manner, he would have addressed Mrs. Ellison herself:
human
My dear aunt, it is not they who are on their trial, it is you. It is you who have to show whether you have the courage of honest judgment, or are the mere slave of social custom and forms. For perhaps he, too, had imbibed a little of the
gpt
Stand Fast, Craig Royston!