Ian Hay

“ I had no money: I never have! But I can set your mind completely at rest so far as she is concerned. I haven’t seen her for more than fifteen years. She proved to be a quite impossible person, I regret to say. Don’t you worry about her. At present I am absolutely heart-whole. In the words of the poet, “All that I ask is Love; All that I want is You!”.’ He threw his cigarette into the fender and took a step nearer. ‘Milly!’
Mildred stepped back a corresponding distance.
‘Keep your distance, my man!’ she said calmly.
‘Certainly,’ replied Cradock, sitting down. ‘It’s rather a warm morning. ”

“ This time he had spoken the truth, and Mildred knew it. Realisation of that fact appeared in her eyes—and real terror.
‘Never! Never! Never!’ she cried.
Cradock heaved a gentle sigh of relief. He was on solid ground at last. ‘Don’t make a scene, Milly,’ he said soothingly; ‘there’s a good girl! You know I hate scenes. Listen to me! I’m not the sort of fellow to put any woman in a tight corner. We can settle this little matter in two minutes, in one or two ways. Either you can announce to the family that Father has come home, and we can all settle down and live happily ever after ”

“ I never can resist them when they are fair and fluffy.’
To prove his words, the visitor laid a paternal hand upon Simmons’s shoulder. The result was an agitated squeal and another hurried exit. Masculine admiration was meat and drink to Simmons, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing in the course of a single morning.
Captain Conway now put his hands in his pockets and strolled round the cheerful room, humming a little tune. Presently he came to the sideboard, upon which stood a silver cigarette-box. ”

“ Then Joan and Denny detached themselves from the group, and came strolling across the grass towards the house.
In a flash Mildred’s course was made plain, and her mind made up. But time pressed; the pair were only fifty yards away. She whirled round upon her husband, and cut him short.
‘Listen to me!’ she said, speaking in a low, rapid voice. ‘I believe in God, and I say my prayers to Him every night and every morning. Every morning I thank Him for my children, and every night I thank Him again for them ”

“ The children must never know that you are their father. Thank you for warning me of that!’
‘Oh, I warned you, did I?’ Cradock was plainly a little taken aback.
‘Yes. You said: “Like father, like son!’ That’s just it! It’s Denny I’m thinking about—Denny! He’s weak, horribly weak; but so far he’s not vicious. His great standby so far has been his belief that his father was a decent sort of man—and that he takes after his father. If I acknowledge you as his father ”

“ With his hands in his pockets, he strolled up to the window, stretched himself luxuriously, and gazed contentedly out into the sunny garden. This done, he turned, to find his wife standing behind him. ”

“ As you know, the sight of work always makes me feel sick and faint. Besides, I was such a good rider and swimmer that I was constantly being detailed for laborious stunts like battles and shipwrecks. It wasn’t a job for a gentleman at all. ”