Fragoletta Author:Rita Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XI " And who is !Pythias, my dear 1" I asked Clarice that night in the dressing room conclave to which her uncle had alluded. " Oh, it is such nons... more »ense," she said, laughing and colouring. " Uncle had no business to say anything about it." " But there is—someone ? " " Oh, as I told you before, there are a great many."' " But one in particular ; Clarice, is it—is it Captain Boss?" " How could you guess 1" she said, blushing more than ever. " You have never heard of him, have you ?" "Yes—a little. Mr. Thornton told me. He is a great friend of Major Rayburne's, is he not ? " " Yes ; but the provoking man will never tell me a word about him ; and, of course, I don't like to appear too interested in his welfare." " Why not ?" I asked simply. " Why riot ? Oh you delicious little goose ! Do I want all the world to know of our folly ?" " Are you engaged, then ? " I asked in wonder. " Well, not exactly," said Clarice, sweeping the long fair hair over her face to hide its tell-tale colour. " He is very fond of me—absurdly so, in fact; but oh, I do so hate India !" " Would not his presence reconcile you to that obnoxious country ?" " I fear not. Besides, there is the money question again, though he will be rich enough some day, for Mr. Thornton is going to make him his heir; but Mr. Thornton is a hale, hearty man of fifty-eight, and it's ill waiting for dead men's shoes, you know. After all my grand ideas, too, it is rather a come down ! " " Oh, Clarice," I said rebukingly, " how can you talk like that? If you really cared for him you could not coollyweigh all the disadvantages of the match against your lover. I could not." " Ah, there is the difference between us ! " she said, laughing at my grave face. " As I said before, love with you...« less