“We’lldowhateveryoulike,mydearest.”
“Ithinkaneveninglikethatdoesyougood.Itbucksmeupdoesn’tityou?”
“Itdoesmegoodtoseeyouamused,”repliedBertha,diplomatically.
Theperformancehadappearedtohervulgar,butinthefaceofherhusband’senthusiasmshecouldonlyaccuseherselfofaridiculoussqueamishness.Whyshouldshesetherselfupasajudgeofthesethings?Wasitnotsomewhatvulgartofindvulgarityinwhatgavesuchpleasuretotheunsophisticated?Shewaslikethenouveaurichewhoisdistressedattheuniversallackofgentilitybutshewastiredofanalysisandsubtlety,andalltheconcomitantsofdecadentcivilisation.
“Forgoodness’ssake,”shethought,“letusbesimpleandeasilyamused.”
Sherememberedthefouryoungladieswhohadappearedinflesh-colouredtightsandnothingelseworthmentioning,anddancedasingularlyungracefuljig,whichtheaudience,initsdelight,hadinsistedonhavingtwicerepeated.
Withnobusinesstodoandnofriendstovisit,thereissomedifficultyinknowinghowtospendone’stimeinLondon.BerthawouldhavebeencontenttositalldaywithEdwardintheprivatesitting-room,contemplatinghimandherextremefelicity.ButCraddockhadthefineenergyoftheAnglo-Saxonrace,thatdesiretobealwaysdoingsomethingwhichhasmadetheEnglishathletes,andmissionaries,andmembersofParliament.
Afterhisfirstmouthfulofbreakfastheinvariablyasked,“Whatshallwedoto-day?”AndBertharansackedherbrainandaBaedekertofindsightstovisit,fortotreatLondonasaforeigntownandsystematicallytoexploreitwastheironlyresource.TheywenttotheTowerofLondonandgapedatthecrownsandsceptres,attheinsigniaofthevariousorderstoWestminsterAbbeyandjoinedthepartyofAmericansandcountryfolkwhowerebeingdrivenhitherandthitherbyablack-robedvergertheyvisitedthetombsofthekingsandsaweverythingwhichitwastheirdutytosee.BerthadevelopedafineenthusiasmfortheantiquitiesofLondonshequiteenjoyedthesensationsofbovineignorancewithwhichtheCook’stouristsurrendershimselfintothehandsofacustodian,lookingasheistoldandswallowin