"Not now—sometime or other you will perhaps know all; but come with me to the beach—all will end well."
"Will it?—then I hope to heaven it will end soon, for an hour or two more of this will kill me."
The two gentlemen, in the meantime, had disappeared, and Mr Clam was on the eve of being hurried off to the harbour, when a young officer came rapidly towards them.
"Charles!" cried the lady, and put her arms round his neck.
"There she goes!" said Mr Clam—"another soldier!—She'll know the whole army soon."
"Mary!" exclaimed the soldier—"so good, so kind of you to come to receive me."
"I wished to see you particularly," she said, "alone, for one minute."
The brother and sister retired to one side, leaving Mr Clam once more out of ear-shot.
"More whispering!" muttered that disappointed gentleman. "This can never enlarge the intellect or improve the mind. Mrs M. is a humbug—not a drop of information can I get for love or money. Nothing but whisperings here, closetings there—all that comes to my share is threats of shootings and duckings under pumps. I'll go back to Waterloo Place this blessed night, and burn 'Woman's Dignity' the moment I get home."
"Then let us go to Chatterton's rooms," said the young officer, giving his arm to his sister; "I have no doubt he will explain it all, and I shall be delighted to see your husband."