"
"Let 'em think,--if the exertion doesn't kill them.
"Let 'em think,--if the exertion doesn't kill them.
Kipling - Poems
"
Maisie had enjoyed no sort of holiday for months and looked forward to
the little excitement, but not without misgivings.
"There's nobody nicer than Dick when he talks sensibly," she thought,
"but I'm sure he'll be silly and worry me, and I'm sure I can't tell him
anything he'd like to hear. If he'd only be sensible, I should like him
so much better. "
Dick's eyes were full of joy when he made his appearance next morning
and saw Maisie, gray-ulstered and black-velvet-hatted, standing in the
hallway. Palaces of marble, and not sordid imitation of grained wood,
were surely the fittest background for such a divinity. The red-haired
girl drew her into the studio for a moment and kissed her hurriedly.
Maisie's eyebrows climbed to the top of her forehead; she was altogether
unused to these demonstrations. "Mind my hat," she said, hurrying away,
and ran down the steps to Dick waiting by the hansom.
"Are you quite warm enough! Are you sure you wouldn't like some more
breakfast? Put the cloak over your knees. "
"I'm quite comf'y, thanks. Where are we going, Dick? Oh, do stop singing
like that. People will think we're mad.
"
"Let 'em think,--if the exertion doesn't kill them. They don't know who
we are, and I'm sure I don't care who they are. My faith, Maisie, you're
looking lovely! "
Maisie stared directly in front of her and did not reply. The wind of a
keen clear winter morning had put colour into her cheeks. Overhead,
the creamy-yellow smoke-clouds were thinning away one by one against a
pale-blue sky, and the improvident sparrows broke off from water-spout
committees and cab-rank cabals to clamour of the coming of spring.
"It will be lovely weather in the country," said Dick.
"But where are we going? "
"Wait and see. "
The stopped at Victoria, and Dick sought tickets. For less than half the
fraction of an instant it occurred to Maisie, comfortably settled by the
waiting-room fire, that it was much more pleasant to send a man to the
booking-office than to elbow one's own way through the crowd. Dick put
her into a Pullman,--solely on account of the warmth there; and she
regarded the extravagance with grave scandalised eyes as the train moved
out into the country.
"I wish I knew where we are going," she repeated for the twentieth time.
The name of a well-remembered station flashed by, towards the end of the
run, and Maisie was delighted.
"Oh, Dick, you villain! "
"Well, I thought you might like to see the place again.
Maisie had enjoyed no sort of holiday for months and looked forward to
the little excitement, but not without misgivings.
"There's nobody nicer than Dick when he talks sensibly," she thought,
"but I'm sure he'll be silly and worry me, and I'm sure I can't tell him
anything he'd like to hear. If he'd only be sensible, I should like him
so much better. "
Dick's eyes were full of joy when he made his appearance next morning
and saw Maisie, gray-ulstered and black-velvet-hatted, standing in the
hallway. Palaces of marble, and not sordid imitation of grained wood,
were surely the fittest background for such a divinity. The red-haired
girl drew her into the studio for a moment and kissed her hurriedly.
Maisie's eyebrows climbed to the top of her forehead; she was altogether
unused to these demonstrations. "Mind my hat," she said, hurrying away,
and ran down the steps to Dick waiting by the hansom.
"Are you quite warm enough! Are you sure you wouldn't like some more
breakfast? Put the cloak over your knees. "
"I'm quite comf'y, thanks. Where are we going, Dick? Oh, do stop singing
like that. People will think we're mad.
"
"Let 'em think,--if the exertion doesn't kill them. They don't know who
we are, and I'm sure I don't care who they are. My faith, Maisie, you're
looking lovely! "
Maisie stared directly in front of her and did not reply. The wind of a
keen clear winter morning had put colour into her cheeks. Overhead,
the creamy-yellow smoke-clouds were thinning away one by one against a
pale-blue sky, and the improvident sparrows broke off from water-spout
committees and cab-rank cabals to clamour of the coming of spring.
"It will be lovely weather in the country," said Dick.
"But where are we going? "
"Wait and see. "
The stopped at Victoria, and Dick sought tickets. For less than half the
fraction of an instant it occurred to Maisie, comfortably settled by the
waiting-room fire, that it was much more pleasant to send a man to the
booking-office than to elbow one's own way through the crowd. Dick put
her into a Pullman,--solely on account of the warmth there; and she
regarded the extravagance with grave scandalised eyes as the train moved
out into the country.
"I wish I knew where we are going," she repeated for the twentieth time.
The name of a well-remembered station flashed by, towards the end of the
run, and Maisie was delighted.
"Oh, Dick, you villain! "
"Well, I thought you might like to see the place again.
