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I'm a happy man; and I'm thinking of bringing my young lady soon to introduce to you. So I asked them to come and take a bit of dinner with me to-day, and I told him two o'clock sharp, I'm sure. Ah, there they are at last! That's Mr. Jauncy's knock, among a thousand." Leander started. "Aunt!" he cried, "you haven't asked Jauncy here to-day?" "Yes, I did, Leandy.
As for giving it away, I swear I never parted with it to no mortal woman!" "After that, Bella," observed Mr. Jauncy, "you'd better say you're sorry you spoke, and come home with me that's what you'd better do." "I shall say nothing of the sort," she asserted. "I'm too much of a lady to stay where my company is not desired, and I'm ready to go as soon as you please.
The driver was listening through the trap, and before Leander would say more he told him to drive on till further orders, after which he continued "The fact is we haven't met for so long that I dare say you're unaware of it but I'm engaged, James, too!" "Wish you joy with all my heart, Tweddle; but what then?" "Gammon!" said Jauncy. "That isn't it, Tweddle; don't try and humbug me.
"What I should like to know," said the elder Miss Parkinson, "is, where are we to dine to-night?" "Yes," said Jauncy, encouragingly; "don't you fret yourself, Bella. Here's an old party sweeping up leaves, we'll ask him." They did so, and were referred to a large building, in the Gothic style, with a Tudor doorway, known as the "Baronial All," where lights shone behind the painted windows.
"Oh!" said Jauncy, cheerfully; "you see we only came just in time, Bella; and I suppose you'll have a good many down here to-night eh, miss?" "How much did we take last Saturday, Jenny?" said the barmaid to the sharp little girl. "Seven and fourpence 'ap'ny most of it beer," said the child. "Margaret, I may count the money again to-night, mayn't I?"
But no one else had crossed with them; and, as they stood at the turnstiles, all they could see of the grounds beyond seemed so dark and silent that they began to have involuntary misgivings. "I suppose," said Jauncy to the man at the ticket-hole, "the gardens are open eh?"
"Good night," said Ada; and added in a whisper, "Don't go and dream of your statue-woman!" "If I dream to-night at all," he said, between his teeth, "it will be a nightmare!" "I suppose, Tweddle, old chap," said Jauncy, as he shook hands, "you know your own affairs best; but, if you meant what you told me coming down, you've been going it, haven't you?"
"That," rejoined the uncompromising lady, "seems to me a highly improper remark, sir." "My friend Jauncy," explained Leander, in defence of his abashed companion, "was not alluding to present company, I'm sure. He meant the dulness outside the fog, and so on." "I knew it," she said; "and I repeat that it is improper and irreverent to speak of a dull Sunday in that tone of complaint.
Miss Parkinson, you're not getting on; allow me to offer you a little more pork." "Thank you, Mr. Tweddle," said the implacable Bella, "but I won't trouble you. I haven't an appetite to-day like I had at those gardens." There was a challenge in this answer not only to him, but to general curiosity which, to her evident disappointment, was not taken up. Leander turned to Jauncy.
There was the open-air theatre, its drop-scene lowered, its proscenium lost in the gloom; there was the circle for al-fresco dancing, but it was bare, and the clustered lights were dead; there was the restaurant, dark and silent like all else. Jauncy stood there and rubbed his chin. "This is where I dined when we were here last," he said, at length; "and a capital little dinner they gave us too!"
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