doesn't she? Her eyes, then."

"I observe," said Jill pompously, "that you are sitting up and taking
notice. Your adol--adol--er--what you said, is at hand. You are emerging
from the chrysalis of ignorance----"

"This is blasphemy. You wicked girl. And what are you getting at?
Matchmaking or only blackmail?"

"Well, it's time you got married, isn't it? I don't want you to, dear,
but I know you've got to soon, and--and I'd like you to be happy."

There was a little catch in her voice, and I looked down to see her eyes
shining.

"Little Jill," I said, "if I marry six wives, I shall still be in love
with my cousin--a little fair girl, with great grey eyes and the
prettiest ways and a heart of the purest gold. And now shall we cry here
or by The Serpentine?"

She caught at my arm, laughing.

"Boy, you're very----Oh, I say! Where's Nobby?"

We had reached the Achilles Statue, and a hurried retrospect showed me
the terrier some thirty paces away, exchanging discourtesies with an
Aberdeen. The two were walking round each other with a terrible
deliberation, and from their respective demeanours it was transparently
clear that only an immediate distraction could avert the scandal of a
distressing brawl.