"Poor, unfortunate victim!" mocked Elsie.
"The penalty of riches," sighed Mrs. Harrington. "But think of the good they bring to yourself and all about you, Mr. Fuller."
"Yes, I know," returned he; "I'm an ungrateful wretch; it's in my nature; I need to have my head punched twenty times a day, there's no doubt of that."
They all laughed at his energy; even Elizabeth tried to come out of her anxious thoughts, and confine her wandering fancies to the conversation.
"He speaks as if it were the Day of Judgment," said Elsie.
"And I may be gone a whole week or more," pursued he.
"A small eternity," cried Elsie. "Dear me, dear me, how we all pity you."
"I don't believe you care a straw," said Tom, dismally; "you won't miss me."
"I am sure you will be missed, dear Mr. Fuller," said the widow; "you wrong your friends by a suspicion so cruel."
"I hope so, I'm sure," returned Tom, glancing at Elsie; but she was in one of her mischievous moods, and would not give him a gleam of consolation.
"Don't spoil him, Mary Harrington," said she; "the creature's vanity is becoming inordinate; isn't it, Bessie?"
"You can ill-treat him sufficiently without my assistance," said Mrs. Mellen, smiling; "I shall not help you, certainly."
"That is right, Bess," cried Tom; "stand by a fellow a little; she hasn't a spark of pity."
"Take care, sir!" said Elsie, lifting her embroidery scissors. "Don't try to win my natural allies over to your side by underhand persuasions."
"I am sure you don't need allies or assistance of any sort to be more than a match for a dozen men," said Tom.
"Another of my womanly prerogatives," replied Elsie.
"Well," said Tom, "there seems to be no end to them."
Everybody laughed at his tone, and Tom sat down near Elsie, tumbling her work, and making signs to her to go out of the room, that he might secure a few moments alone with her, but the little witch pretended not to understand his signals in the least, and went on demurely with her work.
"You ruin my work!" cried she, snatching her embroidery from his touch. "What on earth are you making such faces for?"
Tom laughed in a distressed way, red with confusion.
"Dazzled by your presence, Elsie," cried the widow, seeing that Tom had not presence of mind enough for the compliment.