He undid
the cover, and saw on half a sheet of notepaper the words:--
"Thank you so much for the lovely time you gave me. I hope you will
like this, NELLIE."
He was touched. If Ruth was hard, mercenary, costly, her young and
ingenuous companion could at any rate be grateful and sympathetic. Yes,
he was touched. He had imagined himself to be dead to all human
affections, but it was not so. The package contained chocolate, and his
nose at once perceived that it was chocolate impregnated with lemon--the
surprising but agreeable compound accidentally invented by Nellie on the
previous day at the pier buffet. The little thing must have spent a part
of the previous afternoon in preparing it, and she must have put the
package in the post at Crewe. Secretive and delightful little thing!
After his recent experience beyond the bay he had imagined himself to be
incapable of ever eating again, but it was not so. The lemon gave a
peculiar astringent, appetising, _settling_ quality to the
chocolate. And he ate even with gusto. The result was that, instead of
waiting for the nine o'clock boarding-house breakfast, he hurried
energetically into the streets and called on a jobbing printer whom he
had seen on the previous evening.
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