There was some
talk of papa going to New York for a few weeks, and he
said he would come and look after me in his absence.
"Thank you, Mr. Moss," I said, "but I'm not sure I should
want any looking after, only for such as you." Those are
the very words I spoke, and I looked him full in the face.
"Why, what do you expect from me?" he said. "Insult," I
replied, as bold as brass. And then we are playing the
two lovers at "The Embankment." Isn't it a pretty family
history? He said nothing at the moment, but came back in
half an hour to make some unnecessary remarks about the
part. "Why did you say just now that I insulted you?"
he asked. "Because you do," I replied. "Never, never!"
he exclaimed, with most grotesque energy. "I have never
insulted you." You know, my dear, he has twenty times
endeavoured to kiss my hand, and once he saw fit to stroke
my hair. Beast! If you knew the sort of feeling I have for
him--such as you would have if you found a cockroach in
your dressing-case. Of course in our life young women have
to put up with this kind of thing, and some of them like
it. But he knows that I am going to be married, or at any
rate am engaged, Mr. Frank. I make constant use of your
name, telling everybody that I am the future Mrs. Jones,
putting such weight upon the Jones. With me he knows that
it is an insult; but I don't want to quarrel with him if
I can help it, and therefore I softened it down. "You hear
me say, Mr. Moss, that I'm an engaged young woman. Knowing
that, you oughtn't to speak to me as you do." "Why, what
do I say?" You should have seen his grin as he asked me;
such a leer of triumph, as though he knew that he were
getting the better of me. "Mr. Jones wouldn't approve
if he were to see it." "But luckily he don't," said my
admirer. Oh, if you knew how willingly I'd stand at a
tub and wash your shirts, while the very touch of his
gloves makes me creep all over with horror. "Let us have
peace for the future," I said. "I dislike all those
familiarities. If you will only give them up we shall
go on like a house on fire." Then the beast made an
attempt to squeeze my hand as he went out of the room.
I retreated, however, behind the table, and escaped
untouched on that occasion.

You are not to come over, whatever happens, until I tell
you. You ought to know very well by this time