One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

One of Our Conquerors
lism offers us compensation for the broken bridge of a nose?’
‘In an increase of manly self-esteem: I do, sir, yes.’
Skepsey was shy of this gentleman’s bite; and he fancied his
defence had been correct. Perceiving a crumple of the lips of
Mr. Durance, he took the attitude of a watchful dubiety.
‘But, my goodness, you are wet through!’ cried Nataly, reproaching
herself for the tardy compassion; and Nesta ran
up to them and heaped a thousand pities on her ‘poor dear
Skip,’ and drove him in beneath the glass-dome to the fragments
of pic-nic, and poured champagne for him, ‘lest his
wife should have to doctor him for a cold,’ and poured afresh,
when he had obeyed her: ‘for the toasting of Lakelands, dear
Skepsey !’ impossible to resist: so he drank, and blinked; and
was then told, that before using his knife and fork he must
betake himself to some fire of shavings and chips, where coffee
was being made, for the purpose of drying his clothes.
But this he would not hear of: he was pledged to business, to
convey his master’s letters, and he might have to catch a train
by the last quarter-minute, unless it was behind the timetables;
he must hold himself ready to start. Entreated, adjured,
commanded, Skepsey commiseratingly observed to
Colney Durance, ‘The ladies do not understand, sir!’ For
Turk of Constantinople had never a more haremed opinion
of the unfitness of women in the brave world of action. The
persistence of these ladies endeavouring to obstruct him in
the course of his duty, must have succeeded save that for one
word of theirs he had two, and twice the promptitude of
motion. He explained to them, as to good children, that the
loss of five minutes might be the loss of a Post, the loss of
thousands of pounds, the loss of the character of a Firm; and
he was away to the terrace. Nesta headed him and waved
him back. She and her mother rebuked him: they called him
unreasonable; wherein they resembled the chief example of
the sex to him, in a wife he had at home, who levelled that
charge against her husband when most she needed discipline:
the woman laid hand on the very word legitimately his own
for the justification of his process with her.
‘But, Skips! if you are ill and we have to nurse you!’ said
Nesta.
She forgot the hospital, he told her cordially, and laughed
at the notion of a ducking producing a cold or a cold a fever,
or anything consumption, with him. So the ladies had to
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