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 married some day and regret it afterwards. But I've survived quite a lot of earnestness already, so I suppose I am not really as weak as I sometimes feel. 'No,' I said sternly, 'certainly not. I absolutely refuse to countenance such a disgraceful marriage as that by being present.' But the Major was a man who refused to take 'no' for an answer. He's the kind that will propose six times if necessary, but will get there in the end. 'Boy will be disappointed if you don't go,' he said, 'and it isn't as if your not going would do any good. If it would, I shouldn't ask you to go.'

'That's true enough,' I murmured, feeling that I was suddenly giving way to a man's logic. If my husband, when I get one, proves logical, then I'll find myself taking a back seat straight away. But you don't catch me marrying a logician if I can get anything else. But just as I had said 'that's true enough' with a giving-way sort of feeling, I caught sight of Boy and that dreadful woman driving up to the hotel, and for the moment I was saved.

'If you don't stop that marriage taking place,' I said, laying my hand impressively on the Major's arm as I hurriedly turned to go, 'I—I'll never speak to you again.' Then I fled into the hotel. I remember it struck me afterwards that it wasn't much of a threat to make to a man with a wife and three grown-up