"Ah!" he said, looking so soothingly, not to say amorously onMiggs, that she sat, as she afterwards remarked, on pins andneedles of the sharpest Whitechapel kind, not knowing whatintentions might be suggesting that expression to his features:
"I was afraid of that. I saw as much myself. It"s her fault. SheWILL entice "em."
"I wouldn"t," cried Miggs, folding her hands and looking upwardswith a kind of devout blankness, "I wouldn"t lay myself out as shedoes; I wouldn"t be as bold as her; I wouldn"t seem to say to allmale creeturs "Come and kiss me""--and here a shudder quiteconvulsed her frame--"for any earthly crowns as might be offered.
Worlds," Miggs added solemnly, "should not reduce me. No. Not ifI was Wenis."
"Well, but you ARE Wenus, you know," said Mr Dennis,confidentially.
"No, I am not, good gentleman," answered Miggs, shaking her headwith an air of self-denial which seemed to imply that she might beif she chose, but she hoped she knew better. "No, I am not, goodgentleman. Don"t charge me with it."
Up to this time she had turned round, every now and then, to whereDolly and Miss Haredale had retired and uttered a scream, or groan,or laid her hand upon her heart and trembled excessively, with aview of keeping up appearances, and giving them to understand thatshe conversed with the visitor, under protest and on compulsion,and at a great personal sacrifice, for their common good. But atthis point, Mr Dennis looked so very full of meaning, and gave sucha singularly expressive twitch to his face as a request to her tocome still nearer to him, that she abandoned these little arts, andgave him her whole and undivided attention.
"When was Simmuns here, I say?" quoth Dennis, in her ear.
"Not since yesterday morning; and then only for a few minutes. Notall day, the day before."
"You know he meant all along to carry off that one!" said Dennis,indicating Dolly by the slightest possible jerk of his head:--"Andto hand you over to somebody else."
Miss Miggs, who had fallen into a terrible state of grief when thefirst part of this sentence was spoken, recovered a little at thesecond, and seemed by the sudden check she put upon her tears, tointimate that possibly this arrangement might meet her views; andthat it might, perhaps, remain an open question.
"--But unfort"nately," pursued Dennis, who observed this: "somebodyelse was fond of her too, you see; and even if he wasn"t, somebodyelse is took for a rioter, and it"s all over with him."
Miss Miggs relapsed.
"Now I want," said Dennis, "to clear this house, and to see yourighted. What if I was to get her off, out of the way, eh?"
Miss Miggs, brightening again, rejoined, with many breaks andpauses from excess of feeling, that temptations had been Simmuns"sbane. That it was not his faults, but hers (meaning Dolly"s).
That men did not see through these dreadful arts as women did, andtherefore was caged and trapped, as Simmun had been. That she hadno personal motives to serve--far from it--on the contrary, herintentions was good towards all parties. But forasmuch as sheknowed that Simmun, if united to any designing and artful minxes(she would name no names, for that was not her dispositions)--toANY designing and artful minxes--must be made miserable and unhappyfor life, she DID incline towards prewentions. Such, she added,was her free confessions. But as this was private feelings, andmight perhaps be looked upon as wengeance, she begged the gentlemanwould say no more. Whatever he said, wishing to do her duty by allmankind, even by them as had ever been her bitterest enemies, shewould not listen to him. With that she stopped her ears, and shookher head from side to side, to intimate to Mr Dennis that though hetalked until he had no breath left, she was as deaf as any adder.
"Lookee here, my sugar-stick," said Mr Dennis, "if your view"s thesame as mine, and you"ll only be quiet and slip away at the righttime, I can have the house clear to-morrow, and be out of thistrouble.--Stop though! there"s the other."
"Which other, sir?" asked Miggs--still with her fingers in her earsand her head shaking obstinately.