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Page 26
"And all the while you're talking you're letting my carver get
away," said Aline.
George called to the willing priest, who steered his truck toward
them. Aline directed his dissection of the shoulder of mutton by
word and gesture.
"Enjoy yourself!" said Emerson coldly.
"So I do, George; so I do. What excellent meat they have in
England!"
"It all comes from America," said George patriotically. "And,
anyway, can't you be a bit more spiritual? I don't want to sit
here discussing food products."
"If you were in my position, George, you wouldn't want to talk
about anything else. It's doing him a world of good, poor dear;
but there are times when I'm sorry Father ever started this
food-reform thing. You don't know what it means for a healthy
young girl to try and support life on nuts and grasses."
"And why should you?" broke out Emerson. "I'll tell you what it
is, Aline--you are perfectly absurd about your father. I don't
want to say anything against him to you, naturally; but--"
"Go ahead, George. Why this diffidence? Say what you like."
"Very well, then, I will. I'll give it to you straight. You know
quite well that you have let your father bully you since you were
in short frocks. I don't say it is your fault or his fault, or
anybody's fault; I just state it as a fact. It's temperament, I
suppose. You are yielding and he is aggressive; and he has taken
advantage of it.
"We now come to this idiotic Freddie-marriage business. Your
father has forced you into that. It's all very well to say that
you are a free agent and that fathers don't coerce their
daughters nowadays. The trouble is that your father does. You let
him do what he likes with you. He has got you hypnotized; and you
won't break away from this Freddie foolishness because you can't
find the nerve. I'm going to help you find the nerve. I'm coming
down to Blandings Castle when you go there on Friday."
"Coming to Blandings!"
"Freddie invited me last night. I think it was done by way of
interest on the money he owed me; but he did it and I accepted."
"But, George, my dear boy, do you never read the etiquette books
and the hints in the Sunday papers on how to be the perfect
gentleman? Don't you know you can't be a man's guest and take
advantage of his hospitality to try to steal his fiancee away
from him?"
"Watch me."
A dreamy look came into Aline's eyes. "I wonder what it feels
like, being a countess," she said.
"You will never know." George looked at her pityingly. "My poor
girl," he said, "have you been lured into this engagement in the
belief that pop-eyed Frederick, the Idiot Child, is going to be
an earl some day? You have been stung! Freddie is not the heir.
His older brother, Lord Bosham, is as fit as a prize-fighter and
has three healthy sons. Freddie has about as much chance of
getting the title as I have."
"George, your education has been sadly neglected. Don't you know
that the heir to the title always goes on a yachting cruise, with
his whole family, and gets drowned--and the children too? It
happens in every English novel you read."
"Listen, Aline! Let us get this thing straight: I have been in
love with you since I wore knickerbockers. I proposed to you at
your first dance--"
"Very clumsily."
"But sincerely. Last year, when I found that you had gone to
England, I came on after you as soon as the firm could spare me.
And I found you engaged to this Freddie excrescence."
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