"You do--quite--right, John," said she, "to keep out of it. That's all you've got to do." She then assumed quite suddenly a large-hearted tone of liberality. "And, after all," she said, "what does it all come to? Just nothing whatever! I'm sure, dear Marianne, you need not allow yourself to feel the _least_ uneasiness--not for a moment! With a husband like yours! Only think! You'll see it will be all right, dear--just recollect what I say! Now we must go. I'll go and get my cloak--it's upstairs. No!--don't _you_ come...." But Marianne goes, for all that. Mr. Eldridge, left to himself, whistled a monotonous tune over and over again, and flicked a glove that was on with another that was off. He threw his eyes opener by fits and starts, as if he were trying on a new pair of lids. Then he produced the vanished pocket-handkerchief, and held it by two corners before him, spread out, as though he admired the pattern. Then, as though he decided suddenly that it was not Saint Veronica's, he availed himself of it as a resource of civilization, and returned it resolutely to his pocket. We are not responsible for this gentleman's actions, and can only record, without explanation, that he then said quite distinctly, "Pum, pum, pum!" and slapped his hands heavily together. He added: "Time's gettin' on"--a remark equally true of all periods. Then he listened to the voices of the two ladies returning down the stairs. "Oh no!--you needn't be the _least_ afraid about John. He's discretion itself in a thing of this sort. And you'll see it will be just as I say. When your dear husband comes back it will all be _exactly_ the same, and...." Here her voice dropped, and John listened hard, but missed a great deal.... "So now, dear, you will promise to be quite happy about it, and not let yourself fret. Won't you?" "But, Charlotte dear, it's all about _nothing_...." "That's the right view to take, dear. That's just exactly what it _is_--all about nothing! Now let's try and be happy, and not think about it. John!--where are you? Do come and let's be off! I hope it isn't raining." "Pavement was dry enough when _I_ came in," was Mr. Eldridge's testimony. To corroborate it he went out in the front garden and gazed upwards, open-mouthed. "Oh no--_it's_ not raining, fast enough," said he. Which seemed to imply that perhaps something else was. * * * * *