CHAPTER XXIV 343
" Till what? You delight in half-phrases."
" Till I can ' t help it."
" Do you suppose I eat like an ogre or a ghoul, that you dread being the companion of my repast?"
" I have formed no supposition on the subject, sir; but I want to go on as usual for another month."
" You will give up your governessing slavery at once."
" Indeed, begging your pardon, sir, I shall not. I shall just go on with it as usual. I shall keep out of your way all day, as I have been accustomed to do: you may send for me in the evening, when you feel disposed to see me, and I ' ll come then; but at no other time."
" I want a smoke, Jane, or a pinch of snuff, to comfort me under all this, ' pour me donner une contenance,' as Adele would say; and unfortunately I have neither my cigar-case, nor my snuff-box. But listen-- whisper. It is your time now, little tyrant, but it will be mine presently; and when once I have fairly seized you, to have and to hold, I ' ll just-- figuratively speaking-- attach you to a chain like this "( touching his watch-guard). " Yes, bonny wee thing, I ' ll wear you in my bosom, lest my jewel I should tyne."
He said this as he helped me to alight from the carriage, and while he afterwards lifted out Adele, I entered the house, and made good my retreat upstairs.
He duly summoned me to his presence in the evening. I had prepared an occupation for him; for I was determined not to spend the whole time in a tete-e-tete conversation. I remembered his fine voice; I knew he liked to sing-- good singers generally do. I was no vocalist myself, and, in his fastidious judgment, no musician, either; but I delighted in listening when the performance was good. No sooner had twilight, that hour of romance, began to lower her blue and starry banner over the lattice, than I rose,