I had
all the purposes, and that gave you all the crossness: things weren't
getting along at all. It was absurd!"
"Well, have it your own way," he said. "It needn't have been absurd."
"No, it couldn't help but be!" she informed him cheerfully. "The way
I am and the way you are, it couldn't ever be anything else. So what
was the use?"
"I don't know," he sighed, and his sigh was abysmal. "But what I wanted
to tell you is this: when you went away, you didn't let me know and didn't
care how or when I heard it, but I'm not like that with you. This time,
I'm going away. That's what I wanted to tell you. I'm going away
tomorrow night--indefinitely."
She nodded sunnily. "That's nice for you. I hope you'll have ever so
jolly a time, George."
"I don't expect to have a particularly jolly time."
"Well, then," she laughed, "if I were you I don't think I'd go."
It seemed impossible to impress this distracting creature, to make her
serious. "Lucy," he said desperately, "this is our last walk
together."
"Evidently!" she said, "if you're going away tomorrow night.
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