“No no, my dear fellow, you really must excuse me,” pushing him back. “If you must kiss somebody, you may kiss Alice; and for your kind congratulations, conveyed, I presume, by those wild evolutions just now, receive my warmest thanks. Also,” he added more seriously, “for all your well-meant but unsuccessful endeavours to reconcile us, all the _tête-à-tête_ rides and walks you contrived. Only you are not an old woman, you would make a superb chaperone.” A less shrewd observer than Geoffrey could see that this assumed gaiety covered a deeper emotion Reginald could hardly conceal. “Well, here, Alice, is a kiss for you, by your lord and master’s kind permission.” “Imagine you have had it, it will do as well,” cried Alice, waving him away with both hands. “All right,” replied Geoffrey, rather huffed. “Imagination is no doubt better than reality in this particular instance. I always knew if anyone could manage you, or get you along at all in double harness, it was our right honourable friend. But you must confess you jibbed frightfully at starting. Plenty of the whip, that’s what you all want. ‘A woman, a dog, and a walnut-tree, The more you beat them the better they be.’ Isn’t that so?” “Geoffrey!” exclaimed Alice, “have you taken leave of your senses! If people were to see you whooping and springing about they would certainly think we kept a private lunatic asylum, and that you were one of our most dangerous patients. Do be cautious, the moon is at the full!” Reginald having started off to fetch the pears, Geoffrey watched him out of sight, and then said: “Alice, my good girl, seriously and soberly, I never was so glad of anything in all my life. He is the best fellow I ever knew, and ten times too good for you.” “No one knows that better than myself,” she replied meekly, to Geoffrey’s unbounded surprise. “Good-night, Geoff; I’m going. Tell him to tell them; I couldn’t,” she added, vanishing through the gateway. “Alice has gone, Rex,” said Geoffrey, “and you are to break it gently to the family. No one could eat pears now: leave them on the garden-seat and come along. You and Alice are the only _pair_ they will think of to-night.” In a few minutes they had rejoined the party in the pleasure-ground. “Well, what has kept you? Have you brought the pears?” inquired Helen, languidly. “No; but I have brought you a piece of good news instead. You can guess what it is, can you not?” “I can, my dear Regy,” she replied, rising hastily--her active mind having grasped the truth in one second--and kissing him with effusion. “I know there is only one thing that could make you look so happy. Where is Alice?” “This,” said Geoffrey with mock gravity, taking Reginald’s unwilling hand, “is Petruchio. Katharina has retired. In plain English, Alice was too bashful to return here, and desired me to accept your congratulations as her deputy. I’ve no doubt, Helen, that you and Miss Ferrars will find her in her room.”