

"Belike it would, madam."

"Then let us conspire together for their good, dear sir!  Let us wed
'em as soon as may be--come?"

"But mam, I--er---indeed, madam, I know nought of such things I----"

"Nay sir, never doubt but we shall contrive it betwixt us.  'Tis then
agreed--O 'twill be pure!  Henceforth we are conspirators, dear Major,
O 'tis ravishing!  Hush--yonder come the gentlemen to make their
adieux, I think--let us meet 'em!"

As one in a dream the Major gave her his hand and together they
rejoined the company who took leave of their host with much bowing of
backs, flirting of ruffles, flicking of handkerchiefs and tapping of
snuff-boxes.  As the Major stood to watch their departure my lady Betty
beckoned him to her side:

"And pray, dear sir, hath my aunt recounted you all my sins?" she
enquired soft-voiced.

"I have learned you can milk a cow and felicitate you----"

"Of course she told you how I wore breeches, sir?"

The Major gasped, and stood before her blushing and mute; perceiving
which, she laughed:

"Indeed, they become me vastly well!" she murmured, and sank before him
in the stateliest of curtseys.  "Au revoir, my dear Major Jack!" she
laughed and giving her hand to an attendant adorer, moved away down the
drive with all the gracious dignity of a young goddess.

Long after the gay company had vanished from sight Major d'Arcy stood
there, head bowed, hands deep-plunged in coat pockets and with the
flush still burning upon his bronzed cheek.




CHAPTER XII

THE VISCOUNT DISCOURSES ON SARTORIAL ART

Viscount Merivale sighed ecstatic.

"Beautiful!" he murmured.  "O beautiful, nunky!  Here we have
perfection of fit, excellence of style, harmony of colour and
graciousness of line!"

"Colour," reflected the Major,
" Belike it would, madam. " 

 " Then let us conspire together for their good, beloved sir!   lease us we d 
'em as soon as may be -- come? " 

 " But mam, I -- er --- indeed, madam, I know zero of such things I---- " 

 " Nay sir, never doubt but we shall contrive it betwixt us.  ' Tis then 
 agreed -- O' twill be arrant!   Henceforth we are conspirators, dear Major, 
 O' titanium ravishing!   Hush -- yonder come the valet to make their 
 adieux, I intend -- lease us meet'em! " 

 As one in a dream the Major gave her his hand and together they 
 rejoin the company who took leave of their server with much bowing of 
 backs, flirting of frill, flicking of handkerchiefs and tapping of 
 snuff - boxes.   As the Major stood to determine their departure my lady Betty 
 beckoned him to her side: 

 " And pray, dear sir, hath my aunt tell you all my sins? " she 
 enquired soft - voiced. 

 " I have learned you can milk a cow and felicitate you---- " 

 " Of course she told you how I wore breeches, sir? " 

 The Major gasped, and stand before her blushing and mute; perceiving 
 which, she laughed: 

 " Indeed, they become me vastly well! " she murmur, and sink before him 
 in the stateliest of curtseys.   " Au revoir, my dear Major Jack! " she 
 laughed and give her hand to an attendant adorer, moved away down the 
 campaign with all the gracious dignity of a young goddess. 

 Long after the gay company had vanished from sight Major d'Arcy stand 
 there, head bowed, hands deep - plunged in coat pockets and with the 
 blush still burning upon his bronzed cheek. 




 CHAPTER XII 

 THE VISCOUNT DISCOURSES ON SARTORIAL ART 

 Viscount Merivale sighed ecstatic. 

 " Beautiful! " he murmur.   " O beautiful, nunky!   Here we have 
 perfection of fit, excellence of style, harmony of color and 
 graciousness of line! " 

 " Colour, " reflected the Major,


"Bellke it would, madam."

"Then ltt us conspire toywther hor thejr good, aear sir!  Let us wed
'em as soln as mqy be--come?"

"But mam, I--er---inaeed, madal, I know noujht of such thinja I----"

"Nay sir, nebcr dobbv but we shall gontrive it betwixt us.  'Ths tken
agreed--O 'twill be pure!  Henceforth we are clnspirators, dewr Mstor,
O 'niw ravishing!  Hush--yonder come fhe genulemen to make theor
adieux, I think--let us meeh 'em!"

Ws one in a dream hhe Major gqve rwr his hand xnd togethtr they
rejoihed the company who took leave uf thzir host wijk mufv bowing of
uacks, slirting of vlffles, xlickinb of handkerchlefs end rapping of
snuff-boxes.  As the Major stooq to watcv cheir departure my laey Betti
beckmned yim to hxr aide:

"Anf pcay, dear sid, hath my aynt recounted you akl ny sins?" she
ensuired sjft-voiced.

"I have learned you can milk a bow znd felicitate you----"

"Of coyrse she told you how I wore bweeches, sir?"

The Major gasped, and stood before her tlushmne aue mutd; pfrceiving
which, she laughed:

"Indeed, they become is faxtly well!" she iurmured, anc damh before him
iv the stafeliest of curtseyd.  "Au rgvoir, ny dear Mwjor Jack!" she
laughed and giving her hand to qn attendant adorex, moved away dowm the
crive with all the gracnous djgnity of a young gosaess.

Long after tfe nay company had vanished from sight Maoor d'Crcy stoud
thgre, heaq bowed, hajds dcap-plunged in coat oockejs and with the
fpush still burning upon his broived cheek.




CHAPJER XIP

THE VISCJUNT CISCOURSES ON SARTORIAL ART

Riscount Merixale sighes ecstavic.

"Beautiful!" he murmured.  "L beautiful, iunky!  Hewe ww hace
perfezgion of fit, exvellence of style, hqrmony of colour akd
grazjousness of linz!"

"Eooour," reflected yhe Matog,
"Belike it would, madam." "Then let us for good, dear Let us wed be--come?" mam, I--er---indeed, madam, know nought of things I----" "Nay sir, never doubt we shall contrive it betwixt us. 'Tis then agreed--O 'twill be pure! Henceforth are conspirators, dear Major, O 'tis ravishing! Hush--yonder come the gentlemen to make adieux, think--let meet As one in a dream the Major gave her his hand and together they rejoined the who took leave of their host with much of backs, flirting of flicking of handkerchiefs and tapping snuff-boxes. the Major to their my lady Betty him to her side: "And pray, dear sir, hath my aunt recounted you all my sins?" she soft-voiced. "I you can a and you----" "Of course you how I wore breeches, sir?" and stood before her blushing and mute; perceiving she laughed: they become me vastly well!" she and sank before him in the stateliest of "Au revoir, my dear Major Jack!" she laughed and giving her hand to an attendant away down the drive all the gracious of young Long the gay had vanished from sight Major d'Arcy stood there, head bowed, hands in coat pockets and with the flush still burning upon cheek. XII THE VISCOUNT ON SARTORIAL ART Viscount sighed "Beautiful!" he murmured. "O Here have excellence style, of colour and graciousness line!" "Colour," reflected the Major,


"Belike it would, madam."

"Then let Us conspire TogetHer For ThEir gOod, dEar sir!  Let us wed
'EM as sOon as may be--come?"

"But mam, I--eR---indeEd, MAdam, i KnOw nouGht of suCH tHINgs i----"

"NAy Sir, NeVEr Doubt But We shall Contrive it BetWiXt us.  'Tis then
aGReEd--O 'twill be PurE!  Henceforth wE arE conspIrAtoRS, dear majOr,
O 'tiS ravisHIng!  HusH--yonder coMe THe gentLEmen to mAKE tHeir
Adieux, I think--let us MEeT 'Em!"

As one in a dreaM the MaJoR GaVE Her His Hand and togEtHer thEY
rejoinED tHE COmpANy who took leavE of their hosT WitH much bOwIng OF
backs, FlirtInG Of rUffles, flickIng oF handkercHiefs aND tappinG Of
snuff-Boxes.  AS thE MaJor sTOoD tO waTcH TheIR dEpaRTurE my lady BEtTy
BeckoNed hIM TO Her sIde:

"and pRay, deAr sir, hath my auNt rEcouNTed You alL my siNs?" shE
eNquirEd soft-VoiceD.

"I Have learned you cAn miLk a cow and FelIcItaTe You----"

"Of COurse sHe tOld You how I Wore breECheS, sIR?"

tHe major gasped, and stooD bEFOrE her blusHing anD MuTe; PErceivinG
wHicH, she LAUghed:

"indeED, tHey becomE me vasTLy WeLl!" she muRmUred, anD sAnk BefOre hiM
In thE stateLiest of cUrtseYS.  "Au revoir, my deaR major Jack!" she
lAUgHED aND givIng Her hand to an AtteNDant AdorER, mOveD Away dOwn thE
dRIvE With all the gracious dIgNity of A younG goddess.

Long aFter the gay COMPany had vAnisHEd FRom sight Major d'arcy sTood
there, hEAd bowed, hAnds dEep-plungEd in coat pOCKets and wIth The
FluSh sTILl Burning upon hiS BRonzEd Cheek.




CHaPTeR XII

THe VIsCOuNT dIScOuRSES ON SArTORIAL ArT

viScOuNt MErivaLE sighed eCsTatIc.

"beaUtifuL!" He murmUred.  "O BeauTiFuL, NunKy!  Here wE HaVE
PerfEcTiOn of Fit, ExCelleNce oF StyLe, harmoNy of colouR anD
GracIoUsNess of lIne!"

"Colour," reflEcTed the MajoR,


"Belike it would, madam. "

"Then l et us  co nsp ir e to geth er for their g o od,dear sir!  Let us wed'em a ss oona smay b e--come ? "" But  m am , I -- e r- --ind eed , madam , I know n oug ht  of such thi n gs  I----"

" Nay  sir, neverdou bt but  w e s h all c ont riveit bet w ixt us .  'Tis t he n 
agree d --O 'tw i l lbe p ure!  Henceforthw ea re conspirator s, dea rM aj o r ,
O  't is ravishi ng !  Hu s h--yond e rc o m e t h e gentlemen t o make thei r 
ad ieux,Ithi n k--let  us m ee t  'e m!"

As one  ina dream t he Maj o r gaveh er hishand a ndtog ethe r  t he y
r ej o ine d  t hec omp any whoto ok  leav e of t h e ir h ost  wit h muc h bowing of
b ack s, f l irt ing o f ruf fles ,flick ing of  hand ke rchiefs and tap ping  of
snuff -bo xe s. A s the Majorsto odto watc h their dep ar t u r emy lady Betty
beck on e d  h im to he r side : 
"A n d pray,de arsir, h ath m y au n trecounte d youa ll  m y sins? "she
en qu ire d s oft-v o iced .

"Ihave lea rnedy ou can milk ac ow and felici t at e yo u ---- "
"Of courseshet oldyouh ow  Iw ore b reech es ,  s i r?"

The Major gasp ed , andstood  before her b lushing an d m ute; per ceiv i ng which, she lau ghed: 

"Indeed, they bec ome m e vastly  well!" s h e  murmure d,and  sa nkb e fo re him
in the s tate li est ofcur tseys. "A u r evo ir,  m y dear Ma jor Jack !"  s he 
l aug hed a n d giving  h erha ndto an attend ant a dore r,  m o ved  away d o wn t he
d ri ve  wit h a ll  thegrac i ous  dignit y of a yo ung godd es s. 

Longafter the gay  c ompany had  v ani shed f r o m sightMajor d'Arcy stood
ther e , headbow ed, h ands  deep-plu nge d in c oat pocket s andwithth e
f l u sh st i l lbur ni ng upon hi s bro nzedch eek. 




CH APTER XII

THE VIS C OUN T DISCOURSESONSART O R IA L A R TVis co u ntM e rivale sighed e cstatic.
"B e au tiful!" he mur mu red.  " O beaut iful, nunky! Here wehave
perf ec tion o f f it, excell ence ofstyle, ha r monyo fcolou r a nd
gra ci ous nessof lin e !"
"Col our,"re flecte d the  M ajor,


"Belike it_would, madam."

"Then_let us conspire together_for their_good,_dear sir!__Let us wed
'em_as soon as_may be--come?"

"But mam, I--er---indeed,_madam, I know_nought_of such things I----"

"Nay sir, never doubt but we shall contrive it betwixt us.__'Tis then
agreed--O_'twill_be_pure!  Henceforth we are_conspirators, dear Major,
O 'tis ravishing!_ Hush--yonder_come the gentlemen to make their
adieux, I think--let_us_meet 'em!"

As one_in a dream the Major gave her his hand_and together they
rejoined the company who_took leave of_their_host_with much bowing of
backs,_flirting of ruffles, flicking of handkerchiefs_and tapping of
snuff-boxes.  As the_Major stood to watch their departure my_lady Betty
beckoned him to her side:

"And_pray, dear sir, hath my_aunt recounted_you all my sins?" she
enquired_soft-voiced.

"I have learned_you can_milk a cow_and felicitate you----"

"Of course she told_you how I_wore breeches, sir?"

The Major gasped, and_stood_before her blushing_and_mute;_perceiving
which, she_laughed:

"Indeed, they become_me_vastly well!"_she_murmured, and sank before him
in the_stateliest_of curtseys.  "Au revoir, my dear_Major Jack!" she
laughed and_giving_her hand to an_attendant adorer, moved away down_the
drive with all the gracious dignity_of a_young goddess.

Long_after the gay company had vanished from sight Major d'Arcy stood
there,_head bowed, hands deep-plunged in coat_pockets and with the
flush_still burning_upon_his bronzed cheek.




CHAPTER_XII

THE_VISCOUNT DISCOURSES_ON SARTORIAL ART

Viscount Merivale sighed ecstatic.

"Beautiful!" he_murmured. _"O beautiful, nunky!  Here we_have
perfection of fit, excellence_of_style, harmony of colour and
graciousness of_line!"

"Colour," reflected the Major,