Three Men and a Maid

cried Eust

ght that he must still be dreaming, for the figure before him could have walked straight into any nightmare and no questions asked. Then suddenly he became aware that it was his cousin, Samuel Marlowe. As in the historic case of father in th

his appearance would not have seemed to justify. Hignett had not been suffering from a delusion. His cousi

" he said and swit

. Nothing that Eustace Hignett had encountered in his recent dreams-and they had included such unusual fauna as elephants in top hats and running

t … what…?"

n the glass and added a t

do I

ve become unseated. He could not conceive of any really sane m

alf an hour, though I believe I'm not on till the second part. Speaking as a f

ed apprehension

u doing performing at

y wouldn't take no." Sam deepened the colour of his ears. "As a matter of fac

aimed the fact that the significance of

fian

. Didn't I tell you abou

sighed

worst. Tell me

tell you

N

train as he blackened the tip of his nose. "It's rath

be a re

course, girls d

her fir

ther remarkable thi

helm

t be hundreds of girl

t, but still it i

r?" demanded Eustace Hi

What colo

lour is her hair. Well, you might call it aubu

t you might cal

d description of it. Now that you

u suddenly, when she gets excited,

Yes, s

ett uttered

d, "can you b

ve a das

ace

d to is the same girl wh

well!"

was a

f course, and all

ng towards you is one of the purest and profoundest pity." He reached o

way of offering congratulati

stace, deeply moved. "You have g

I sing at the s

ge you, but, long ago as it is, you can't have forgotten what an ass you made of yourself at that house-supper at school. Seeing you up ag

star

o threw that b

wa

You silly chump, yo

anyhow by this time. But don't let us brood on the past. Let us put our h

it. I confidently expect t

he evening! Y

piano taking the part of the conductor of the orchestra. What a riot I was-we were! I say, Eustace, old man, I suppose you don't feel well enough to c

ll be one firmly fixed on a floor tha

steady as a rock now. The

anking you for yo

rnoon and he seems to have the hang of the thing. But he won't be really right. He has no pep, no vim. Still, if y

ditation. He was deeply disturbed by his cousin's sad story. He knew what it meant being engaged to

peered anxiously out of his berth. There was too much cork on his cousin's face to allow o

s the

k on th

under h

der? What

but he is the only man really deserving of the title. He refuses to appear! He has walked out on the act! He h

aid the sea was

in a silent, self-effacing way-and of course she told him that she was engaged to me, and the thing upset him to such an extent that he says the idea of sitting down

plendid! This

ou mean? L

appear. Oh, you will be thank

you think I'm going to disappoint that dear girl

t appear with

ot a pi

u h

mp of a fellow with a green fa

think I k

u do. He

M

going to sit at t

t it's impossible. I gave you my

altere

aven

you've been roosting in all your life, I'm going to ring for J. B. Midgeley and I'm going

've had

r. I feel just ready fo

p. S

cabbage," repeated Sam, firmly. "And I shall eat

o that!" said E

ld and

at the piano. I've forgotte

, Ernest!' and you say 'Hullo, Frank!' and then you help me tell

e is some chi

feel safe with you. We've

eally don't think

ended a finger t

ied Eustace Hign

drew his

t time for a rehearsal while yo

ignett, brokenly, as he search