For a second, Mr. O'Hara's glib tongue seemed at a loss; but it was only for a second. With a graceful movement he gathered the skirts of his fine-flowered damask dressing-gown more closely over the puce satin small clothes, which, he was sadly conscious, were not in their first freshness, besides bearing the trace of one over-generous bumper of what he was fond of calling the ruby-wine. Then, sinking on one knee, he began to pour a tender tale into the widow's averted ear.
"And it's the fine ninny ye must think me, Kitty darling--I beg your pardon, darling; ma'am it shall be, though I vow to see ye toss your little head like that, and set all those elegant little curls dancing, is enough to make anyone want to start you at it again. Oh, sure, it's the divine little ear you have, but, be jabers, Kitty, if it's the back of your neck you want to turn on me--there now, if I was to be shot for it, I couldn't help it--with the little place there just inviting my lips."
"Keep your kisses for your sister, sir, or your cousin!"
"What in the world---- And d'ye think I didn't know you?"
"May I die this minute if I didn't know you before ever you were out of the ould chair!"
"Pray, sir," with an angry titter, "how will even your fertile wits prove that?"
"Sure, didn't I see the little pink foot of you step out, and didn't I know it before ever it reached the ground?"
"Lord forgive you!" said Mistress Kitty gravely. But a dimple peeped.
He had now possessed himself of her hand, which he was caressing with the touch of the tentative lover, tenderer than a woman's, full of mute cajoling inquiry.
"I hope the Lord may forgive me for setting up and worshipping an idol. I believe there's something against that in the commandments, darling, but sure, maybe, old Moses wouldn't have been so hard on those Israelites if they'd had the gumption to raise a pretty woman in the midst of them, instead of an old gilt Calf."
At this word, Mistress Kitty gave a perceptible start.
"Oh, dear," said she, "never, never speak to me of that dreadful animal again! Oh, Denis," she said, turning upon him for the first time her full eyes, as melting and as pathetic just then as it was in their composition to look, "I am in sad, sad trouble, and I don't know what to do!"