The Girl on the Boat - Penn State University

foreground. How eagerly he would jump from the gate!
How lovingly he would ….
<strong>The</strong> elegant figure of Webster interrupted his reverie.
Sam had never seen Webster before, and it was
with no pleasure that he saw him now. He had come to
regard this lane as his own private property, and he
resented trespassers. He tucked his legs under him, and
scowled at Webster under the brim of his hat.
<strong>The</strong> valet advanced towards him with the air of an
affable executioner stepping daintily to the block.
“Mr. Marlowe, sir?” he inquired politely.
Sam was startled. He could making nothing of this.
“Eh? What?”
“Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. S. Marlowe?”
“Yes, that’s my name.”
“Mine is Webster, sir. I am Mr. Bennett’s personal
gentleman’s gentleman. Miss Bennett entrusted me with
this note to deliver to you, sir.”
Sam began to grasp the position. For some reason or
other, the dear girl had been prevented from coming
this afternoon, and she had written to explain and re-
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lieve his anxiety. It was like her. It was just the sweet,
thoughtful thing he would have expected her to do.
His contentment with the existing scheme of things
returned. <strong>The</strong> sun shone out again, and he found himself
amiably disposed towards the messenger.
“Fine day,” he said, as he took the note.
“Extremely, sir,” said Webster, outwardly unemotional,
inwardly full of a grave pity.
It was plain to him that there had been no previous
little rift to prepare the young man for the cervical operation
which awaited him, and he edged a little nearer,
in order to be handy to catch Sam if the shock knocked
him off the gate.
As it happened, it did not. Having read the opening
words of the note, Sam rocked violently; but his feet
were twined about the lower bars and this saved him
from overbalancing. Webster stepped back, relieved.
<strong>The</strong> note fluttered to the ground. Webster, picking it
up and handing it back, was enabled to get a glimpse
of the first two sentences. <strong>The</strong>y confirmed his suspicions.
<strong>The</strong> note was hot stuff. Assuming that it contin-