I don't know how
young, and how handsome, and how gay, and how lively, mine was not
to be! And as to May's!--Ah dear! I don't know whether to laugh
or cry, when I think what silly girls we were.'
May seemed to know which to do; for the colour flushed into her
face, and tears stood in her eyes.
'Even the very persons themselves--real live young men--were fixed
on sometimes,' said Dot. 'We little thought how things would come
about. I never fixed on John I'm sure; I never so much as thought
of him. And if I had told you, you were ever to be married to Mr.
Tackleton, why you'd have slapped me. Wouldn't you, May?'
Though May didn't say yes, she certainly didn't say no, or express
no, by any means.
Tackleton laughed--quite shouted, he laughed so loud. John
Peerybingle laughed too, in his ordinary good-natured and contented
manner; but his was a mere whisper of a laugh, to Tackleton's.
'You couldn't help yourselves, for all that. You couldn't resist
us, you see,' said Tackleton. 'Here we are! Here we are!'
'Where are your gay young bridegrooms now!'
'Some of them are dead,' said Dot; 'and some of them forgotten.
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