Fledgeby took his leave of Miss Podsnap at the carriage door, and the Lammles dropped her at her own home, and on the way Mrs. Lammle archly rallied her, in her fond and protecting manner, by saying at intervals, “Oh little Georgiana, little Georgiana!” Which was not much; but the tone added, “You have enslaved your Fledgeby.”

And thus the Lammles got home at last, and the lady sat down moody and weary, looking at her dark lord engaged in a deed of violence with a bottle of soda-water as though he were wringing the neck of some unlucky creature and pouring its blood down his throat. As he wiped his dripping whiskers in an ogreish way, he met her eyes, and pausing, said, with no very gentle voice:

“Well?”

“Was such an absolute Booby necessary to the purpose?”

“I know what I am doing. He is no such dolt as you suppose.”