Page:Adams - A Child of the Age.djvu/229

217 would be tearing up this miserable stuff.—Mine disgustedly, but truly,

I began to consider this letter till it struck me that it was odd I had not received it sooner. Then I examined the post-marks, and found that it had arrived in England in early February.

'Damn the old woman!' I said, and pulled the paper covering off what as I had rightly guessed was Brooke's book, the Book! Rosy asked what was the matter? I explained, and, after a little small-talk, took to examining the thing. When I had satisfied myself, feeling in a sociable humour, I began babbling with her, and she, soon brightening, came to me gladly. We had a quiet talk about past things, one of the, if not the best talks I had ever had with her. We went over how she had made me eat the grapes and had made me call her Rosy (Miss Rosebud, I insisted. She had not had all her own way from the first!), and how Minnie (poor Minnie!) had chased the piece of paper under the table: and how we had gone out for our first walk together when I was so weak—and stupid (Where was the respectful clerk a good deal better dressed and, doubtless, fed, than myself, now?) and how we had tea together that other evening in my room, with the fruit and the cakes and all the other things, including a sweet solemn little owl who wouldn't laugh properly once the whole time, and then the walk together afterwards. And so on.

And then afterwards, in the bedroom we had a look at a certain little round silver locket (chosen in a jeweller's in Edgware Road), of which there had been some mention in the study, and I repeated dramatically:

But I shall always be able to keep the locket, you know; and, when I look at it, I shall think of you and give a sigh; (and I gave one) for—you've been' 'Don't tease me!' cried Rosy, with puckered brow and a slap on my arm. And I didn't.

The next day after breakfast I set upon my work again, but could make nothing of it. I felt I had better go out. I went out: down to the Seine and frittered away half an hour or so looking at books in