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Humpage, as may be imagined, was not best pleased to hear of the engagement; he wrote a letter of solemn warning to Mabel and her father, and, this being disregarded, he nursed his resentment in offended silence.
'Did he howl, godpapa? He does sometimes when he's left out in the garden, you know. 'He did, said Mr. Humpage. 'Oh, yes he howled; he's a clever dog at that. 'And you really like him to? said Dolly. 'Some people don't. 'Narrow-minded of 'em, very, growled the old gentleman. 'Isn't it? said Dolly, innocently.
Mark got into a compartment next to that in which Mr. Humpage had put Mabel and her sister; it was as near as he dared to venture. He could hear Mabel's clear soft voice saying the usual last words at the carriage window, while Uncle Solomon was repeating his exhortations to study and abstinence from any 'littery nonsense.
But the next day, while Mark was thinking apprehensively of 'Illusion' as a perfect mine of personalities, the heavy steps were heard again in the passage and up the staircase; he sighed wearily, thinking that perhaps the outraged Mr. Humpage had remembered something more offensive, and had called again to give him the benefit of it. However, this time the visitor was Mr.
Humpage, do you, uncle? said Trixie. ''Umpage and me are not friendly though contiguous, said he; 'but as for liking, I neither like nor dislike the man; we 'old no intercourse, beyond looking the other way in church and 'aving words across the fence when his fowls break through into my garden he won't have the hole seen to, so I shall get it done myself and send the bill in to him that's what I shall do.
They came out of church into bright November sunshine; the sun had disengaged itself now from the dun clouds, melted the haze, and tempered the air almost to the warmth of early spring. Mark looked round for Mr. Humpage and his party, but without success; they had lingered behind, perhaps, as he could not help fearing, designedly.
Humpage complied, and when he finished for the second time, his hearer's face was purple and distorted, and Mabel pitied him from her own experience. 'Dear Mr. Lightowler, she said, 'you mustn't blame Mark; he had no choice, he had promised. 'Promised! Uncle Solomon almost howled; 'what business had he got to make a promise like that?
'I'm going in, Uncle Anthony, she said; 'do come, too, as soon as you can; don't quarrel about it any more ask them to give you back the poor goose, and I'll take it into the yard again; it ought to go at once. 'Let me manage it my own way, said Mr. Humpage, testily. 'May I trouble you, Mr. Lightowler, to kindly hand me over that bird when you have quite finished with it? he added.
He thought he might as well return to them as not, and as he reached the terrace in which he had taken lodgings, he saw a figure coming towards him that seemed familiar, and in whom, as he drew nearer, he recognised his uncle, Mr. Antony Humpage.
I had a thorough good blackguarding yesterday from your friend Humpage, so I've got my hand in. Will you curse me sitting down or standing? The other one stood! 'No, no, it ain't that, my boy. I don't want to use 'ard words. I've come to say, let bygones be bygones. Mark, my boy, I'm proud of yer! 'What, of a literary man! My dear uncle, you can't be well or you've lost money.
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