Page:The Story of the Gadsbys - Kipling (1888).djvu/49

 "To have and to hold for better or worse, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, so help me God.—Amen".

(suffocating with suppressed laughter).—Yes. That's about the gist of it. I'll prompt if you get into a hat.

(earnestly).—Yes, you'll stick by me, Jack, won't you? I'm awf'ly happy, but I don't mind telling you that I'm in a blue funk!

(gravely).—Are you? I should never have noticed it. You don't look as if you were.

—Don't I? That's all right. (Spinning round.) On my soul and honour, Jack, She's the sweetest little angel that ever came down from the sky. There isn't a woman on earth fit to speak to Her!

(aside).—And this is old Gaddy! (Aloud.) Go on if it relieves you.

—You can laugh! That's all you wild asses of bachelors are fit for.

(drawling).—You never would wait for the troop to come up. You aren't quite married yet, y'know.

—Ugh! That reminds me. I don't believe I shall be able to get into my boots. Let's go home and try 'em on! (Hurries forward.)

—'Wouldn't be in your shoes for anything that Asia has to offer.

(spinning round).—That just shows your hideous blackness of soul—your dense stupidity—your brutal narrow-mindedness. There's only one fault about you. You're the best of good fellows, and I don't know what I should have done without you, but—you aren't married. (Wags his head gravely.) Take a wife, Jack.

(with a face like a wall).—Ya-as. Whose for choice?

—If you're going to be a blackguard I'm going on What's the time?

(hums):