Part 17 (1/2)

He did it at once. Actually! Possibly because the whole affair appealed keenly to his sense of humour--one never knows! She read the paper, folded it, and then she said--with such a pout! and with such malice in her eyes!--

”Now you may kiss me again, if you like.”

”I am obliged to you, but the costs in the suit have already been too heavy.”

”Then I'll kiss you!”

And she did--with some want of precision, just over the right eye.

Then she fled to the door. When she was half-way through it she turned, and waved towards him the hand which held the paper.

”You are my guardian, you know.”

A Honeymoon Trip

MRS. G.o.dWIN WRITES TO HER MOTHER

”You know, dear mamma, I was against a compartment being reserved. One might as well advertise the fact that one is starting on one's honeymoon. But I was not prepared to find the train so full as it was.

Our carriage was crowded, and not with nice people. They played cards the whole way down, and, when one is just beginning one's married life, it was not agreeable to have to listen to some of the language which was used. Conrad was quite fidgety. You know he is most particular. But it was no use speaking. One of the men asked him if he would take a hand. When he observed that he objected to cards being played in a railway carriage, the person replied that he looked as though he did. And then the others smiled. This quite upset him. And, as we were nearing Harwich, he began to feel in his pockets in a way which, I must say, was annoying. I had refrained from speaking to him as much as possible, being unwilling to let the others have a chance of guessing at the situation we were in; but when he stood up and began to turn his pockets inside out, and altogether to upset the other pa.s.sengers, I did ask him what it was that he was looking for.

”'I can't find the tickets.'

”You know how easily he becomes embarra.s.sed, and how the blood flies to his head. You remember that Geraldine said she thought he must be apoplectic.

”'You put them in your pocket-book.'

”'But that is gone too.'

”'You will find it when you get on board.'

”All the people were staring at him, he was making such a fuss.

”'I should like to find it before I get on board.'

”'Perhaps,' suggested an old gentleman, who was sitting in the opposite corner, 'it's in your overcoat.' Conrad took his coat from the rack and looked to see. It was not there. 'Feel in your pockets again,' suggested the old gentleman.

”Conrad felt. He did not find the pocketbook, but he found something else instead. He produced it with an exclamation. It was the first time I ever heard him swear.

”'Good heavens! It's the key of the safe!'

”His manner was so ludicrous, everybody laughed.

”'My dear Conrad, do sit down!'

”He sat down and stared at me like a man in a dream.

”'But you don't understand. It's the key of the safe. I forgot that I was going to be married, and I brought it away.'

”I do not think that I was ever so much annoyed in my life. After all the pains I had taken to conceal the fact that we were honeymooning, and then for him to blurt it out like that! The other pa.s.sengers simply roared.