It is lucky he forgot to mention it. Was there any thing
more?"
"And he said nothing about squeezing my hand in the coach," asked she,
hesitatingly, "when I showed so much fear of its overturning?"
"Squeezing your hand?"
"Or of his kissing it, after supper?"
"What! Had he got on so far? And pray, madam, what did you tell him?"
"Tell him!" said Lady Mabel. "I was acting a part, you know, papa; so
I told him his presumption had put Jenny Aiken quite out of
countenance."
"By Jove! you were acting your part with a vengeance! Why not tell
him, at once, never to kiss your hand when a third person was
present?"
"How can you talk so, papa? I meant no such thing. But what account
did he give of his leaving the house?"
"Merely that he hurried away when you unmasked the plot to him;
hastened to Elvas to get his horse, and post off to Alcantara."
"Then he said nothing of his leaping out of the window?"
"Did he leap out of the window?"
"Or of my trying to hold him back?"
"What!" exclaimed Lord Strathern, starting up. "Did he escape by
jumping out of the window, and you try to detain him?"
"The height was so great, I feared he would break his neck.
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