woman," she
observed.

Mr. Partington made a commentatory sound.

"An' 'e's 'arf mad," she added. "'E means mischief if 'e can manage it."

Mr. Partington observed, in his own particular kind of vocabulary, that
the Major's intentions were absurd, since the young man would scarcely
be such a peculiarly qualified kind of fool as to return. And Mrs.
Partington agreed with him. (In fact, this had been her one comfort all
day. For it seemed to her, with her frank and natural ideas, that, on
the whole, Frank and Gertie had done the proper thing. She was pleased,
too, to think that she had been right in her surmises as to Gertie's
attitude to Frank. For, of course, she never doubted for one single
instant that the two had eloped together in the ordinary way, though
probably without any intentions of matrimony.)

Mr. Partington presently inquired as to where the Major was, and was
informed that he was, of course, at the "Queen's Arms." He had been
there, in fact, continuously--except for sudden excursions home, to
demand whether anything had been heard of the fugitives--since about
half-past eleven that morning. It was a situation that needed comfort.

Mrs. Partington added a few comments on the whole situation, and
presently put on her bonnet and went out to supplement her Christmas
preparations with the extra five shillings, leaving her husband to doze
in the Windsor chair, with his pipe depending from his mouth. He had
walked up from Kent that morning, he said.

* * * * *

She returned in time to get tea ready, bringing with her various
"relishes," and found that the situation had developed slightly since
her departure. The Major had made another of his infuriated returns, and
had expanded at length to his old friend Mr. Partington, recounting the
extraordinary kindness he had always shown to Frank and the confidence
he had reposed in him. He had picked him up, it seemed, when the young
man had been practically starving, and had been father and comrade to
him ever since. And to be repaid in this way! He had succeeded also by
his eloquence, Mrs. Partington perceived, in winning her husband's
sympathies, and was now gone off again, ostensibly to scour the
neighborhood once more, but, more probably, to attempt to drown his
grieved and wounded feelings.

Mrs. Partington set her thin lips and said nothing. She noticed also, as
she spread the table, a number of bottles set upon the floor,