A. A. Milne

“ I wondered who the other—the famous William Denny—was, or if she could possibly have read my little brochure—or book, as ordinary people say—called "The Road to Happiness." My theory of happiness is roughly that—— But you will understand it better if you buy the book. It costs two shillings and sixpence, and the publishers give me a penny or so for myself every six months, according to whether one or two copies have been sold.
"I always ask everybody that," smiled Miss Daintry. "It's much the best way of beginning." ”

“ Rosemary turned round quickly.
"Why, it's Mr. Denny!" she said. "How do you do?"
"How do you do? Everybody is at the British Museum to-day."
"Yes, but what are they all doing? I'm here on business, only I'm doing it very badly. Perhaps you can help me." ”

“ There's a refreshment room here somewhere, but probably they only give you marble tops to the tables—and watercress. If we went outside, I could pay my debt properly, and I could also show you my new umbrella. I lent it to an attendant when I came in, but he's promised to give it me back when I go out."
"Tea would be rather jolly," said Rosemary thoughtfully, but with a bit of a smile lurking somewhere. "Do you know that it's only ten days ago that I first met you at dinner?"
"We always seem to be having meals together, don't we?" ”

“ Rosemary moved on. Mr. Denny turned round and hurried back in the direction from which he had been coming. He had forgotten his umbrella, perhaps.
"Hallo!" said Rosemary, her face lighting up.
"Well," I said, "this is a surprise!"
"I'm buying a birthday present," she volunteered. "Something for a father. But I can't think what he wants. If you aren't going in entirely the other direction, you might walk along and make brilliant suggestions."
We walked along.
"Fathers are very difficult to give things to," I agreed. "They always have everything. ”

“ I said cheerfully. "One can talk so much better when one is eating—I mean, of course, in the intervals. But to speak seriously, to quote again from the immortal work, Book VIII., Chap. 16, 'I should be very much honoured, Miss Daintry, if you would take a dish of tea with me,' said he, with a low bow. This," I added, "is the 'low bow.'" And, looking round to see that the policeman wasn't watching, I took off my hat and bowed low to her. "Do come."
Rosemary nodded her head slowly at me.
"Miss Daintry," she said, "has much pleasure in accepting Mr. Denny's kind piece of cake." ”

“ Let's go for a walk, and you can show me all the sights. We can take the church cautiously, from the outside, on our way back."
Rosemary nodded.
"In half an hour, then. I must put on a shorter skirt, or I shall be one of the sights myself."
And so, half an hour later, we started.
"I ought to warn you," I said, "I know very little about the country. I don't know if a cuckoo-wort is a bird or a—a wort."
"What is a cuckoo-wort?" said Rosemary. ”

“ An attendant took my umbrella from me.
"Be careful with it," I said. "This is the first time it has left its father. Don't let it have the indiarubber ring; it's so unhealthy for it."
I left him and wandered upstairs. There are, of course, other things than mummies in the British Museum, but it is to the Egyptian Rooms that I always make my way when it rains. For once I was rewarded. Standing opposite the case of one of the most notorious of our mummies was—
"Allow me to introduce you," I said, stepping up briskly. "Miss Rosemary Daintry—my aunt, the Princess Ra." ”

“ Some men make a beeline for the son of the house and ask him what's for dinner, but I have been better brought up. Generally I find myself standing first on one leg and then on the other, fingering my tie, and wondering if there is anyone present who would like me to point out that the day has been a beautiful one.
I was carrying on in this way when my host came up to me.
"You're taking in Miss Daintry," he said. "I don't think you know her." He brought me up to a lonely girl and explained: "This is Mr. William Denny." I bowed and said to myself: "Her nose is too short." ”

“ I try desperately hard to avoid it. I start talking about the most unlikely things, such as cuckoo-worts, but, somehow or other, I always end up with the name of my publishers. And yet I am not a conceited man. I——"
"Have you written any other books?"
"I am writing one. Mr. William Denny is at present engaged upon a full-length novel. It's rather exciting. You just go on until you're stuck, and then you begin a new chapter with 'Meanwhile——' Life is rather jolly, don't you think?"
"It's heavenly," said Rosemary, "What made you suddenly say so?" ”

“ If you have, you will understand how wonderful it is to wake up in the morning and realise suddenly that she, the beloved one, is for the first time under the same roof as yourself. No hopeless prayers that there shall be a letter from her to-day ”

“ Before I could say anything, that other silly person rushed up and took Rosemary into his arms and told her his old story again. And somehow she didn't seem afraid.
Copyright, 1915, by A. A. Milne, in the United States of America. ”

“ Rosemary sighed.
"I've never even thought of you as anything but Mr. Denny," she said.
"Then begin with William. Say 'William—William—William—William—William!' like that to yourself, and after a bit 'Billy' will come quite easily to you."
"Oh, I must talk to somebody about it! Father likes you, I know."
"And I like him. When we are married, we will often meet him at the British Museum. And I'll go and talk to him to-morrow. It isn't only the three and fourpence from my publishers; I've got other money, too. We shall have about five and ninepence altogether. I'm sure Mr. ”