We shall hope to bring it out
in September."
I sat there at peace with all the world. Howard was entirely
forgiven now; my father's treatment forgotten. Let the past go. What
did anything matter? And I tapped my stick on the flooring at the
end of the songs I had barely heard, out of sheer good humour, and
swallowed the second-rate brandy and smoked an infamous cigar with
imperturbable complacence; and as I got up with the mass at the
finale I heard my nearest neighbour's remark to his companion, which
might be freely translated thus:
"How jolly these pigs of English always look!"
As I was leaving, a woman ran down the gravel walk after me, and
slipped her arm through mine. I turned and paused. She was very
small, pretty, and Parisian from her black eyebrows, cocked like one
of her own circumflex accents, to her patent shoes under her silk
skirt.
"What do you want" I said, in her own tongue, of course. "Money?"
"We don't put it like that!" she said, thrusting out her red lips.
"Well, it comes to that in the end generally," I said, whirling my
cane round in my hand and smiling." It will save you trouble if you
take it now," and I offered her two five-franc pieces and withdrew
my arm. "Go to the bar and drink my health with it!" She took the
money, but still looked at me.
"Give me a kiss!" she said in a low tone, so low that I did not
catch the last word.
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