I ignored Margery.
"But, Alan darling, how beautiful! You've been trying for years and years and now at last it has happened. I do hope it isn't a mistake," said Cecilia anxiously. She was trying to be nice, you know. I'm sure she was. I went on with my breakfast.
"Well, John," said Cecilia, "can't you congratulate him, or are you too jealous?"
John sighed deeply and pondered.
"Terrible how Punch has gone down since our young days, isn't it?" he said heavily.
I spent a miserable time until it appeared. Somehow or other Cecilia let the great glad news get about the village. Farley, our newsagent and tobacconist, held me when I went in for an ounce of the usual mild.
"So I 'ear you've 'ad a article printed by this 'ere Punch, Sir," he said. "Somethink laughable it'd be, I suppose like, eh?"
"Not half," I said, striving hard to impersonate a successful humourist.
"Ah, well, it's all good for business," he said, as one who sees the silver lining. "I've 'ad quite a number of orders for the paper for the next two or three weeks."