"Uncle, now's the time, you know; have you got it all right?"
"No, I haven't, and for goodness sake, let's have no speeches, there isn't time, the other guests will be coming soon, and—your aunt——"
"There's heaps of time, uncle, screw your courage up, you know, and they will be so pleased. Remember to begin about being awfully delighted."
The many waiters stood to attention, having been duly warned, and a sudden hush fell on the company. Poor Sir Evas felt as if he were being led to execution as he found himself on the platform, this time without Toney. His speech had clean gone out of his head except Toney's two words, "awfully delighted," and that did not sound quite dignified. "Hum, hum, I'm awfully delighted—hum—to see you here to-night, but I hope, my friends, you all understand that this is my niece's doing on her coming of age. We men are rather up a tree when our female relations determine to do something, and as people rarely come of age, hum (that is idiotic), I mean only once in their lives, Miss Whitburn has had her way. I hope you'll all think it a very good way." (Cheers and thumps.)
"Never was one for speaking wasn't Sir Evas. There's folks 'as got oily tongues and some as 'asn't." This from a sympathetic old lady.
"Time's getting on (that's idiotic too), so I must say no more than I hope you will always remember this dinner, and I wish you all to drink the health of my niece, Toney Whitburn."
A great cheering and drinking of health, with a perfect clatter of glasses, followed. Toney was deeply disappointed, she had prepared such a lovely speech for her uncle, and he had declared he would say it, or "words to that effect," but he hadn't! She didn't want him to have mentioned her, but all about the guests themselves.
In another moment Toney had sprung on the platform, and then there was such a noise as never was, and simultaneously they all rose and sang, "For she's a jolly good fellow," the only known equivalent in the English language for great approval.
The words were nothing, as we know, but it was the great feeling of love which upset Toney. All her own lovely speech fled out of her head, and the view became misty. She felt as if she was far away on the Australian land and that her father was close beside her saying, "Courage, Toney, you know I hate tears." Then with the back of her hand she brushed away something that was nearly falling and took courage.
"Thank you very much, kind friends, for giving me such a jolly chorus on my birthday. I have given you a dinner such as I wish you had every day, at least, no, not quite, but I want you to remember to-day because if I were to forget it there would be ever so many of you to remind me of my duty. Without Sir Evas you wouldn't have had this entertainment, because it was he who insisted on his penniless niece coming over here, and when the dear old General left me his money to spend on other people, because he died and couldn't do it himself, well, then Sir Evas took all the trouble of it—and money is an awful trouble—and he's been helping me for weeks to arrange everything, and he really is a "jolly good fellow"—— Great stamping of feet and great shouting, as if Toney had made a tremendous good joke, and then a wild beginning again of "For he's a jolly good fellow," till Mr. Hales begged for silence, and Toney, convulsed with laughter, beckoned to Lewis Waycott and Mr. Hales to come up to her, which they both did.