a simpleton-第35章

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shilling　of　money：　and；　my　dear；　don't　put　the　weight　on　ME。　　You
understand？〃

〃Ay；　mistress；　I　understand。〃

〃Good　Dick！〃

〃Oh；　all　right！　and　then　don't　you　snap　this　here　good；　kind　Dick's
nose　off　at　a　word　again。〃

〃Never。　　I　get　wild　if　anybody　threatens　him。　　Then　I'm　not　myself。
Forgive　my　hasty　tongue。　　You　know　I　love　you；　dear！〃

〃Oh；　ay！　you　love　me　well　enough。　　But　seems　to　me　your　love　is
precious　like　cold　veal；　and　your　love　for　that　chap　is　hot　roast
beef。〃

〃Ha；　ha；　ha；　ha！〃

〃Oh；　ye　can　laugh　now；　can　ye？〃

〃Ha；　ha；　ha！〃

〃Well；　the　more　of　that　music；　the　better　for　me。〃

〃Yes；　dear；　but　go　and　tell　him。〃

Dick　went　down；　and　said；　〃I've　got　no　money　to　spare；　till　I　get
to　the　Cape；　but　Phoebe　has　got　a　box　full　of　suits；　and　I　made　her
promise　to　keep　it　out。　　She　will　dress　you　like　a　prince；　you　may
be　sure。〃

〃Oh；　that　is　it；　is　it？〃　said　Reginald　dryly。

Dick　made　no　reply。

At　nine　o'clock　they　were　on　board　the　vessel；　at　ten　she　weighed
anchor；　and　a　steam…vessel　drew　her　down　the　river　about　thirty
miles；　then　cast　off；　and　left　her　to　the　south…easterly　breeze。
Up　went　sail　after　sail；　she　nodded　her　lofty　head；　and　glided　away
for　Africa。

Phoebe　shed　a　few　natural　tears　at　leaving　the　shores　of　Old
England；　but　they　soon　dried。　　She　was　demurely　happy；　watching　her
prize；　and　asking　herself　had　she　really　secured　it；　and　all　in　a
few　hours？

They　had　a　prosperous　voyage：　were　married　at　Cape　Town；　and　went
up　the　country；　bag　and　baggage；　looking　out　for　a　good　bargain　in
land。　　Reginald　was　mounted　on　an　English　horse；　and　allowed　to
zigzag　about；　and　shoot；　and　play；　while　his　wife　and　brother…in…
law　marched　slowly　with　their　cavalcade。

What　with　air；　exercise；　wholesome　food；　and　smiles　of　welcome；　and
delicious　petting；　this　egotist　enjoyed　himself　finely。　　He
admitted　as　much。　　Says　he；　one　evening　to　his　wife；　who　sat　by　him
for　the　pleasure　of　seeing　him　feed；　〃It　sounds　absurd；　but　I　never
was　so　happy　in　all　my　life。〃

At　that；　the　celestial　expression　of　her　pastoral　face；　and　the
maternal　gesture　with　which　she　drew　her　pet's　head　to　her　queenly
bosom；　was　a　picture　for　celibacy　to　gnash　the　teeth　at。


CHAPTER　IX。


During　this　period；　the　most　remarkable　things　that　happened　to　Dr。
and　Mrs。　Staines　were　really　those　which　I　have　related　as
connecting　them　with　Phoebe　Dale　and　her　brother；　to　which　I　will
now　add　that　Dr。　Staines　detailed　Dick's　case　in　a　remarkable
paper；　entitled　〃Oedema　of　the　Glottis；〃　and　showed　how　the　patient
had　been　brought　back　from　the　grave　by　tracheotomy　and　artificial
respiration。　　He　received　a　high　price　for　this　article。

To　tell　the　truth；　he　was　careful　not　to　admit　that　it　was　he　who
had　opened　the　windpipe；　so　the　credit　of　the　whole　operation　was
given　to　Mr。　Jenkyn；　and　this　gentleman　was　naturally　pleased；　and
threw　a　good　many　consultation　fees　in　Staines's　way。

The　Lucases；　to　his　great　comfortfor　he　had　an　instinctive
aversion　to　Miss　Lucasleft　London　for　Paris　in　August；　and　did
not　return　all　the　year。

In　February　he　reviewed　his　year's　work　and　twelve　months'
residence　in　the　Bijou。　　The　pecuniary　result　was；　outgoings；　nine
hundred　and　fifty　pounds；　income；　from　fees；　two　hundred　and　eighty
pounds；　writing；　ninety　pounds。

He　showed　these　figures　to　Mrs。　Staines；　and　asked　her　if　she　could
suggest　any　diminution　of　expenditure。　　Could　she　do　with　less
housekeeping　money？

〃Oh；　impossible！　　You　cannot　think　how　the　servants　eat；　and　they
won't　touch　our　home…made　bread。〃

〃The　fools！　　Why？〃

〃Oh；　because　they　think　it　costs　us　less。　　Servants　seem　to　me
always　to　hate　the　people　whose　bread　they　eat。〃

〃More　likely　it　is　their　vanity。　　Nothing　that　is　not　paid　for
before　their　eyes　seems　good　enough　for　them。　　Well；　dear；　the
bakers　will　revenge　us。　　But　is　there　any　other　item　we　could
reduce？　　Dress？〃

〃Dress！　　Why；　I　spend　nothing。〃

〃Forty…five　pounds　this　year。〃

〃Well；　I　shall　want　none　next　year。〃

〃Well；　then；　Rosa；　as　there　is　nothing　we　can　reduce；　I　must　write
more；　and　take　more　fees；　or　we　shall　be　in　the　wrong　box。　　Only
eight　hundred　and　sixty　pounds　left　of　our　little　capital；　and；
mind；　we　have　not　another　shilling　in　the　world。　　One　comfort；
there　is　no　debt。　　We　pay　ready　money　for　everything。〃

Rosa　colored　a　little；　but　said　nothing。

Staines　did　his　part　nobly。　　He　read；　he　wrote；　he　paced　the　yard。
He　wore　his　old　clothes　in　the　house；　he　took　off　his　new　ones　when
he　came　in。　　He　was　all　genius；　drudgery；　patience。

How　Phoebe　Dale　would　have　valued　him；　co…operated　with　him；　and
petted　him；　if　she　had　had　the　good　luck　to　be　his　wife！

The　season　came　back；　and　with　it　Miss　Lucas；　towing　a　brilliant
bride；　Mrs。　Vivian；　young；　rich；　pretty；　and　gay；　with　a　waist　you
could　span；　and　athirst　for　pleasure。

This　lady　was　the　first　that　ever　made　Rosa　downright　jealous。　　She
seemed　to　have　everything　the　female　heart　could　desire；　and　she
was　No。　1　with　Miss　Lucas　this　year。　　Now；　Rosa　was　No。　1　last
season；　and　had　weakly　imagined　that　was　to　last　forever。　　But　Miss
Lucas　had　always　a　sort　of　female　flame；　and　it　never　lasted　two
seasons。

Rosa　did　not　care　so　very　much　for　Miss　Lucas　before；　except　as　a
convenient　friend；　but　now　she　was　mortified　to　tears　at　finding
Miss　Lucas　made　more　fuss　with　another　than　with　her。

This　foolish　feeling　spurred　her　to　attempt　a　rivalry　with　Mrs。
Vivian；　in　the　very　things　where　rivalry　was　hopeless。

Miss　Lucas　gave　both　ladies　tickets　for　a　flower…show；　where　all
the　great　folk　were　to　be；　princes　and　princesses；　etc。

〃But　I　have　nothing　to　wear；〃　sighed　Rosa。

〃Then　you　must　get　something；　and　mind　it　is　not　pink；　please；　for
we　must　not　clash　in　colors。　　You　know　I'm　dark；　and　pink　becomes
me。　　（The　selfish　young　brute　was　not　half　so　dark　as　Rosa。）　　Mine
is　coming　from　Worth's；　in　Paris；　on　purpose。　　And　this　new　Madame
Cie；　of　Regent　Street；　has　such　a　duck　of　a　bonnet；　just　come　from
Paris。　　She　wanted　to　make　me　one　from　it；　but　I　told　her　I　would
have　none　but　the　pattern　bonnetand　she　knows　very　well　she　can't
pass　a　copy　off　on　me。　　Let　me　drive　you　up　there；　and　you　can　see
mine；　and　order　one；　if　you　like　it。〃

〃Oh；　thank　you！　let　me　just　run　and　speak　to　my　husband　first。〃

Staines　was　writing　for　the　bare　life；　and　a　number　of　German　books
about　him；　slaving　to　make　a　few　poundswhen　in　comes　the　buoyant
figure　and　beaming　face　his　soul　delighted　in。

He　laid　down　his　work；　to　enjoy　the　sunbeam　of　love。

〃Oh；　darling；　I've　only　come　in　for　a　minute。　　We　are　going　to　a
flower…show　on　the　13th；　everybody　will　be　so　beautifully　dressed
especially　that　Mrs。　Vivian。　　I　have　got　ten　yards　of　beautiful
blue　silk　in　my　wardrobe；　but　that　is　not　enough　to　make　a　whole
dresseverything　takes　so　much　stuff　now。　　Madame　Cie　does　not
care　to　make　up　dresses　unless　she　finds　the　silk；　but　Miss　Lucas
says　she　thinks；　to　oblige　a　friend　of　hers；　she　would　do　it　for
once　in　a　way。　　You　know；　dear；　it　would　only　take　a　few　yards
more；　and　it　would　last　as　a　dinner…dress　for　ever　so　long。〃

Then　she　clasped　him　round　the　neck；　and　leaned　her　head　upon　his
shoulder；　and　looked　lovingly　up　in　his　face。　　〃I　know　you　would
like　your　Rosa　to　look　as　well　as　Mrs。　Vivian。〃

〃No　one　ever　looks　as　well；　in　my　eyes；　as　my　Rosa。　　There；　the
dress　will　add　nothing　to　your　beauty；　but　go　and　get　it；　to　please
yourself；　it　is　very　considerate　of　you　to　have　chosen　something　of
which　you　have　ten　yards；　already。　　See；　dear；　I'm　to　receive
twenty　pounds　for　this　article；　if　research　was　paid　it　ought　to　be
a　hundred。　　I　shall　add　it　all　to　your　allowance　for　dresses　this
year。　　So　no　debt；　mind；　but　come　to　me　for　everything。〃

The　two　ladies　drove　off　to　Madame　Cie's；　a　pretty　shop　lined　with
dark　velvet　and　lace　draperies。

In　the　back　room　they　were　packing　a　lovely　bridal　dress；　going　off
the　following　Saturday　to　New　York。

〃What；　send　from　America　to　London？〃

〃Oh；　dear；　yes！〃　exclaimed　Madame　Cie。　　〃The　American　ladies　are
excellent　customers。　　They　buy　everything　of　the　best；　and　the　most
expensi