Jilted! , Volume III by W. Clark Russell — Read

_Justice._ "Why, you little truant, how durst you wander so far from / the house without my leave? " / _The Scheming Lieutenant. _

Whether it was because Theresa had told her papa that I was in love with Conny, or because he was too fastidious to refer to the subject, my uncle never once throughout my visit had a word to say about his brother's scheme. He was highly gratified -- as was plainly visible in his broad countenance -- to see how well I got on with Theresa; but this satisfaction I considered entirely the result of his hospitable feelings. Whilst his daughter misbehaved herself and snubbed me, he had spoken in her praise, for then she stood in need of it; but on her dropping her mocking manners and exhibiting herself as an agreeable, lady-like girl, he said no more about her, good nor bad. It was indeed as if he had exclaimed -- "There she is, my boy: she is now herself; and you must find out what you want to know without any help from me. If you fall in love with her, _bon_; if she falls in love with you, _bon_ again. If you don't fall in love with each other, still _bon_. I'll not trumpet her praises. I am entirely at your service when you want a companion; but I am decidedly unwilling to lose time I might be very usefully employing, in helping a young man and a young woman to love each other."