“I can’t understand it,” I said at last. “I can’t understand it, by Jove!”
“I can. I can understand it perfectly, Bertie. Your heart failed you. Rather than risk offending your uncle you—”
“No, no! Absolutely!”
“You preferred to lose me rather than risk losing the money. Perhaps you did not think I meant what I said. I meant every word. Our engagement is ended.”
“But—I say!”
“Not another word!”
“But, Florence, old thing!”
“I do not wish to hear any more. I see now that your Aunt Agatha was perfectly right. I consider that I have had a very lucky escape. There was a time when I thought that, with patience, you might be moulded into something worth while. I see now that you are impossible!”
And she popped off, leaving me to pick up the pieces. When I had collected the debris to some extent I went to my room and rang for Jeeves. He came in looking as if nothing had happened or was ever going to happen. He was the calmest thing in captivity.
“Jeeves!” I yelled. “Jeeves, that parcel has arrived in London!”
“Yes, sir?”
“Did you send it?”
“Yes, sir. I acted for the best, sir. I think that both you and Lady Florence overestimated the danger of people being offended at being mentioned in Sir Willoughby’s Recollections. It has been my experience, sir, that the