Part 4 (2/2)
”And be quick about it. Can't you see I'm starving?”
It is true that the Admiral's excitement had interfered with his breakfast that morning, but it was none the less difficult to read starvation upon his face. Mrs. Buzza obeyed, however; and presently returned with the liver-wing of a fowl.
”You call that a dinner for a hungry man, I suppose! Bring me some more!”
”My dear, I didn't know you wanted a dinner.”
”Confound it, ma'am! must I put dress-studs in my night-s.h.i.+rt to convince you I want to dine? Bring me some more!”
”There is no more fowl, dear. I kept this from yesterday's as a t.i.t-bit for you.”
”What is for dinner to-day?”
”Boiled beef: but you said expressly that dinner was to be late to-day, in consequence of the arrivals, and it is not nearly done yet.”
”I don't care, bring it!”
The mention of the arrivals sent the Admiral up to a white heat again.
”But, my--”
”Bring it!”
It was brought. The Admiral had two helpings, and then a gla.s.s of grog.
”Go.”
Mrs. Buzza withdrew. Left to himself, the Admiral tossed, and turned, and fumed, and swore, lay still for a while, and then repeated the process backwards. After a time the bed-clothes began to p.r.i.c.k him, and the heat to become a positive torture. He leapt out, and tore at the bell-rope, until it came away in his hand--just as his wife reappeared.
”Will you kindly inform me what the devil's wrong with this bed?
Who made it?”
”Selina, dear.”
”Then will you kindly give Selina a month's notice on the spot?
Do you hear? On the spot--What's that?”
The Admiral rushed to the window and pulled up the blind. He was just in time to see a close carriage and pair dash past and pull up at ”The Bower.”
A moment afterwards, Miss Limpenny, from the first-storey window of No. 1, saw the carriage door open, and a tall gentleman emerge.
The tall gentleman was followed by a lady, whom even at that distance Miss Limpenny could see to possess a remarkably graceful figure.
A small youth in livery sprang down from beside the coachman and helped to lower the boxes, whilst the new arrivals pa.s.sed into the house where the charwoman, Mrs. Snell, stood smearing her face with her ap.r.o.n, and ducking in frenzied welcome.
The Honourable Frederic Augustus Hythe Goodwyn-Sandys and his wife, instead of arriving by train, had posted from Five-Lanes Junction.
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