The imminent salute gave me strength
to spring back a step or two, and he hesitated.
My uncle laughed peevishly.
'Well, well, that will do, I suppose. In my time first-cousins did not meet
like strangers; but perhaps we were wrong; we are learning modesty from the
Americans, and old English ways are too gross for us.'
'I have--I've seen him before--that is;' and at this point I stopped.
My uncle turned his strange glare, in a sort of scowl of enquiry, upon me.
'Oh!--hey! why this is news. You never told me. Where have you met--eh,
Dudley?'
'Never saw her in my days, so far as I'm aweer on,' said the young man.
'No! Well, then, Maud, will _you_ enlighten us?' said Uncle Silas, coldly.
'I _did_ see that young gentleman before,' I faltered.
'Meaning _me_, ma'am?' he asked, coolly.
'Yes--certainly _you_. I _did_, uncle,' answered I.
'And where was it, my dear? Not at Knowl, I fancy. Poor dear Austin did not
trouble me or mine much with his hospitalities.'
This was not a pleasant tone to take in speaking of his dead brother and
benefactor; but at the moment I was too much engaged upon the one point to
observe it.
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