Worshipful Brother Burges, from the floor of the Lodge, called us all from Labour to Refreshment. Humberstall hove himself up--so very a cart-horse of a man one almost expected to hear the harness creak on his back--and descended the steps. He said he could not stay for tea because he had promised his mother to come home for it, and she would most probably be waiting for him now at the Lodge door. “One or other of ’em always comes for ’im. He’s apt to miss ’is gears sometimes,” Anthony explained to me, as we followed. “Goes on a bust, d’you mean?” “’Im! He’s no more touched liquor than ’e ’as women since ’e was born. No, ’e’s liable to a sort o’ quiet fits, like. They came on after the dump blew up at Eatables. But for them, ’e’d ha’ been Battery Sergeant Major.” “Oh!” I said. “I couldn’t make out why he took on as mess-waiter when he got back to his guns. That explains things a bit.” “’Is sister told me the dump goin’ up knocked all ’is Gunnery instruction clean out of ’im. The only thing ’e stuck to was to get back to ’is old crowd. Gawd knows ’ow ’e worked it, but ’e did. He fair deserted out of England to ’em, she says; an’ when they saw the state ’e was in, they ’adn’t the ’eart to send ’im back or into ’ospital. They kep’ ’im for a mascot, as you might say. That’s _all_ dead true. ’Is sister told me so. But I can’t guarantee that Janeite business, excep’ ’e never told a lie since ’e was six. ’Is sister told me so. What do _you_ think?” “He isn’t likely to have made it up out of his own head,” I replied. “But people don’t get so crazy-fond o’ books as all that, do they? ’E’s made ’is sister try to read ’em. She’d do anythin’ to please him. But, as I keep tellin’ ’er, so’d ’is mother. D’you ’appen to know anything about Jane?” “I believe Jane was a bit of a match-maker in a quiet way when she was alive, and I know all her books are full of match-making,” I said. “_You’d_ better look out.” “Oh, _that’s_ as good as settled,” Anthony replied, blushing. [3] “Get out, you dog.” JANE’S MARRIAGE Jane went to Paradise: That was only fair. Good Sir Walter met her first, And led her up the stair. Henry and Tobias, And Miguel of Spain, Stood with Shakespeare at the top To welcome Jane-- Then the Three Archangels Offered out of hand, Anything in Heaven’s gift That she might command. Azrael’s eyes upon her, Raphael’s wings above, Michael’s sword against her heart, Jane said: “Love.” Instantly the under- standing Seraphim Laid their fingers on their lips And went to look for him. Stole across the Zodiac, Harnessed Charles’s Wain, And whispered round the Nebulae “Who loved Jane?” In a private limbo Where none had thought to look, Sat a Hampshire gentleman Reading of a book. It was called _Persuasion_, And it told the plain Story of the love between Him and Jane.