Taking off his hat, he said:
"Thanks awfully; rather!" and put his foot back on the step of the tram.
Thus did he delicately expose the depths of his chivalry!
"Oh! you said you were going our way! What one-ers you do tell! Oh!" The
words were as music; the sight of those eyes growing rounder, the most
perfect he had ever seen; and Mrs. Larne's low laugh, so warm yet so
preoccupied, and the tips of the girl's fingers waving back above her
head. He heaved a sigh, and knew no more till he was seated at his
club before a bottle of champagne. Home! Not he! He wished to drink and
dream. "The old man" would get his news all right to-morrow!
3
The words: "A Mrs. Larne to see you, sir," had been of a nature to
astonish weaker nerves. What had brought her here? She knew she mustn't
come! Old Heythorp had watched her entrance with cynical amusement. The
way she whiffed herself at that young pup in passing, the way her eyes
slid round! He had a very just appreciation of his son's widow; and a
smile settled deep between his chin tuft and his moustache. She lifted
his hand, kissed it, pressed it to her splendid bust, and said:
"So here I am at last, you see.
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