carried a small oblong box with hard corners, which, perfectly
correctly, he conjectured to be cigarettes for Hermy and Ursy, since
Georgie never smoked.

"Well, I must be toddling on," he said, after identifying Georgie's box
of cigarettes, and being rather puzzled by a bulge in Georgie's pocket.
"You'll be looking in some time this morning, perhaps."

Georgie had not been quite sure that he would (for he was very busy
owing to the arrival of his sisters, and the necessity of going to Mr
Holroyd's, in order that that artist might accurately match the shade
of his hair with a view to the expensive toupet), but the mention of
the arrival of the Mozart now decided him. He intended anyhow before he
went home for lunch to stroll past The Hurst, and see if he did not
hear--to adopt a mixed metaphor--the sound of the diligent practice of
that classical morsel going on inside. Probably the soft pedal would be
down, but he had marvellously acute hearing, and he would be very much
surprised if he did not hear the recognisable chords, and even more
surprised if, when they came to practise the piece together, Lucia did
not give him to understand that she was reading it for the first time.
He had already got a copy, and had practised his part last night, but
then he was in the superior position of not having a husband who would
inadvertently tell on him! Meantime it was of the first importance to
get that particular shade of purple silk that had none of that
"tarsome" magenta-tint in it. Meantime also, it was of even greater
importance to observe the movements of Riseholme.

Just opposite was the village green, and as nobody was quite close to
him Georgie put on his spectacles, which he could whisk off in a
moment. It was these which formed that bulge in his pocket which