s,
after all, but an imperfect description of one who took upon herself the
task of forming my address, revising my gait after the dancing-master,
and making me to look the gentleman.

This person quite destroyed Riprapton's equanimity. During her three or
four first visits he was all hope and animation. She permitted him, as
she did everybody else, as far as words were concerned, to make love as
fast as he pleased. But beyond this, even his intrepid assurance could
not carry him. So his hope and animation gradually gave place to
incertitude and chagrin; and then, by a very natural transition, he fell
into envy and jealousy. Though but fifteen, I was certainly taller than
the man who thought he honoured me by considering me as his rival.
Though affairs remained in this unsatisfactory state so far as he was
concerned, for certain very valid reasons he had not yet chosen to vent
upon me any access of his spleen. But this procrastination of actual
hostilities was terminated in the following manner:--

Mrs Causand and I were standing, one fine evening, lovingly, side by
side, in the summer-house that overhung the river at the bottom of the
garden. Mr Riprapton, washed, brushed, and perfumed--for the
scholastic duties of the day were over--was standing directly in front
of us, enacting most laboriously the agreeable, smiling with a sardonic
grin, and looking actually yellow with spite, in the midst of his
complimentary grimaces. As Mrs Causand and I stood contemplating the
tranquil and beautiful scene, trying to see as little of the person
before us as possible, one of her beautiful arms hung negligently over
my shoulder, and now she would draw me with a fond pressure to her side,
and now her exquisite hand would dally with the ringlets on my forehead,
and then its velvety softness would crumple up and indent my blushing
cheek, that burned certainly more with pleasure than with bashfulness.
I cannot say that the usher bore all this very stoically, but he
betrayed his annoyance by his countenance only. His speech was as bland
as ever. His trials were not yet over: at some very silly remark of
mine the joyous widow pressed some half-dozen rapid kisses on the cheek
that was glowing so near her own. Either this act emboldened Riprapton,
or he egregiously mistook her character, and judged that a mere
voluptuary stood before him, for he immediately went on the vacant side
and endeavoured to possess himself of her hand.