“What’s up!” he said looking at Bags. “Anything beastly happened? Nothing wrong in the house, is there!”
“Oh, David, I’m so sorry,” said Bags.
David let go of the winder and the propeller whirred and pulled as the wheels ran round.
“Well, get on,” he said.
“She’s engaged to that cousin,” said Bags. “Banns were given out yesterday at the parish church. Plugs told me; his people were down and he went with them to church instead of chapel.”
David felt the world topple round him. He sat down and turned very red in the face.
“Oh” was all he said.
Then Bags came a step closer.
“I say, David,” he said shyly, “if you only knew how I hate anything that hurts you. I should like to kill that chap.”
And his plain, rather goat-like face glowed with that which had so long inspired him, namely, his affection for David, that shy, silent passion of friendship.