"He practises what he preaches, and
whether because, or in spite of it, the fact remains that a chirpier
soul I am sure does not exist."
"Married?" demanded Dick.
"A single man," I answered. "In all things an idealist. He has told
me he will never marry until he can find his ideal woman."
"What about Robina here!" suggested Dick. "Seem to have been made
for one another."
Robina smiled. It was a wan, pathetic smile.
"Even he," thought Robina, "would want his beans cooked to time, and
to feel that a reasonable supply of nuts was always in the house. We
incompetent women never ought to marry."
We had finished the bacon. Dick said he would take a stroll into the
town. Robina suggested he might take Veronica with him, that perhaps
a bun and a glass of milk would do the child no harm.
Veronica for a wonder seemed to know where all her things were.
Before Dick had filled his pipe she was ready dressed and waiting for
him. Robina said she would give them a list of things they might
bring back with them. She also asked Dick to get together a plumber,
a carpenter, a bricklayer, a glazier, and a civil engineer, and to
see to it that they started off at once. She thought that among them
they might be able to do all that was temporarily necessary, but the
great thing was that the work should be commenced without delay.
"Why, what on earth's the matter, old girl?" asked Dick. "Have you
had an accident?"
Then it was that Robina exploded.
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