Part 17 (2/2)
”The more fool you!” interrupted his parent. ”What do you think a girl gets engaged for if it isn't to be cuddled?”
He surprised himself by his own ac.u.men. The late Mrs. W. had not been in the least that sort of lady, and he had never been engaged to anybody else; yet here he was laying down the law with the serenest confidence.
Some divine instinct must be inspiring him. His son seemed less favorably impressed with his sagacity.
”Ellen's not that sort of girl,” said he.
”My dear fellow, they're all that sort. At least, that's my view of the matter. Well, what's gone wrong?”
”I don't know,” said Andrew sourly. ”I can't make her out. She's different somehow. It was almost as though she wasn't so fond of me.”
”Are you sure you've done nothing to annoy her? They're very touchy, you know.”
”I haven't done a thing to annoy her. I can swear to _that_.”
”Then,” said Mr. Walkingshaw, with inspired conviction, ”there's some other fellow cutting you out.”
Andrew started.
”Who?”
”Oh, I don't know all her neighbors. It's n.o.body she's met here, I suppose.”
”She never saw a man when she was here but Frank and me.”
”Then it's some one in Perths.h.i.+re,” p.r.o.nounced Mr. Walkingshaw, emphatically but cheerfully.
Andrew frowned at his still br.i.m.m.i.n.g gla.s.s. He trusted that he did not overvalue himself; at the same time, the idea of another being preferred by a girl who had once enjoyed the privilege of being engaged to Andrew Walkingshaw struck him as far-fetched.
”I don't think it's another man,” he said.
”It's my opinion it is, Andrew; and I'm not wanting to lose so nice a daughter-in-law, so you've got to see that she doesn't turn round altogether. You've got to go in and win; make sure of her, my boy!”
Mr. Walkingshaw grew more and more animated and his son more and more distressed. He was behaving so unlike the senior partner in Walkingshaw & Gilliflower.
”What are you wanting me to do?”
”Behave less like a d.a.m.ned umbrella,” p.r.o.nounced Mr. Walkingshaw, with a startling lapse into epigram.
Andrew stared.
”Oh?” said he.
”Be lively, and--er--amorous, and--ah--sparkling; that's the sort of thing. Go in for a few new ties and waistcoats. Socks, too, are things that the young men display considerable enterprise in. I was tempted myself this afternoon by a shop window full of really remarkably chaste hosiery--pale green with stripes! you'd look first cla.s.s in them. I came to the conclusion at last that perhaps I was hardly young enough for them yet; but I invested in half a dozen ties of quite a tasty design.”
”_You_ bought half a dozen ties!” exclaimed Andrew.
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