The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-14
THE DAILY STAR
lHI PROFESSORS DECLARATION.
CHAPTER IV-(CoNTINUED.)

MIN as Iull meal 10 StarV Ing naH.
He bent over it till his lips almost
touched her glove.
"I was afraid to come," he said in a
low voice.
The girl began to feel nervous, to wish
that she had followed her mother, who
was now in the midst of the Marchesa's
noisy circle; but she did not leave her
seat. On the contrary, she inconsistent
ly made room for the Professor on the
ottoman, and she did not have to repeat
the gesture of invitation. p
"Do you know, my sister commissioned
me to scold you; she has missed you very
much these weeks; we have all missed
YOU" =.
"I did not stay away for pleasure" 3"
murmured our hero, glancing at the ex-
pressive face on level with his own. IL
was afraid; your mother seemed to be
offended with me that terrible evening
at the Circolo. | thought feared
All! Signorina, you don't know how mis-
cradle l have beenW
Fear is not always contagious; in GER
tain cases, nothing emboldens a women
so much as the spectacle of mans tim
idity. Nelly was quite self-possessed,
though she still breathed rather quickly.
81 think you might have guessed that
we wanted to pick your speech to pieces"
she answered with frank disingenuous-
ness. II don't quite agree with the linn
itations you would assign to female ac-
tivity. I can assure you, girls can stand
far more knocking about than you seem
to think; and going to school doesn't al
together make hardened rutfians of us"
What did the Professor at that mo-
ment think of the limitations of female
intellect? The mere sound of Nelly's
voice was enough for him.
Nelly went on:
"Do you know, if it had not been for
poor Mary's health, should have gone
to Girton College instead of coming to
Italy with mamma. In Short" here she
laughed nervously, for the intensity of
her companions gaze was again discom-
posing her, "in short, fear you have a
very bad opinion of our sex"
"Miss Nelly! Signorina! How can
you suppose that"
"How! Why, did not all your fine
words result in the conclusion that you
were heartily glad that you had nothing
to do with women?-that you could treat
them like celestial bodies as long as they
were distant enough to be viewed through
telescope, but as terrestrial bodies, to be
submitted to the microscope of daily life,
you wished to have anything to do with
them? Do you call that hattering?'
And she looked at him with winning
smile intended to be merely arch, for she
was quite determined to keep the con-
versation in the safe and easy key OF
"badinage." She was so glad, so very
glad to see her friend again, that (she
thought) it mattcred little what she said
to him or he to her, so long as no one
came to interrupt their talk.
But the Professor was not inclined to
Jest; he was terribly in earnest. He did
not even return her smile, only looked at
her SO pathetically, that her color went
and she felt little frightened. He an
swered huskily:
81 was mad that night, Signorina, mad
and audacious. dared to paint por-
trait-so exact a one that all the world
might have recognized the original. Yet
all the while / knew. that. my ideal was
unattainable; SO, frightened at my own
audacity, | did like Che disappointed fox
in the fable. But your mother recog-
nized the portrait; that was why have
not dared to come to your house. Will
you, can you forgive mep'
This corner of the great salon was
quite deserted now. People had focked
to the door of an adjoining room where
the wife of the Ex-Minister was cleverly
performing Neapolitan song. Some
one had CHANGED to move out leaf of
the big Chinese screen beside the divan
on which our couple were seated, so they
were hidden from general observation.
"Can you forgive me?" again whis-
pered the Professor, emboldened by Mel
lys futtered silence.
"Forgive you for what?' she said in d
timid little voice, and without looking at
him. ,
"My audacity, my" Here his cour.
age failed him, land he stopped.
Instantly our heroine's presence Of
mind returned.
"I can't quite forgive you the last part
of your Circolo speech" she answered
blushing, and shaking her head. She
blushed still more as one of her hands
was seized in both of the Professors.
'Then you don't dislike, don't despise
meg' he asked, vehemently, and with q
fond pressure of the captive fingers.
"May Twill you let me speak to the
Signora Mammal
Nelly drew away her hand she was
almost indignant.
"Why doesn't he understand" sht
thought, "that he should speak first t.
me-" y..-,.
She had no experience in love scenes
1t never struck her that there were many
fashions Of asking the same question
that he had spoken first to her, though
without the formula she fancied indis
pensible. So rising from her seat, sht
said ooldly:
'Please, Professor, take me to m,
mother"
But the Professor never stirred; hel
reouest fell on him like an icy touch