Part 19 (1/2)
”Mr Sanford--you are intolerable!”
”Indeed, I am disposed to act on your courteous suggestion, and go home, and take your skates with me.
”If you do, I will never speak to you again.”
”Don't pledge yourself too deeply. You spoke of having put childish things behind you. I did not suspect you of having been such a mistress of irony.”
”Will you give me my skates?”
”Certainly. I will put them on for you. Where do you think the ice is--strongest?”
We were walking along the bank, I with my nose in the air, he white with rage. It wasn't easy to make him lose his temper, but when you did succeed, he was wicked.
”This will do. I won't trouble you for your a.s.sistance. I prefer to put on my own skates, thank you.”
He dug his heel right through the ice.
”Do you call this strong?”
”I wish you would not do that. You forget that I am not quite so heavy as you.” We went on a little further. Then I stood on the edge. ”You perceive that it will bear me. Now--for about the dozenth time--will you give me my skates?”
”I will put them on for you.”
”I have already told you that I will do that for myself.”
”Don't be absurd. Sit down on the bank.” He spoke to me as if I were a slave. As it was evidently useless to remonstrate, I obeyed, placing myself on the sloping bank. ”There is a condition I must make. If I put your skates on first you must promise not to start till I am ready.”
”I shall promise nothing of the kind.”
”Then in that case I am afraid I shall have to keep you waiting till I am equipped.”
He actually did too. And as d.i.c.k's skates were in rather a muddle, or he did not understand them, or something, it took him a tremendous time to get them properly attached to his boots, while I sat on the bank and froze. But I tried to keep myself as warm as I could by an occasional genial remark.
”You understand, Mr Sanford, that when we do get home I will never speak to you again. I never want to see you again either.”
”The betting is that we never shall get home again, since it is probable that we shall both of us be drowned in the lake. That is, if there is a sufficient depth of water to drown us.”
”Sufficient depth! Why, I'm told that in places there are twenty feet.
I imagine that that is enough to drown even you, big though you seem to think yourself. Though I totally fail to see why we should both of us be drowned. Why can't I drown by myself?”
”If you drown I drown.”
”That is really too ridiculous. Pray, who is talking like a child now?
I quite fail to see how it can matter to you what becomes of me.”
”You do know.”
”I do not know. I have not the faintest shadow of a notion.”