Never, however, in the whole course of his career, not even when he had scored those three goals against Scotland, had Mr. Philip shown more invincible determination than at this moment. If there was not to be a scene in Piccadilly and a paragraph in the evening papers, Mary would have to do as she was told.
“Phil-ipp, you are behaving anyhow.”
“Less of it, Polly.”
“Less of what, Phil-ipp?”
“Your cheek—you cat.”
Unbridled insolence, which we are sure no girl of refined instincts and decent nurture—do you think so, Madam? All the same, that is the manner in which Phil-ipp admonished her, and her salary was a hundred a week, and was likely to be two hundred presently; and the ex-non-commissioned officer on duty at the entrance to the Burlington Arcade pricked up his ears disapprovingly at such language being used to a lady; and his trained observation told him she was a lady, although her face had rather more powder on it than it ought to have had; and he wondered whether he would have permitted himself to use such language in such circumstances when he was a young chap in the Guards with one stripe a-courtin’ the Missus; and whether the Missus would have had him in spite of his uniform if he had courted her in that way; and whether she wouldn’t have been quite right; and whether anybody knew what things were comin’ to, because he was quite sure that he didn’t. And yes, there the young chap had got hold of her arm again, and, strike his lucky! they were chipping each other like one o’clock; and a dashed pretty girl, and not a bad-looking young chap either. And what were the pair o’ turtledoves—as of course a chap of his experience could see with half an eye—quarrelling about? No, not quarrelling exactly, but chipping each other and cross-talking somewhat. And what was it all about? Why, a flat in Knightsbridge. You ’ave it, miss, and be thankful for the chawnce, and think yourself fortunate, which of course you are; and so is he if he gets you to go and arrange the flowers in the vases for him.
Down the street again they are going now, though, yet still conducting their heated argument. Granny would be furious, and so would Mother. And Father would cut him out of the succession—which of course he couldn’t; and that, perhaps, was almost a pity. She would have to give up the provinces and break her contracts, and everything would be so uncomfortable for everybody—
“Except, old girl, for you and me.”
“But that’s rather selfish, isn’t it, Phil-ipp?”
Phil-ipp dared say it was a little, but yet not altogether, because, after all, it was the way of human nature. Not a very conclusive piece of reasoning, young fellow, but Mistress Polly was bound to admit that, superficial as it was, it would bear thinking upon.