My father is coming this afternoon.
I only hope that my mother won't take it into her head to come too, or I
should never have courage to do it. I'm as well suited to be a clergyman
as a donkey is to play the guitar, or as Godfrey is to be colonel of a
cavalry regiment. If Braesig were only here, he'd stand by me I know. And
then Mina--I wish it were all settled with her." At this moment Mina
appeared carrying a plate of bread and butter--Rudolph sprang up,
exclaiming: "What a dear good little girl you are, Mina!" and he threw
his arm round her waist as he spoke. Mina freed herself from him,
saying: "Don't do that. Ah, how could you have been so wicked? My mother
is very angry with you." "You mean about the sermon," he answered;
"well, yes, it was a stupid trick." "No," said Mina quickly, "it was a
wicked trick. You made game of holy things." "Not a bit of it," he
replied. "These trial sermons are not holy things, even when they are
preached by our pious cousin Godfrey." "But, Rudolph, it was in
_church!_" "Ah, Mina, I confess that it was a silly joke. I didn't think
sufficiently of what I was doing. I only thought of the sheepish look of
amazement Godfrey's face would wear, and that tickled me so much that I
was mad enough to play the trick. Now don't let us talk any more about
it, Mina," he said coaxingly, as he slipped his arm round her waist
again. "No, I won't allow that," said Mina.
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