excitement, kissed the bosom friend before he knew what he had done.

Mrs. Korner sat waiting for her husband that evening in the
drawing-room. She was dressed as for a journey, and about the corners

of her mouth were lines familiar to Christopher, the sight of which
sent his heart into his boots. Fortunately, he recovered himself in

time to greet her with a smile. It was not the smile he had been
rehearsing half the day, but that it was a smile of any sort

astonished the words away from Mrs. Korner's lips, and gave him the
inestimable advantage of first speech.

"Well," said Mr. Korner cheerily, "and how did you like it?"
For the moment Mrs. Korner feared her husband's new complaint had

already reached the chronic stage, but his still smiling face
reassured her--to that extent at all events.

"When would you like me to 'go it' again? Oh, come," continued Mr.
Korner in response to his wife's bewilderment, "you surely have not

forgotten the talk we had at breakfast-time--the first morning of
Mildred's visit. You hinted how much more attractive I should be for

occasionally 'letting myself go!'"
Mr. Korner, watching intently, perceived that upon Mrs. Korner

recollection was slowly forcing itself.
"I was unable to oblige you before," explained Mr. Korner, "having to

keep my head clear for business, and not knowing what the effect upon
one might be. Yesterday I did my best, and I hope you are pleased

with me. Though, if you could see your way to being content--just for
the present and until I get more used to it--with a similar

performance not oftener than once a fortnight, say, I should be
grateful," added Mr. Korner.

"You mean--" said Mrs. Korner, rising.
"I mean, my dear," said Mr. Korner, "that almost from the day of our

marriage you have made it clear that you regard me as a milksop. You
have got your notion of men from silly books and sillier plays, and

your trouble is that I am not like them. Well, I've shown you that,
if you insist upon it, I can be like them."

"But you weren't," argued Mrs. Korner, "not a bit like them."
"I did my best," repeated Mr. Korner; "we are not all made alike.

That was _my_ drunk."
"I didn't say 'drunk.'"

"But you meant it," interrupted Mr. Korner. "We were talking about
drunken men. The man in the play was drunk. You thought him

amusing."
"He was amusing," persisted Mrs. Korner, now in tears. "I meant that

sort of drunk."
"His wife," Mr. Korner reminded her, "didn't find him amusing. In the

third act she was threatening to return home to her mother, which, if
I may judge from finding you here with all your clothes on, is also

the idea that has occurred to you."
"But you--you were so awful," whimpered Mrs. Korner.

"What did I do?" questioned Mr. Korner.
"You came hammering at the door--"

"Yes, yes, I remember that. I wanted my supper, and you poached me a
couple of eggs. What happened after that?"

The recollection of that crowning indignity lent to her voice the true
note of tragedy.

"You made me say my tables--my nine times!"
Mr. Korner looked at Mrs. Korner, and Mrs. Korner looked at Mr.

Korner, and for a while there was silence.
"Were you--were you really a little bit on," faltered Mrs. Korner, "or

only pretending?"
"Really," confessed Mr. Korner. "For the first time in my life. If

you are content, for the last time also."
"I am sorry," said Mrs. Korner, "I have been very silly. Please

forgive me."
End

• excitement [ik´saitmənt] n.兴奋；骚动；煽动 (初中英语单词)
• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)
• complaint [kəm´pleint] n.抱怨；叫屈 (初中英语单词)
• extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)
• attractive [ə´træktiv] a.有吸引力；诱人的 (初中英语单词)
• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)
• oblige [ə´blaidʒ] vt.责成；迫使；使感激 (初中英语单词)
• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)
• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• fortunately [´fɔ:tʃənətli] ad.幸运地 (高中英语单词)
• response [ri´spɔns] n.回答；响应 (高中英语单词)
• fortnight [´fɔ:tnait] n.两星期 (高中英语单词)
• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)
• amusing [ə´mju:ziŋ] a.有趣的 (高中英语单词)
• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
• recollection [,rekə´lekʃən] n.回忆；追想；记忆力 (高中英语单词)
• cheerily [´tʃiərili] ad. 高兴地；愉快地 (英语四级单词)
• intently [in´tentli] ad.专心地 (英语四级单词)
• chronic [´krɔnik] a.慢性的；剧烈的 (英语六级单词)
• bewilderment [bi´wildəmənt] n.为难；狼狈；迷惑 (英语六级单词)