DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 13 



'Well; lad, I do, and so does everybody, but be 

 patient, for, say, another year.' 



'That's just it; everybody loves her, and I cannot 

 wait, so I am oft. Wish me luck, dad.' 



'You will need it, my boy, when you meet the 

 mother. If I were you I should take the flanking 

 positions first and leave that citadel until last. I can 

 hear her guns going off at your first approach. Don't 

 reply too soon, keep your powder for the good dame 

 until she has spent all hers. That is to say if you 

 get as far as the mother.' 



I met Nell's father in the fields. His smile of welcome 

 as he held out his hand gave him no chance of after 

 resistance, and, though his eyes opened to their fullest, 

 he was kind, patted my shoulder, and referred me to 

 her mother. 



Nell's determination not to marry until she was 

 twenty-one was very lixed, so when I found her 

 I was most careful with the fringe of the subject 

 I had at heart, which was to marr}^ before the month 

 was out. In spite of this she was so much astonished 

 that she could not laugh as had been predicted, and, 

 before she had quite recovered, I commenced a tale 

 of the certainty of my success that was a masterpiece 

 of argument and left no room for doubt. I doubted 

 no word of it myself, so we were both convinced. 



Fortified with this valuable recruit and my father's 

 wise advice I lost some dread of the dear, good lady, 

 who was only a little fuller of worldly wisdom and 

 proverbs to meet eveiy event in life than most mothers. 

 She v/as always the most upright-sitting lady I had 

 evei seen, and, on this occasion, she sat so stiff that 

 there was only the slightest movement of her head 

 as she said, 'Well, Philip ! Are you enjoying your 

 holiday, mj^ boy ? ' 



'Boy' shook my courage, and it was somewhat 

 falteringly that I repHed : 'Nell and I have been 

 thinking and — and talking of being married.' 



