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“Let’s hope for the best,” I smiled.
“Don’t be so absurd. There can be no “best”. You don’t think
he’s marrying her for anything but her money, do you? Of course it
can’t last. My only hope is that she won’t have to go through as much
suffering as she deserves.”
I laughed. The charitable words were spoken in such a tone as
to leave me in small doubt of Mrs. Tower’s meaning.
“Well, if it doesn’t last you’ll have the consolation of saying: “I
told you so”, I said.
“I promise you I’ll never do that.”
“Then you’ll have the satisfaction of congratulating yourself on
your self-control in not saying: “I told you so”.
“She’s old and dowdy and dull.”
“Are you sure she’s dull?” I said. “It’s true she doesn’t say very
much, but when she says anything it's very much to the point.”
“I’ve never heard her make a joke in my life.”
I was once more in the Far East when Gilbert and Jane returned
from their honeymoon, and this time I remained away for nearly two
years. Mrs. Tower was a bad correspondent and though I sent her an
occasional picture-postcard I received no news from her. But I met
her within a week of my return to London; I was dining out and found
that I was seated next to her. It was an immense party — I think we
were four-and-twenty like the blackbirds in the pie — and, arriving
somewhat late, I was too confused by the crowd in which I found
myself to notice who was there. But when we sat down, looking
round the long table I saw that a good many of my fellow-guests were
well known to the public from their photographs in the illustrated
papers. Our hostess had a weakness for the persons technically
known as celebrities, and this was an unusually brilliant gathering.
When Mrs. Tower and I had exchanged the conventional remarks that
two people make when they have not seen one another for a couple of
years I asked about Jane.
“She’s very well,” said Mrs. Tower with a certain dryness.
“How has the marriage turned out?”
Mrs. Tower paused a little and took a salted almond from the
dish in front of her.
“It appears to be quite a success.”
“You were wrong, then?”