Короли и капуста
Cupid’s Exile number two
AmongthemoreagitatedwasJohnny,thesonofJudgeAtwood,wholivedinthebigcolonialmansionontheedgeofDalesburg.
ItwouldseemthatthedesirableRosineshouldhavebeenpleasedtoreturntheaffectionofanAtwood,anamehonouredalloverthestatelongbeforeandsincethewar.Itdoesseemthatsheshouldhavegladlyconsentedtohavebeenledintothatstatelybutratheremptycolonialmansion.Butnotso.Therewasacloudonthehorizon,athreatening,cumuluscloud,intheshapeofalivelyandshrewdyoungfarmerintheneighbourhoodwhodaredtoenterthelistsasarivaltothehigh-bornAtwood.
OnenightJohnnypropoundedtoRosineaquestionthatisconsideredofmuchimportancebytheyoungofthehumanspecies.Theaccessorieswereallthere—moonlight,oleanders,magnolias,themock-bird’ssong.WhetherornotheshadowofPinkneyDawson,theprosperousyoungfarmer,camebetweenthemonthatoccasionisnotknown;butRosine’sanswerwasunfavourable.Mr.JohnDeGraffenreidAtwoodbowedtillhishattouchedthelawngrass,andwentawaywithhisheadhigh,butwithasorewoundinhispedigreeandheart.AHemstetterrefuseanAtwood!Zounds!
AmongotheraccidentsofthatyearwasaDemocraticpresident.JudgeAtwoodwasawarhorseofDemocracy.Johnnypersuadedhimtosetthewheelsmovingforsomeforeignappointment.Hewouldgoaway—away.PerhapsinyearstocomeRosinewouldthinkhowtrue,howfaithfulhislovehadbeen,andwoulddropatear—maybeinthecreamshewouldbeskimmingforPinkDawson’sbreakfast.
