He had
been doing this for some time, to the delight of Blink, who thought it
a new game, before he saw her in her nurse's dress coming out of a
French-window with her yellow book in her hand. Redoubling his efforts
till he had arrested her attention, he went up to the privet hedge, and
said, in a deep and melancholy voice:
"Aurora, I have failed in my duty, and the errand on which you sent me
is unfulfilled. Mrs. Pullbody's sister's husband's sister's husband is
still, largely speaking, at large."
"I knew he would be," replied the young lady, with her joyous smile,
"that's why I put her on to you--the cat!"
At a loss to understand her meaning, Mr. Lavender, who had bent forward
above the hedge in his eagerness to explain, lost his balance, and,
endeavouring to save the hedge, fell over into some geranium pots.
"Dear Don Pickwixote," cried the young lady, assisting him to rise,
"have you hurt your nose?"
"It is not that," said Mr. Lavender, removing some mould from his hair,
and stifling the attentions of Blink; "but rather my honour, for I have
allowed my duty to my country to be overridden by the common emotion of
pity."
"Hurrah!" cried the young lady. "It'll do you ever so much good.
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