Queen Lucia

edient that suggested itself with an overpowering sweetness of relief, was that of locking his door, going back to bed again, and pretending that he had heard nothing. But apart from the

k them (or him) single-handed, he could at least thump on the floor, and call out “Burglars!” at the top of his voice, or shout “Charles! Henry! Thomas!” as if summoning a bevy of stalwart footmen. The objection to this course, however, would be that Foljambe or somebody el

ssage of love, but he was

piece struck two, which was a miser

he poker. The tongs and shovel rattled treacherously, and he hoped that had not been heard, for the essence of his plan (though he had yet no idea what that plan was) must be silence till some awful surprise broke upon them. If only he could summon the police, he could come rus

low, and another voice answered it. At that Georgie’s heart sank, for this proved that there must be at least two burglars, and the odds against him were desperate. After that came a low, cruel laugh, the unmistakable sound of the rattle of knives and forks, and the explosive uncorking of a bottle. At that his heart sank even lower yet, for he had read that cool habitual burglars

ed into a moment of fictitious courage, for he unerringly reasoned that they had left the drawing-room window open, and that perhaps in a few moments now they would have finished their meal and with bulging pockets would step forth unchallenged into the night

and keeping his thoughts steadily away from revolvers and clubs and sandbags, walked straight downstairs, thre

ove I sha

nce, and a little dazzled with

cheeks were bulging. Between them was a ham and a loaf of bread, and a pot of marmalade and a Stilton cheese, and on the floor was the bottle of champagn

r; Ursy’s mouth was disgustingly full and she exploded. T

as very m

t was not nearly a strong enough expression. And

n it

ter shutting the window, could find her voice, while Ursy collect

e said. “Georgie, it’s

nted to

e,” she cried. “Or po

we were burglars, and came down with a poker, brave b

d pointing with her finger to Georgie’s should

said, and buried her f

body thinks about things like that when he is going to encounter burglars singl

e only possible thing for a decent person to do is to take it as lightly as possible

slam his door, go to bed, and be very polite in the morning. But that would never do: Hermy and Ursy would have a joke against him forever. It was really much better

r bottle of wine, and some glasses, and we’ll bring Tipsipoozie in. You naughty girls, fancy arriving at a time like this. I suppose y

ich did just as well as jam, and they were all eating

red and twenty miles, if it’s a yard. And then it was so late when we got here, we t

grass till morning. Oh, Tipsi-ipsi-poozie-woozy, how is you? Ho

“He was wee bit upset at the station, but then he had a

face which amuses children. But it didn’t amuse Tiptree, wh

g him across the nose. “Always hit him if

rsy, “and golly, we were hungry. So we foraged, and there we w

’s old Fol-derol-deray? Why didn’t

e instead. On that occasion Foljambe, girt about in impenetrable calm, had behaved as if nothing had happened and trod on biscuits and Brazil nuts without a smile, unaware to all appearance that there was anything whatever crunching and exploding beneath her feet

e icily, “it was because I didn’t t

ting shots over the ducking pond on the green till breakfast was ready. He had given a short account of last night’s adventure to Foljambe when she called him, omitting the

id Hermy. “We had a r

and, miss,” s

g-room window,” said Hermy

ljambe. “Have you any o

e links this morning?” asked Hermy.

her this brilliant wit afforded her

round at half-past

s,

, too, Foljambe, and we’ll

Foljambe, and sailed from th

g!” said Hermy when th

allers, since the arrival of his sisters had been expected, and after that he had to go to the Ambermere Arms for his visit to Olga Bracely. . . . And what was he to do about her with regard to Lucia? Already he had been guilty of disloyalty, for Lady Ambermere had warned him of the prima-donna’s arrival yesterday, and he had not instantly communicated that really great piece of news to Lucia. Should he make such amends as were in his power for that omission, or, greatly daring, should he k

ng to see Olga Bracely (and perhaps even entertaining her here) if all Riseholme did not turn green with jealousy? Moreover there was every chance of being found out, for Lady Ambermere would be at the garden party tomorrow, and she would be sure to wonder why Lucia had not asked Olga. Then it would come out that

e, and he opened his copy of the Mozart trio with a sigh. Lucia did push and shove, and have everything her own way. Anyhow he would not tell her that Olga and her husband were dining at The Hall tonight; he would not even tell her that her husband’s name was Shuttleworth, and Lucia might make a

elf in to Shakespeare’s garden a few minutes before the appointed time. Lucia must have seen him from the window, for the subdued noise of the piano ceased even before he had got as far as Perdita’s garden round the sundial, and sh

There seems a new atmosphere about the house since my Gur

, inhaling the pot-pourri

class. I do hope dear Daisy will

it?” said Georgie. “I thought

nging to her husband, which he thought she had given him. But Robert didn’t think so at all. The Guru brought them across yesterday after he had left good thoughts

e a gre

ays that music and flowers are good influences for those who are walkers on the Way. He

ane world obtruded itse

d to be looking out of the window, in a little moment of leisure — the Guru says I work too hard, by the way —

or that was not really a happening, and had had no effect on his subsequent proceedings. He also omitted the adventure about

and most good natured. You must have been sending out love,

ad the m

else?” s

t and put his rings

, you know, and her husband are arriving at the A

fire k

row. Fancy if she would come and sing for us! I shall certainly

go and see her,” sai

n with a loud slap, but

en,” she said. “Who as

bermere,

But she would certainly think it very odd of me not to call on

sband’s name was Shuttleworth, for here was Lucia grabbing at his discovery, just as she h

, do you think?” sai

which from long knowledge of her he knew to betoken that she had thought of s

st be patient with me, Georgie, for you know how badly I read. Caro! How diffi

s, which Georgie had heard thr

came in the second bar. “Georgie fwightened too at reading it. O-o-h,” and

with sudden puffs that set the rushes on the floor quivering, or with long quiet exhalations. Then there were certain postures to be learned, in one of which, entailing the bending of the body backwards, two of Georgie’s trouser-buttons came off with a sharp snap and he felt the corresponding member of his braces, thus violently released, spring up to his shoulder. Various other embarrassing noises issued from Lucia and Daisy that sounded like the bursting of strings and tapes, but everybody pretended to hear nothing at all, or covered up the report of those explosions with coughings and clearings of the throat. But apart from these d

azed condition from hearing about the fastness of Thibet, where the Guru

. “I feel as if I could never be hasty or worried any

t through all that at my firs

and surreptitiously tightening his trouser-strap to compensate for the

right and five times to the left and then five times backwards and forwards. I felt so young a

smiled

ation,” she said, “and c

riskly towar

id. “Or will you keep that for when Mrs Lucas gets rather further on? You must be pat

able, in spite of the love that was swirling about them all, that Lucia should protest aga

tread these early stages toget

e prima-donna, and, as likely as not, claim her for her own, with the same odious greed as she was already exhibiting with regard to the Guru. All these years Georgie had been her faithful servant and coadjutor; now for the first time the spirit of independence had begun to seethe within him. The scales were falling from his eyes, and just as he turned into shelter of his mulberry-tree, he put on his spectacles to see how Riseholme was getting on witho

a perfect view of the village green and the entrance to the Ambermere Arms at five. He had brought up with him a pair of opera-glasses, with the intention of taking them to bits, so he had informed Foljambe, and washing their lenses, but he did not at

rs past, they had tried to gain Georgie’s serious attention, without any result, and lately they had turned to Colonel Boucher. There was Mrs Antrobus there, too, with her ham-like face and her ear-trumpet, and Mrs Weston was being pushed round and round the asphalt path below the elms in her bath-chair. S

green. Georgie knew well that this was no mere stroll; she was on her way to pay a call of the most formal and magnificent kind. She did not deviate a hair-breadth from her straight course to the door of the Arms, she just waggled her hand to Mrs Antrobus, blew a kiss to her sprightly daughters, made a gracious bow to Colonel Boucher, who stood up and took his hat off, and went on with the inexorabi

o guess that she proposed to have a chat with Lucia when she came out. Similarly the Miss Antrobuses who had paid no attention to her at all before, ceased from their pretty gambolings, and ran up to talk to her, so they wanted a word too. Col

its, in order to wash the lenses. For the present they had served their purpose. “She has left a note on Olga Bracely,” said Georgie quite aloud, so pow

entrance to the Ambermere Arms. With the speed of a practised optician Georgie put his opera glass together again, and after looking through the wrong end of it in his agitation was in time to see a man get out of the second car, and hold the carriage-door open for the o

sely the same colour as the tie, so that an imaginative beholder might have conjectured that on this warm day the end of his tie had melted and run down his legs; buckskin shoes with tall slim heels and a str

at a bore it was to pay calls on such a lovely day, but he had promised to visit Miss Olga Bracely, who had just arriv

trumpet to him in the manner in which an elephant prese

honeymoon.” And if that was not another staggerer for Lucia, it is diffy, as Georgie would say,

rs Lucas’s party tomor

know them?”

cher. “Very handsome woman. Envy you,

in his direction at this moment, a

d Georgie, the envied,

bermere,” and was presently led through into the garden behind the building. T

ee us,” she said. “Georgie, th

w, though his own Christian name had given him quite a start.

he country almost as much as I hate not going out to dinner in town. Besides with that great hook nose of hers, I’m always afraid that in an absent moment I might

ere was the hand and he the glove. But evidently that would not impre

. Fancy living here! Oh, and do tell me something, Mr Pillson. I found a note when I arrived half an hour ago, from Mrs Lucas asking me and Mr Shuttleworth to go to a garden-party tomorrow. She said she didn’t even hope that I should remember her, but would we

said Georgie, “though I never knew she

so that I shall know if you’re speaking the truth. Should I enjoy mys

Lucia was really punish

great deal of pleasur

elt to appeal to unselfish motives. I have come

ides, though no doubt in fun, she had already suggested that it would be much nicer to wand

me first, and we’ll stroll about, and then we can go to the ga

get out of it, because my husband is a

me–Georgie had his

mine,” he said,

like never to see the inside of an Opera House again. Why mayn’t I grow on the walls of a garden like this, or better still, why shouldn’t I have a house and garden of my own here, and sing

said Mr S

ch I shall write when my voice becomes a little more like a steam-whistle. But don’t tell Lady Ambermere, for she would have a fit, but say you happen to know th

that last May,

an was almost too much for me. And the duet! But it was very polite of you to come, and I will do better next time. Siegfried! Brunnhilde!

enchanted,” said

t call on a stranger in Riseholme was never supposed to last more than half an hour, however much you wer

nk that you and Mr Shuttleworth will come to lun

but where

reen. Shall I call

” she said. “Ah, let me come with you to the inn

green at this as at most other hours. Instantly all faces turned round in their direction, like so many sunflowers follow

,” she said. “

kissed her hand to him

le crumbs of information to his friends on his way to his house

for he felt quite sure that it contained some excuse for not coming to his house at six in order to call on Mr and Mrs Bracely. But he gave a glance at it before he rolled it up in a ball for Tipsipoozie to play with, and fou

t amazing hash of sound, which he could just recognise as being the piano arrangement of the duet between Brunnhilde and