shall have none
when the pirate is there." "There used to be vikings in Norway. They
came to England and stole wives and animals. Now we bring them a man
for wives. That is what for with the chill of." "I must have a new
reel to my fishing-rod. The old one has never been the same since I
made a windlass of it for the battleship when it was a canal-boat, and
it fell into the water when we made a landslide and accident which was
buried for three days and had a worm in the works. Also a v. sharp
knife for reindeer, etc. They are tough, I hear, and my knife is
sharpest at the back since opening sardines and other tins, all rather
small." He drove a fevered pen, but retained presence of mind enough
to provide for his occasions: "The excitement of Norway may lose me
some marks in term's order. Not many I dare say." Again, "When you are
excited reports go bad. I have been shouting rather, kicking up a
shine. Once there was a small fight which was twigged. Norway is a
serious matter." There was an undercurrent of nervousness, discernible
only to her eyes. She could not account for it till she had him home,
and they were on the edge of adventure. It was lest he should be
seasick and disgrace himself in the esteem of young Nugent, who, as a
naval officer, was of course sea-proof. "I expect Nugent likes it very
rough," he said--and then, "I don't, you know, much. Not for weeks at
a time. Rather a nuisance." However, it was solved in the event by
Nugent being prostrate from the time they left the Tyne. Between his
spasms he urged his mother to explain that Lord Nelson was always
seasick. But Lancelot was very magnanimous about it.

There was diversion in much of this, and she used it to lighten her
letters to Urquhart, which, without it, had been as flat as
yesterday's soda-water. As the time came near when they should leave
home she grew very heavy, had forebodings, wild desires to be done
with it all. Then came a visitation from the clear-eyed Mabel and a
cleansing of the conscience.

Mabel said that she was sorry to miss Norway. It would have amused her
enormously. "To see you in the saddle, with two led horses!" She
always talked as if she was an elder sister. "I almost threw Laurence
over; but of course I couldn't do that. He's so dependent and silent
and pathetic--but thank goodness, he hasn't found out, like James, the
real use of wives. That is, to have somebody to grumble to who really
minds. There's your James for you.