Fiction > Book editions > New York, 1893 - David Balfour

DAVID BALFOUR 309
brother more easily than I could answer her. But
there was one misfortune : thinking to help, she was
rather towardly than otherwise to my Dutchman. And
I could not but reflect that Miss Balfour had rather
suddenly outgrown her bashfulness. And there was
another thing, the difference of our speech. I had the
Low Country tongue and dwelled upon my words ; she
had a hill voice, spoke with something of an English
accent, only far more delightful, and was scarce quite
fit to be called a deacon in the craft of talking English
grammar ; so that, for a brother and sister, we made a
most uneven pair. But the young Hollander was a
heavy dog, without so much spirit in his belly as to
remark her prettiness, for which I scorned him. And
as soon as he had found a cover to our heads, he left us
alone, which was the greater service of the two.