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He used to drink peg for peg with Lawson Hannay, in the days when Hannay drank; now he drank peg for peg with Majendie, eyeing him austerely. Then the Hannays came between them. They closed round Majendie and hemmed him in a corner, and kept him there talking to him. He had no clear idea what they were saying or what he was saying to them; but their voices were kind and they soothed him.
"In this case I should say you could perfectly well." "Well, I don't, as it happens. But you needn't have anything to do with them; not, at least, while she's living in their house." "It was in the Hannays' house I met her. But I'm not thinking of myself." "I'm thinking of you, and of nothing else." "You needn't," said she, cold to his warmth. "I can take care of myself. It's you I'm thinking of."
You can sit on her, as you sit on a sofa cushion, and she's as plump, and soft, and accommodating as ever the next day." The Hannays lived in the Park. Majendie talked a great deal on the way there. His supporting and attentive manner was not quite the stimulant he had meant it to be. Anne gathered that the ordeal would be trying; he was so eager to make it appear otherwise.
I'd sooner have the police than you with your Hannays and your monkey-faced pistol tricks ... No, guv'nor, I beg pardon, I don't mean that. I'm much obliged to you for the grub, and I'll thank you to let me go now the coast's clear. It was obvious that he was badly puzzled.
I believe she's beginning to understand. She doesn't know how much she understands." "Understands what?" "Your goodness. She loved you for it. She'll love you for it again." "My dear Edie, you're the only person who believes in my goodness you and Peggy." "I and Peggy. And Charlie and the Hannays. And Nanna and the Gardners and God." "I wish God would give Anne a hint that He thinks well of me."
"Why? do you mind?" said he. "Well when it's night after night " "Is it that you mind my dining with the Hannays, or my leaving you?" "I mind both." "Oh if I'd thought you wanted me to stay " She made no answer, but rose and led the way to the dining-room. He followed.
Owing to the Hannays' determination to rise to it, the dinner-party, in being rigidly select, was of necessity extremely small. "Miss Mildred Wharton Sir Rigley Barker Mr. Gorst. Now you all know each other." The last person introduced had lingered with a certain charming diffidence at Mrs. Majendie's side.
And then little Tommy Wharton slipped out of his little surplice and his little cassock, and into the Hannays' house for whiskey and soda. He could drink peg for peg with Lawson Hannay, without turning a hair, while poor Lawson turned many hairs, till his little wife ran in and hid the whiskey and shook her handkerchief at the little Canon, and "shooed" him merrily away.
You've never known her anything but kind, and sweet, and forgiving; and your treatment of her has been simply barbarous." "Indeed?" "I think so. There are reasons why you will have to ask the Hannays to dinner next week, and reasons why you will have to be nice to them." "What reasons?" "One's enough. I'm going into partnership with Lawson Hannay." She stared. The announcement was a blow to her.
"I'll go, dear, if you really want me to," said she. "Well I think, if you don't mind. The Hannays have been awfully good to me." So they went. "Don't snub the poor little woman too unmercifully," was Edith's parting charge. "I promise you I'll not snub her at all," said Anne. "You can't," said Majendie. "She's like a soft sofa cushion with lots of frills on.
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