Lemuel could only laugh foolishly.
“Well, now, that’s singular,” pursued
Berry. “I supposed you could have done
it without the least trouble. Well, let’s
try something a little less difficult. Look me
in the eye, and regard yourself as too good, for example,
for Miss Carver. Ha!”
An angry flush spread over Lemuel’s embarrassed
face. “I wish you’d behave yourself,”
he stammered.
“In any other cause I would,” said Berry
solemnly. “But I must be cruel to be kind.
Seriously, old man, if you can’t think yourself
too good for Miss Carver, I wish you’d think
yourself good enough. Now, I’m not saying
anything against the Willoughby episode, mind.
That has its place in the wise economy of nature, just
like anything else. But there ain’t any
outcome in it for you. You’ve got a future
before you, Barker, and you don’t want to go
and load up with a love affair that you’ll keep
trying to unload as long as you live. No, sir!
Look at me! I know I’m not an example in
some things, but in this little business of correctly
placed affections I could give points to Solomon.
Why am I in love with M. Swan? Because I can’t
help it for one thing, and because for another thing
she can do more to develop the hidden worth and unsuspected
powers of A. W., Jr., than any other woman in the
world. She may never feel that it’s her
mission, but she can’t shake my conviction that
way; and I shall stay undeveloped to prove that I
was right. Well, now, what you want, my friend,
is development, and you can’t get it where you’ve
been going. She hain’t got it on hand.
And what you want to do is not to take something else
in its place—tender heart, steadfast affections,
loyalty; they’ve got ’em at every shop
in town; they’re a drug in the market.
You’ve got to say ’No development, heigh?
Well, I’ll just look round a while, and if I
can’t find it at some of the other stores I’ll
come back and take some of that steadfast affection.
You say it won’t come off? Or run in washing?’
See?”
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself,”
said Lemuel, trying to summon an indignant feeling,
and laughing with a strange pleasure at heart.
“You’ve got no right to talk to me that
way. I want you should leave me alone!”
“Well, since you’re so pressing, I will
go,” said Berry easily. “But if I
find you at our next interview sitting under the shade
of the mustard-tree whose little seed I have just
dropped, I shall feel that I have not laboured in
vain. ’She’s a darling, she’s
a daisy, she’s a dumpling, she’s a lamb!’
I refer to Miss Swan, of course; but on other lips
the terms are equally applicable to Miss Carver; and
don’t you forget it!”
He swung out of the office with a mazurka step.
His silk hat, gaily tilted on the side of his head,
struck against the door-jamb, and fell rolling across
the entry floor. Lemuel laughed wildly. At
twenty these things are droll.
