Part 17 (2/2)

Chatteris gave no sign at the phrase. Melville dismissed his suspicion.

”What do you mean--other dreams?” asked Chatteris.

”Is there conceivably another way--another sort of life--some other aspect----?”

”It's out of the question,” said Chatteris. He added, rather remarkably, ”Adeline's awfully good.”

My cousin Melville acquiesced silently in Adeline's goodness.

”All this, you know, is a mood. My life is made for me--and it's a very good life. It's better than I deserve.”

”Heaps,” said Melville.

”Much,” said Chatteris defiantly.

”Ever so much,” endorsed Melville.

”Let's talk of other things,” said Chatteris. ”It's what even the street boys call _mawbid_ nowadays to doubt for a moment the absolute final all-this-and-nothing-else-in-the-worldishness of whatever you happen to be doing.”

My cousin Melville, however, could think of no other sufficiently interesting topic. ”You left them all right at Sandgate?” he asked, after a pause.

”Except little Bunting.”

”Seedy?”

”Been fis.h.i.+ng.”

”Of course. Breezes and the spring tides.... And Miss Waters?”

Chatteris shot a suspicious glance at him. He affected the offhand style. ”_She's_ quite well,” he said. ”Looks just as charming as ever.”

”She really means that canva.s.sing?”

”She's spoken of it again.”

”She'll do a lot for you,” said Melville, and left a fine wide pause.

Chatteris a.s.sumed the tone of a man who gossips.

”Who is this Miss Waters?” he asked.

”A very charming person,” said Melville and said no more.

Chatteris waited and his pretence of airy gossip vanished. He became very much in earnest.

”Look here,” he said. ”Who is this Miss Waters?”

”How should _I_ know?” prevaricated Melville.

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