Now Ruperta had told her mother all; and her mother had not forbidden
her to speak to Compton, but had insisted on reserve and discretion.
She now told her mother she thought he would not speak to her any more,
she had snubbed him so.
"Dear me!" said Mrs. Bassett, "why did you do that? Can you not be
polite and nothing more?"
"No, mamma."
"Why not? He is very amiable. Everybody says so."
"He is. But I keep remembering what a forward girl I was, and I am
afraid he has not forgotten it either, and that makes me hate the poor
little fellow; no, not hate him; but keep him off. I dare say he thinks
me a cross, ill-tempered thing; and I _am_ very unkind to him, but I
can't help it."
"Never mind," said Mrs. Bassett; "that is much better than to be too
forward. Papa would never forgive that."
By-and-by there was a cricket-match in the farmer's meadow, Highcombe
and Huntercombe eleven against the town of Staveleigh. All clubs liked
to play at Huntercombe, because Sir Charles found the tents and the
dinner, and the young farmers drank his champagne to their hearts'
content.
Ruperta took her maid and went to see the match. They found it going
against Huntercombe. The score as follows--
Staveleigh. First innings, a hundred and forty-eight runs.
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