" Then he had the impertinence to stroll down to the brook, and
rally the new addition to the crawfishing party. To Coristine the whole
thing was gall and wormwood. The only satisfaction he had was, that Mr.
Lamb could not summon courage enough to divest himself of shoes and
stockings and take part in the sport personally. But what an
insufferable ass he, Coristine, had been not to keep on wading, in view
of such glorious company! What was the use of complaining: had he been
there she would never have gone in, trust her for that! Wilkinson and he
were right in their old compact: the female sex is a delusion and a
snare. Thank heaven! there's the prayer gong, but will that staring,
flat-footed, hawhawing, Civil Service idiot be looking on while she
reattires herself! He had half a mind to descend and brain him on the
spot, if he had any brains, so as to render impossible the woeful
calamity. But the fates were merciful, sending Mr. Lamb up with Marjorie
and Mr. Bigglethorpe. Now was the angry man's chance, and a rare one,
but, like an angry man, he did not seize it. The other two ladies
remarked to each other that it was not very polite of three gentlemen to
allow a lady, the last of the party, to come up the hill alone.
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