the girl in the flesh, and I was cured!”
Feeling more tongue-tied than ever, Tommy ejaculated “Oh!” again.
“No disparagement to Jane, mind you,” continued the other. “She’s a real
nice girl, and some fellow will fall in love with her right away.”
“I thought her a very good-looking girl,” said Tommy, finding his tongue.
“Sure she is. But she’s not like her photo one bit. At least I suppose she
is in a way–must be–because I recognized her right off. If I’d seen her in a
crowd I’d have said ‘There’s a girl whose face I know’ right away without any
hesitation. But there was something about that photo”–Julius shook his head,
and heaved a sigh–“I guess romance is a mighty queer thing!”
“It must be,” said Tommy coldly, “if you can come over here in love with
one girl, and propose to another within a fortnight.”
Julius had the grace to look discomposed.
“Well, you see, I’d got a sort of tired feeling that I’d never find
Jane–and that it was all plumb foolishness anyway. And then–oh, well, the
French, for instance, are much more sensible in the way they look at things.
They keep romance and marriage apart—-”
Tommy flushed.
“Well, I’m damned! If that’s—-”
Julius hastened to interrupt.
“Say now, don’t be hasty. I don’t mean what you mean. I take it Americans
have a higher opinion of morality than you have even. What I meant was that the
French set about marriage in a businesslike way–find two people who are suited
to one another, look after the money affairs, and see the whole thing
practically, and in a businesslike spirit.”
“If you ask me,” said Tommy, “we’re all too damned businesslike nowadays.
We’re always saying, ‘Will it pay?’ The men are bad enough, and the girls are
worse!”
“Cool down, son. Don’t get so heated.”
“I feel heated,” said Tommy.
Julius looked at him and judged it wise to say no more.
However, Tommy had plenty of time to cool down before they reached
Holyhead, and the cheerful grin had returned to his countenance as they alighted
at their destination.
After consultation, and with the aid of a road map, they were fairly well
agreed as to direction, so were able to hire a taxi without more ado and drive
out on the road leading to Treaddur Bay. They instructed the man to go slowly,
and watched narrowly so as not to miss the path. They came to it not long after
leaving the town, and Tommy stopped the car promptly, asked in a casual tone
whether the path led down to the sea, and hearing it did paid off the man in
handsome style.
A moment later the taxi was slowly chugging back to Holyhead. Tommy and
Julius watched it out of sight, and then turned to the narrow path.
“It’s the right one, I suppose?” asked Tommy doubtfully. “There must be
simply heaps along here.”
“Sure it is. Look at the gorse. Remember what Jane said?”
Tommy looked at the swelling hedges of golden blossom which bordered the
path on either side, and was convinced.
They went down in single file, Julius leading. Twice Tommy turned his head
uneasily. Julius looked back.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. I’ve got the wind up somehow. Keep fancying there’s some
one following us.”
“Can’t be,” said Julius positively. “We’d see him.”
Tommy had to admit that this was true. Nevertheless, his sense of
uneasiness deepened. In spite of himself he believed in the omniscience of the
enemy.
“I rather wish that fellow would come along,” said Julius. He patted his
pocket. “Little William here is just aching for exercise!”
“Do you always carry it–him–with you?” inquired Tommy with burning
curiosity.
“Most always. I guess you never know what might turn up.”
Tommy kept a respectful silence. He was impressed by little William. It
seemed to remove the menace of Mr. Brown farther away.
The path was now running along the side of the cliff, parallel to the sea.
Suddenly Julius came to such an abrupt halt that Tommy cannoned into him.
“What’s up?” he inquired.
“Look there. If that doesn’t beat the band!”
Tommy looked. Standing out half obstructing the path was a huge boulder