chestnut. And this room has got a private bath -'
'Ha!'
'Eh?'
Monty's face twisted.
'You mentioned the word "bath". Go and take a look at it.' 'I've seen it.' 'See it again. ’
Reggie raised his eyebrows.
'You're pretty mystic this p.m., Monty, and I fail to grasp the gist. Still, if it will please you - Golly!' he said opening the bathroom door and falling back a step.
'You see!'
'Who did that?'
'Your friend Lotus Blossom, with a lipstick.'
Reggie was unquestionably impressed. He looked at Monty as if he were seeing him with new eyes.
‘I say,' he said reverently, 'you must have been making the pace in the most amazing way for her to let herself go like that! Lottie isn't a girl it's easy to get chummy with in a hurry. Full of reserve. It was weeks before she put that piece of ice down my back. I had no notion you were such a swift worker, old man. Why, you can't have known her more than about half an hour.'
'I don't know her 1 I've never met her.' 'Never met her? ’
'No. I came in and found the wall as you see it I suppose she meant that writing for you.' Reggie considered this theory.
‘I see what you mean. Yes, that might be so. Gosh, I'm glad I've moved!'
'You haven't moved.' ·Yes, I have.' ‘ Reggie!'
‘ I'm sorry, old boy, but that's final. ’
'But, dash it, Reggie, listen. Think of my position, I'm engaged!' ‘ I'm sorry.'
'Engaged! Engaged to be married. And my fiancee liable at any moment to walk into that bathroom - ’
'Well, really, sir!' said Albert Peasemarch.
The steward was looking his austerest. Twenty years of ocean travel had not weakened those high principles which he had imbibed in boyhood from a Victorian mother.
'Well, really, sir! A pure, sweet English girl... Is the young lady English?'
'Of course she's English. ’
'Very good, sir. Then, as I was saying,' said Albert Pease march with quiet rebuke, 'a pure, sweet English girl is hardly likely to come wandering in and out of a bachelor young gentleman's bathroom. She wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, not a pure, sweet English girl wouldn't. She would blush at the thought.'
'Exactly,' said Reggie. 'Well spoken, steward.'
Thank you, sir.'
‘ A bull's eye, absolutely. He's right, Monty. I can't understand a decent-minded chap like you so much as entertaining such an idea. If you want to know, I'm a little shocked. How can you suppose that a girl of Gertrude's rigid propriety would ever contemplate the notion of coming in here for her morning tub? Really,Monty!'
It was the first faint glimmering of a silver lining that had come to brighten the cloud wrack of Monty's horizon. He definitely perked up.
'Why, of course!' he said.
'Why, of course!' said Reggie.
'Why, of course, sir!' said Albert Peasemarch.
'Why, of course!' said Monty. 'She wouldn't, would she?'
'Certainly not.'
'What a relief! You have thrown,' said Monty, regarding his vassal gratefully, 'a new light on the - what's your name, steward?'
'Peasemarch, sir. Albert Peasemarch.'
'You have thrown a new light on the situation, Albert Peasemarch. Thanks. For throwing a new light on the situation. All may not yet be lost.'
'No, sir.'
'Still, to be on she safe side, I wish you'd get a mop and have a pop at that writing.'
'It wouldn't be any use, sir. It's undeliable. ’
'All the same, get a mop and pop.'
'Very good, sir. If you wish it.'
Thanks, Peasemarch. Thank you, Albert.'
The steward withdrew. Monty threw himself down on the bed and sought to complete the calming of his agitated nerves with a cigarette. Reggie took a chair, tested it and sat down.
‘ Intelligent fellow, that,' said Monty.
'Oh, quite.'
Taken a load off my mind.'
‘ I suppose so. Not,' said Reggie, 'that it would be such a bad thing if Gertrude did go into that bathroom.' 'Don't gibber, old man,' begged Monty. 'Not now. ’ 'I'm not gibbering. I've been thinking pretty closely about this business of you and Gertrude, Monty - pretty closely. I don't think you know much
'Ha!'
'Eh?'
Monty's face twisted.
'You mentioned the word "bath". Go and take a look at it.' 'I've seen it.' 'See it again. ’
Reggie raised his eyebrows.
'You're pretty mystic this p.m., Monty, and I fail to grasp the gist. Still, if it will please you - Golly!' he said opening the bathroom door and falling back a step.
'You see!'
'Who did that?'
'Your friend Lotus Blossom, with a lipstick.'
Reggie was unquestionably impressed. He looked at Monty as if he were seeing him with new eyes.
‘I say,' he said reverently, 'you must have been making the pace in the most amazing way for her to let herself go like that! Lottie isn't a girl it's easy to get chummy with in a hurry. Full of reserve. It was weeks before she put that piece of ice down my back. I had no notion you were such a swift worker, old man. Why, you can't have known her more than about half an hour.'
'I don't know her 1 I've never met her.' 'Never met her? ’
'No. I came in and found the wall as you see it I suppose she meant that writing for you.' Reggie considered this theory.
‘I see what you mean. Yes, that might be so. Gosh, I'm glad I've moved!'
'You haven't moved.' ·Yes, I have.' ‘ Reggie!'
‘ I'm sorry, old boy, but that's final. ’
'But, dash it, Reggie, listen. Think of my position, I'm engaged!' ‘ I'm sorry.'
'Engaged! Engaged to be married. And my fiancee liable at any moment to walk into that bathroom - ’
'Well, really, sir!' said Albert Peasemarch.
The steward was looking his austerest. Twenty years of ocean travel had not weakened those high principles which he had imbibed in boyhood from a Victorian mother.
'Well, really, sir! A pure, sweet English girl... Is the young lady English?'
'Of course she's English. ’
'Very good, sir. Then, as I was saying,' said Albert Pease march with quiet rebuke, 'a pure, sweet English girl is hardly likely to come wandering in and out of a bachelor young gentleman's bathroom. She wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, not a pure, sweet English girl wouldn't. She would blush at the thought.'
'Exactly,' said Reggie. 'Well spoken, steward.'
Thank you, sir.'
‘ A bull's eye, absolutely. He's right, Monty. I can't understand a decent-minded chap like you so much as entertaining such an idea. If you want to know, I'm a little shocked. How can you suppose that a girl of Gertrude's rigid propriety would ever contemplate the notion of coming in here for her morning tub? Really,Monty!'
It was the first faint glimmering of a silver lining that had come to brighten the cloud wrack of Monty's horizon. He definitely perked up.
'Why, of course!' he said.
'Why, of course!' said Reggie.
'Why, of course, sir!' said Albert Peasemarch.
'Why, of course!' said Monty. 'She wouldn't, would she?'
'Certainly not.'
'What a relief! You have thrown,' said Monty, regarding his vassal gratefully, 'a new light on the - what's your name, steward?'
'Peasemarch, sir. Albert Peasemarch.'
'You have thrown a new light on the situation, Albert Peasemarch. Thanks. For throwing a new light on the situation. All may not yet be lost.'
'No, sir.'
'Still, to be on she safe side, I wish you'd get a mop and have a pop at that writing.'
'It wouldn't be any use, sir. It's undeliable. ’
'All the same, get a mop and pop.'
'Very good, sir. If you wish it.'
Thanks, Peasemarch. Thank you, Albert.'
The steward withdrew. Monty threw himself down on the bed and sought to complete the calming of his agitated nerves with a cigarette. Reggie took a chair, tested it and sat down.
‘ Intelligent fellow, that,' said Monty.
'Oh, quite.'
Taken a load off my mind.'
‘ I suppose so. Not,' said Reggie, 'that it would be such a bad thing if Gertrude did go into that bathroom.' 'Don't gibber, old man,' begged Monty. 'Not now. ’ 'I'm not gibbering. I've been thinking pretty closely about this business of you and Gertrude, Monty - pretty closely. I don't think you know much
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