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ON HIS WAY THROUGH THE WORLD 375
the second-floor a sitting-room which had two beds in it, and in
which the young ones practised the piano, with poor Charlotte as
their mistress. Philip's courting had to take place for the most
part before the whole family ; and to make love under such difficulties
would have been horrible and maddening and impossible
almost, only we have admitted that our young friends had little
walks in the Champs Elysées; and then you must own that it
must have been delightful for them to write each other perpetual
little notes, which were delivered occultly under the very nose of
papa and mamma, and in the actual presence of the other boarders
at Madame's, who, of course, never saw anything that was going
on. Yes, those sly monkeys actually made little post-offices about
the room. There was, for instance, the clock on the mantelpiece
in the salon on which was carved the old French allegory, "Le
temps fait passer l'amour." One of those artful young people
would pop a note into Time's boat, where you may be sure no one
saw it. The trictrac board was another post-office. So was the
drawer of the music-stand. So was the Sèvres china flower-pot,
&c. &c.; to each of which repositories in its turn the lovers confided
the delicious secrets of their wooing.
Have you ever looked at your love-letters to Darby, when you
were courting, dear Joan ? They are sacred pages to read. You
have his tied up somewhere in a faded ribbon. You scarce need
spectacles as you look at them. The hair grows black ; the eyes
moisten and brighten ; the cheeks fill and blush again. I protest
there is nothing so beautiful as Darby and Joan in the world. I
hope Philip and his wife will be Darby and Joan to the end. I
tell you they are married ; and don't want to make any mysteries
about the business. I disdain that sort of artifice. In the days
of the old three-volume novels, didn't you always look at the end,
to see that Louisa and the Earl (or young clergyman, as the case
might be) were happy? If they died, or met with other grief,
for my part I put the book away. This pair, then, are well ; are
married ; are, I trust, happy : but before they married, and afterwards,
they had great griefs and troubles ; as no doubt you have
had, dear sir or madam, since you underwent that ceremony.
Married? Of course they are. Do you suppose I would have
allowed little Charlotte to meet Philip in the Champs Elysées with
only a giddy little boy of a brother for a companion, who would
turn away to see Punch, Guignol, the soldiers marching by, the
old woman's gingerbread and toffy stall, and so forth? Do you,
I say, suppose I would have allowed those two to go out together,
unless they were to be married afterwards ? Out walking together
they did go ; and, once, as they were arm-in-arm in the Champs