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 ,