Page:Adams - A Child of the Age.djvu/117

105 Bother!… Hoity-toity, I'm very tired!… You look tired too."

'"I am."

'"I saw you making yourself very agreeable to Mrs. Napier, and afterwards to Mrs. Basingstoke."

'I curled my lip.—Then, feeling that I should say something foolish in a moment if I stayed, and irritated that I should have to save myself by running away, said: 'I think I will go to bed, sir.—There is nothing more to be done to-night?'

'"Ah-h-h … no! That is, I don't think so.— Hamilton and Malmesbury sent up everything?—They are the rudest and most unpunctual people in all London; but they have the best …"

'I made a quick noise with my lips, expressive of impatience and disgust. I had forgotten altogether about Hamilton and Malmesbury.—What business on earth had I with running about seeing that Hamiltons and Malmesburies sent up things? Why not use a servant? Or the post? The post is one of the greatest institutions of our country. There was not any need for such frantic haste. Whereas there were creatures, like that girl with the pince-nez and walking stick, who dawdled away their whole lives! And here was I—going out on an expedition into the wilds of Africa, to be killed by fever and eaten by jackals and vultures, or run through with spears and eaten by negroes!—Oh, it was too hard! I really must write to some Crœsus: state my cruel case, and ask for £100 for three years, offering to refund it out of my first year's earnings.—Nay, a better idea would be, to insert an advertisement in the Times agony column: "An unappreciated GENIUS (male), ætat. 18, desirous of benefiting humanity by devoting himself to Himself, would be glad to meet with some young woman who would give him the means of pursuing this lofty course of action. Millionairesses with a hankering after (literary) immortality are strongly advised not to let this opportunity slip, as a similar one may never arise again. Apply for further particulars to B.L., 5 Dunraven Place, Piccadilly, W., who …" And I burst out into a laugh, rather a bitter laugh.

'"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Brooke.