balcony runs the length of the house, and is open to all the company; but it is spacious, and little parties can be formed there with perfect privacy. The swift broad Rhine runs underneath, rushing through from the bridge which here spans the river; and every now and then on summer evenings loud shouts come up from strong swimmers in the water, who are glorying in the swiftness of the current.The three were sitting there, by themselves, at the end of the balcony. Coffee was before them on a little table, and George’s cigar, as usual, was in his mouth.
‘It’s nearly all over,’ said he, after they had remained silent for some minutes.
‘And I do think it has been a success,’ said Kate. ‘Always excepting about the money. I’m ruined for ever.’
‘I’ll make your money all straight,’ saidGeorge.
‘Indeed you’ll do nothing of the kind,’ said Kate. ‘I’m ruined, but you are ruineder. But what signifies? It is such a great thing ever to have had six weeks’ happiness, that the ruin is, in point of fact, a good speculation. What do you say, Alice? Won’t you vote, too, that we’ve done it well?’
‘I think we’ve done it very well. I have enjoyed myself thoroughly.’
‘And now you’ve gotto go home to John Grey and Cambridgeshire! It’s no wonder you should be melancholy.’ That was the thought in Kate’s mind, but she did not speak it out on this occasion.
‘That’s good of you, Alice,’ said Kate. ‘Is it not, George? I like a person who will give a hearty meed of approbation.’
‘But I am giving the meed of approbation to myself.’
‘I like a person even to do that heartily,’ saidKate. ‘Not that George and I are thankful for the compliment. We are prepared to admit that we owe almost everything to you, – are we not, George?’
‘I’m not; by any means,’ said George.
‘Well, I am, and I expect to have something pretty said to me in return. Have I been cross once, Alice?’
‘No; I don’t think you have. You are never cross, though you are often ferocious.’
‘But I haven’t beenonce ferocious, – nor has George.’
‘He would have been the most ungrateful man alive if he had,’ said Alice. ‘We’ve done nothing since we’ve started but realize from him that picture in “Punch” of the young gentleman at Jeddo who had a dozen ladies to wait upon him.’
‘And now he has got to go home to his lodgings, and wait upon himself again. Poor fellow! I do pity you, George.’
‘No, you don’t;– nor does Alice. I believe girls always think that a bachelor in London has the happiest of all lives. It’s because they think so that they generally want to put an end to the man’s condition.’
‘It’s envy that makes us want to get married, – not love,’ said Kate.
‘It’s the devil in some shape, as often as not,’ said he. ‘With a man, marriage always seems to him to be an evil at the instant’
‘Not always,’ said Alice.
‘Almost always; – but he does it, as he takes physic, because something worse will come if he don’t. A man never likes having his tooth pulled out, but all men do have their teeth pulled out, –and they who delay it too long suffer the very mischief.’
‘I do like George’s philosophy,’ said Kate, getting up from her chair as she spoke; ‘it is so sharp, and has such a pleasantadd taste about it; and then we all know that it means nothing. Alice, I’m going upstairs to begin the final packing.’
‘I’ll come with you, dear.’
‘No, don’t To tell the truth I’m only going into that man’sroom because he won’t put up a single thing of his own decently. We’ll do ours, of course, when we go up to bed. Whatever you disarrange tonight, Master George, you must rearrange for yourselftomorrow morning, for I promise I won’t go into your room at five o’clock.’
‘How I do hate that early work,’ said George.
‘I’ll be down again very soon,’ said Kate. Then we’ll take one turn on the
‘It’s nearly all over,’ said he, after they had remained silent for some minutes.
‘And I do think it has been a success,’ said Kate. ‘Always excepting about the money. I’m ruined for ever.’
‘I’ll make your money all straight,’ saidGeorge.
‘Indeed you’ll do nothing of the kind,’ said Kate. ‘I’m ruined, but you are ruineder. But what signifies? It is such a great thing ever to have had six weeks’ happiness, that the ruin is, in point of fact, a good speculation. What do you say, Alice? Won’t you vote, too, that we’ve done it well?’
‘I think we’ve done it very well. I have enjoyed myself thoroughly.’
‘And now you’ve gotto go home to John Grey and Cambridgeshire! It’s no wonder you should be melancholy.’ That was the thought in Kate’s mind, but she did not speak it out on this occasion.
‘That’s good of you, Alice,’ said Kate. ‘Is it not, George? I like a person who will give a hearty meed of approbation.’
‘But I am giving the meed of approbation to myself.’
‘I like a person even to do that heartily,’ saidKate. ‘Not that George and I are thankful for the compliment. We are prepared to admit that we owe almost everything to you, – are we not, George?’
‘I’m not; by any means,’ said George.
‘Well, I am, and I expect to have something pretty said to me in return. Have I been cross once, Alice?’
‘No; I don’t think you have. You are never cross, though you are often ferocious.’
‘But I haven’t beenonce ferocious, – nor has George.’
‘He would have been the most ungrateful man alive if he had,’ said Alice. ‘We’ve done nothing since we’ve started but realize from him that picture in “Punch” of the young gentleman at Jeddo who had a dozen ladies to wait upon him.’
‘And now he has got to go home to his lodgings, and wait upon himself again. Poor fellow! I do pity you, George.’
‘No, you don’t;– nor does Alice. I believe girls always think that a bachelor in London has the happiest of all lives. It’s because they think so that they generally want to put an end to the man’s condition.’
‘It’s envy that makes us want to get married, – not love,’ said Kate.
‘It’s the devil in some shape, as often as not,’ said he. ‘With a man, marriage always seems to him to be an evil at the instant’
‘Not always,’ said Alice.
‘Almost always; – but he does it, as he takes physic, because something worse will come if he don’t. A man never likes having his tooth pulled out, but all men do have their teeth pulled out, –and they who delay it too long suffer the very mischief.’
‘I do like George’s philosophy,’ said Kate, getting up from her chair as she spoke; ‘it is so sharp, and has such a pleasantadd taste about it; and then we all know that it means nothing. Alice, I’m going upstairs to begin the final packing.’
‘I’ll come with you, dear.’
‘No, don’t To tell the truth I’m only going into that man’sroom because he won’t put up a single thing of his own decently. We’ll do ours, of course, when we go up to bed. Whatever you disarrange tonight, Master George, you must rearrange for yourselftomorrow morning, for I promise I won’t go into your room at five o’clock.’
‘How I do hate that early work,’ said George.
‘I’ll be down again very soon,’ said Kate. Then we’ll take one turn on the
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