The 'Piping Times' by (John) Jeffery Farnol

Author:(John) Jeffery Farnol
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Published: 1946-06-11T05:00:00+00:00

“Which,” quoth Tom fervently and nodding at the letter, “which I most certainly will!”

“Not literally, I hope?” enquired Mrs. Penhallo between two sips of tea.

“That was rather the idea,” he admitted.

“Very foolish,” she murmured. “Quite ridiculous, and utterly futile!”

“Oh?” he enquired.

“Yes!” she answered, with emphatic nod. “By hurting the man you would only make him the martyr of your brutality, and Samantha would leap to comfort and defend him—very properly!”

“Properly?” Tom repeated. “Can you possibly mean——”

“Oh, yes, I mean every womanly woman should cherish and comfort the stricken, and Samantha is extremely womanly.”

“And a dashed silly one!” he muttered.

“Of course, Tom. But who is not silly—at times? I have very often been silly, and—even you have been silly, perhaps, though very seldom, of course!”

“By Jupiter!” he exclaimed. “I believe you’re laughing at me!”

“I’m sure I am!” she replied, and laughed outright, so merrily that Tom grinned in sympathy, then shook his head, saying:

“I fear you don’t take this business seriously, which surprises me.”

“Oh, but I do!” she answered, though a smile curved her shapely lips.

“I mean to say,” Tom pursued, somewhat ponderously, “this fellow Winby is, if you know what I mean, a regular scallywag, an absolute bounder and what not, and ought certainly to be choked off in no uncertain manner.”

“Yes, Tom, I’m persuaded he is all you say, but then he is so dashing and supremely handsome that he might be quite irresistible were Samantha someone else. But his blandishments will be quite in vain, your anxiety needless, and Mrs. Amanda has no least cause for worry because Samantha is so very decidedly—herself . . . if you know what I mean?”

“I’m afraid I don’t exactly,” replied Tom, so entirely unaware of her gentle mimicry that she laughed again, saying:

“Oh well, please go on with the letter.”

So Tom went on reading obediently:

“ ’On second thoughts, Tom, you can leave me to deal with H. Winby, for, glory be, the Lord has this moment answered my prayer and shown me a way out. Wherefore I am truly glad. Meet me in the lane to-morrow at half after five, and I will tell you how I will fool and make a monkey out of Sir Harry and throw a scare into him as well. Yes, the gracious Lord has surely shown me how, wherefore this night I shall sleep.

“ ‘His humbly grateful

“ ‘Amanda Sholes’.”

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