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Updated: June 12, 2025
Ingham-Baker, blundering into the little feminine snare, "a naval man can scarcely marry. They are always so badly off. I suppose poor Fitz will not be able to support a wife until he is quite middle-aged." "That remains to be seen," said Mrs. Harrington, with a gleam in her hard grey eyes, and Mrs. Ingham-Baker pricked her finger.
"Malta," answered the grey lady, "is a sort of Nursery India. I have known girls marry at Malta, but I have known more who were obliged to go to India." "That," answered Mrs. Ingham-Baker, "is exactly what I am afraid of." "Having to go on to India?" inquired Mrs. Harrington, looking over her letters. "No. I am afraid that Malta is not quite the place one would like to take one's daughter to."
Ingham-Baker appeared to slumber, but her friend and hostess suspected her of listening. She therefore raised her voice at intervals, knowing the exquisite torture of unsatisfied curiosity, and Mrs. Ingham-Baker heard the word "Fitz," and the magic syllables "money," more than once, but no connecting phrase to soothe her aching mental palate. "And is your life a hard one?" Mrs.
Had she not stiffened herself, had she only allowed herself, as it were, to go to call Luke to her and comfort him and sympathise with him it would have altered every life in that room, and others outside of it. Even blundering, cringing, foolish Mrs. Ingham-Baker would have acted more wisely, for she would have followed the dictates of an exceedingly soft, if shallow, heart.
Ingham-Baker had been to Malta and back, but the wonders of the deep had failed to make a wiser woman of her. If one wishes to gain anything by seeing the world, it is best to go and look at it early in life. "Yes," answered Mrs. Harrington, with a glance in the direction of Agatha, the only other occupant of the drawing-room "yes; he is a good-looking young fellow."
Harrington was listening with an air of the keenest interest, which might have been sarcastic. "Poor Luke had not quite so much gold braid " Agatha looked up, and Mrs. Ingham-Baker collapsed. "I should think," she added, after some nervous shufflings in her seat, "that a sword is a great nuisance. Should you not think so, Marion dear?" "I do not know," replied Mrs. Harrington; "I never wore one."
Agatha sent her maid to bed and sat down before her bedroom fire to brush her hair. Miss Ingham-Baker had, only four years earlier, left a fashionable South Coast boarding-school fully educated for the battle of life. There seem to be two classes of young ladies' boarding-schools.
"Captain wants you, sir, immediate!" he cried. "All right," answered Luke. "Here, take this lady and put her into a boat." Mrs. Ingham-Baker was clinging to him. "Luke," she said firmly, "you must provide us with a lifeboat a safe one. I will not stand this neglect." "Here!" cried Luke to the man. "Take her away." "You come along o' me, marm," said the man, with a twinkle in his eye.
Ingham-Baker then said, in a tone of friendly confidence "I advise you to secure your dances early. She will be engaged three deep in a very short time a lot of mere boys she does not want to dance with." Fitz thanked her fervently, and went to help Mrs. Harrington. Mrs. Ingham-Baker sat back in her chair, well pleased with herself.
Ingham-Baker reflected for a moment. "We might go in the Croonah with Luke," she then observed timidly. "Ye-es." And after a little while Mrs. Ingham-Baker rose and bade her daughter good-night. Agatha remained before the fire in the low chair with her face resting on her two hands, and who can tell all that she was thinking? For the thoughts of youth are very quick.
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