It was not till much, much later that the meaning of that kiss was to become clear to me.
Scarcely had we crawled out of the arbour when we heard the old gentleman screaming from a distance:
"Is it possible? Hanckel--my friend Hanckel here? Why didn't you wake me up, you scurvy blackguards, you? My friend Hanckel here, and I snoring--you dogs!"
Iolanthe turned scarlet. And I, to relieve the painful situation, said:
"Never mind, I know him."
Yes, gentlemen, I knew the old fellow, but I did not know his daughter.
CHAPTER IV
So that was the pass we had come to. On the drive home I kept repeating to myself:
"Hanckel, what a lucky dog you are! Such a treasure at your time of life! Dance for joy, shout aloud, carry on like a crazy man. The events of the day call for it."
But, gentlemen, I did not dance for joy, I did not shout aloud, I did not carry on like a crazy man. I looked over my bills and drank a glass of punch. That was the extent of my celebration.