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"I shall go where I please, and I'll go to the town to-day " roared Colingraft, getting no farther for the reason that his mother, seeing that I was desperately in earnest, gave vent to a little cry of alarm and clutched her big son by the shoulder. She begged him to listen to reason! "Reason!" he gasped.
I asked in some heat. "She doesn't want to go to jail." "Jail?" she cried angrily. "That's no way to speak about " began Colingraft furiously. I broke in rashly. "If you please, Mr. Titus, be good enough to keep your temper. I have no desire to appear harsh and arbitrary, but I can see that it is necessary to speak plainly.
Something told me that I was going to like him. My real troubles began the next day and at the rather unseemly hour of eight o'clock in the morning. Colingraft came down the hall in a bath-gown and slippers, banged on my bedroom door, and wanted to know why the devil he couldn't have hot water for his bath. He was too full-blooded, and all that sort of thing, he said, to take a cold plunge.
I first consulted Britton and then resignedly consented to the demonstration. To my surprise, Britton was something of an expert. I confess that he almost killed me with those strong, iron-like hands of his; if I was not sore when he began with me, I certainly was when he finished. Colingraft was most enthusiastic.
He followed me into the study and I couldn't get rid of him for hours. Later in the forenoon the Countess, with a queer little smile on her lips, told me that her mother considered me the most wonderful, the most forceful character she had ever encountered. I brightened up at that. But Colingraft was not yet through with me. He sought me out just before luncheon.
"It's a most distressing, atavistic habit I'm getting into, knocking people down without rhyme or reason." "I daresay you had reason," muttered Colingraft. "I got what was coming to me." An eager light crept into his handsome eyes. "By Jove, we can get in some corking work with the gloves while I'm here. I box quite a bit at home, and I miss it travelling about like this.
I I can say no more." I gulped. "I pray to heaven that you may be happy, Aline, happier than any one else in the world." She lowered her head suddenly, and I was made more miserable than before by hearing a quick, half-suppressed sob. Then she withdrew her cold little hand and turned away to follow Colingraft who had called out to her. I saw them board the train.
It was a rather sickening admission, though strictly private. We made our way to my study, where I mildly suggested that we refrain from mentioning our little encounter to Mrs. Titus or the Countess. I thought Colingraft was especially pleased with the idea. We swore secrecy.
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