Bram Stoker: Bram Stoker: The Complete Novels

He paused, and Esse stepped up to him, her eyes this time full of tears, and said:

“Yes, Dick, do stay; if only to show me that you forgive me! And that you are not unhappy for what has passed. Dick — D — D — Dick, sh — sh — shake!”

Her tears fell as he clasped her two hands and whispered to her:

“Lord love ye, Little Missy, I ain’t a-goin’ to be unhappy. Why, I only kem down from the mounting because I heerd tell that it was like ye wanted me. I didn’t believe it myself, an’ I feared it would be a mistake if ye did. But that wasn’t my affair, but yourn; an’ whatever ye’d do would be right enough for me. An’ as to forgivin’! — Wall of course I’ll stay if ye wish it. I think I’ve made this jamboree pretty dismal enough already, without refusin’ to do anything I kin do to help make it lively again.”

Another voice now joined in, that of the young lady who had commenced the trouble.

“Yes, stay! Do stay, Mr. Grizzly Dick, and presently you must dance with me, if only to show me that you forgive my bad manners and my unkindness of heart. And if you do tread on my toes, I guess we’ll be about even!”

“Done with ye, miss; but I’m afeerd this here rig out of mine ain’t jest exactly the thing for a fash’nable party. So ye’ll hev to excuse me.”

“Never mind, Dick,” said Reginald heartily; “we are all friends of yours here! If there are any who are not so, then they are no friend of our hostess or of me either; and I’ll stand back to back, if you’ll let me, when we slice up the last of them!”

Dick smiled a good ten-inch smile, and just then catching sight of Peter Blyth’s face he slapped his thigh and burst out into a peal of laughter. Going over to him he held out his hand saying:

“Ye’ll forgive me, pard, won’t ye; though I mighty near skelped ye? Ye took it well though! Durned, but ye took it standin’ with yer boots on! I only hope I’ll take it as well when my time comes; fur ye had a close call that time — closer’n ever ye’ll hev it again. Shake!”

The two men shook hands, and Peter Blyth, within his mind’s eye the recollection of their first meeting, roared with laughing too. Then Reginald came and slapped him on the shoulder and said:

“Come with me, Dick. I’ve got something that will make you feel more comfortable than this Sacramento rig out!” Then he straightway took him off to his own room.

Some fifteen minutes afterwards there was a buzz of admiration through the room when Dick entered, clad in a hunter’s outfit, something like his own, which Reginald had some time before bought from the Indians as a model for his work.

There was about him something so fresh, and wild, and free — so noble a simplicity and manhood, that more than one woman present did not wonder that Esse had asked him to come down to ‘Frisco.

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