“Unless he loses or spends it,” groaned the lawyer.
“He is much more likely to save it from some mistaken sense of duty, and to live entirely on what he has of his own,” remarked Isobel. “If so, it cannot be helped, and no doubt the poor will benefit. Now if you thoroughly understand what I wish done, I think that is all. I have to see the dressmaker again, so good-bye.”
“Executors?” gasped the lawyer.
“Public Trustee,” said Isobel, over her shoulder.
“They say that she is one of these Suffragette women, although she keeps it dark. Well, I can believe it. Anyway, this officer is tumbling into honey, and there’s no fool like a woman in love,” said the lawyer to himself as he packed his bag of papers.
Isobel was quite right. The question of settlements never even occurred to Godfrey. He was aware, however, that it is usual for a bridegroom to make the bride a present, and going to London, walked miserably up and down Bond Street looking into windows until he was tired. At one moment he fixed his affections upon an old Queen Anne porringer, which his natural taste told him to be quite beautiful; but having learned from the dealer that it was meant for the mixing of infant’s pap, he retired abashed. Almost next door he saw in a jeweller’s window a necklace of small pearls priced at three hundred pounds, and probably worth about half that amount. Having quite a handsome balance at his back, he came to the conclusion that he could afford this and, going in, bought it at once, oblivious of the fact that Isobel already had ropes of pearls the size of marrowfat peas. However, she was delighted with it, especially when she saw what it had cost him, for he had never thought to cut the sale ticket from the necklace. It was those pearls, and not the marrowfat peas, that Isobel wore upon her wedding day. Save for the little ring with the two turquoise hearts, these were her only ornament.
A question arose as to where the honeymoon, or so much as would remain of one, was to be spent. Godfrey would have liked to go to Lucerne and visit the Pasteur, but as this could not be managed in war time, suggested London.
“Why London?” exclaimed Isobel.
“Only because most ladies like theatres, though I confess I hate them myself.”
“You silly man,” she answered. “Do you suppose, when we can have only a few days together, that I want to waste time in theatres?”