Georgie would have
been delighted to supply them, but he had none, and did not know it
was his duty to manufacture them. Mrs. Zuleika expressed surprise
and unbelief, and asked - those questions which deep asks of deep.
She learned all that was necessary to conviction, and, being very
much a woman, resumed (Georgie never knew that she had abandoned)
the motherly attitude.
"Do you know," she said, somewhere in the Mediterranean, "I think
you're the very dearest boy I have ever met in my life, and I'd like
you to remember me a little. You will when you are older, but I
want you to remember me now. You'll make some girl very happy."
"Oh! Hope so," said Georgie, gravely; "but there's heaps of time
for marryin' an' all that sort of thing, ain't there?"
"That depends. Here are your bean-bags for the Ladies' Competition.
I think I'm growing too old to care for these tamashas."
They were getting up sports, and Georgie was on the committee. He
never noticed how perfectly the bags were sewn, but another woman
did, and smiled - once. He liked Mrs. Zuleika greatly. She was a
bit old, of course, but uncommonly nice. There was no nonsense
about her.
Pages:
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473