Wednesday, November 7, 2012

  Do you remember the time I turned the hose on you

  "Do you remember the time I turned the hose on you, Freddie," shesaid, rising from the fender, "years ago, when we were children, whenyou and that awful Mason boy--what was his name? Wally Mason--teasedme?" She looked at the unhappy Freddie with a hostile eye. It was hisblundering words that had spoiled everything. "I've forgotten what itwas all about, but I know that you and Wally infuriated me and Iturned the garden hose on you and soaked you both to the skin. Well,all I want to point out is that, if you go on talking nonsense aboutDerek and his mother and me, I shall ask Parker to bring me a jug ofwater, and I shall empty it over you! Set him against me! You talk asif love were a thing any third party could come along and turn offwith a tap! Do you suppose that, when two people love each other asDerek and I do, that it can possibly matter in the least what anybodyelse thinks or says, even if it is his mother? I haven't got amother, but suppose Uncle Chris came and warned me against Derek . . ."Her anger suddenly left her as quickly as it had come. That wasalways the way with Jill. One moment later she would be raging; thenext, something would tickle her sense of humor and restore herinstantly to cheerfulness. And the thought of dear, lazy old UncleChris taking the trouble to warn anybody against anything except thewrong brand of wine or an inferior make of cigar conjured up apicture before which wrath melted away. She chuckled, and Freddie,who had been wilting on the fender, perked up.
  "You're an extraordinary girl, Jill! One never knows when you'regoing to get the wind up.""Isn't it enough to make me get the wind up, as you call it, when yousay absurd things like that?""I meant well, old girl!""That's the trouble with you. You always do mean well. You go aboutthe world meaning well till people fly to put themselves under policeprotection. Besides,cheap jeremy scott adidas, what on earth could Lady Underhill find toobject to in me? I've plenty of money, and I'm one of the mostcharming and attractive of Society belles. You needn't take my wordfor that, and I don't suppose you've noticed it, but that's what MrGossip in the _Morning Mirror_ called me when he was writing about mygetting engaged to Derek. My maid showed me the clipping. There wasquite a long paragraph, with a picture of me that looked like a Zuluchieftainess taken in a coal-cellar during a bad fog. Well, afterthat, what could anyone say against me? I'm a perfect prize! I expectLady Underhill screamed with joy when she heard the news and wentsinging all over her Riviera villa.""Yes," said Freddie dubiously. "Yes, yes, oh, quite so,jeremy scott adidas 2012, rather!"Jill looked at him sternly.
  "Freddie, you're concealing something from me! You _don't_ think I'ma charming and attractive Society belle,chanel bags cheap! Tell me why not and I'llshow you where you are wrong. Is it my face you object to, or mymanners, or my figure? There was a young bride of Antigua, who saidto her mate, 'What a pig you are!' Said he, 'Oh, my queen, is itmanners you mean, or do you allude to my fig-u-ar?' Isn't my figuarall right, Freddie?""Oh, _I_ think you're topping.""But for some reason you're afraid that Derek's mother won't thinkso. Why won't Lady Underhill agree with Mr Gossip?"Freddie hesitated,jeremy scott adidas wings.

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