Love Under Will 351
while we are waiting for the fatal rendezvous,’ he
added, turning to me with one of his inscrutable grins,
““T must continue to keep my oath. As it happens,
one of the brethren here is himself a mechanic. That
little house on the headland (he pointed as he spoke)
is fitted up as a fairly complete workshop. We might
stroll down together and see you started. There will
probably be a lot of things that you need which we
haven't got and you can make a list of them, and we'll
telegraph Lala to buy them in London and bring them
down here. She is coming in three days’ time. I will
also ask her to stop in Paris for one of those nice iron
wreaths with enamelled flowers to put on my nameless
grave.”
The man’s nonchalance made me suddenly furiously
ashamed of myself. I had to spit out between my teeth
that he was an unutterable scoundrel.
“That’s right, Sir Peter,’’ retorted the Big Lion,
“reassure yourself, by all means. ‘The unspeakable
Lamus’ is the classical expression, and it is customary
to give a slight shudder; but perhaps a genius like
yourself is justified in inventing new terms of abuse.”
I was disconcerted abominably by the attitude of
the audience, whose faces were fixed in broad grins,
with the exception of Dionysus, who came straight up
to me and said :—
‘“‘Sonna mabitch,” and hit me in the eye. “If you
shoot my Bid Lion,” he added, “ I’ll shoot you.”
The entire company broke into screams of uncontrol-
lable laughter. Lamus rose with assumed indignation,
and observed ferociously
:—
“Is this your idea of doing your wills, you wasters ?
Did you come to this planet to turn the most serious
subjects into mockery? You ought all to be weeping,
considering that within twenty-four hours you will
have to bury your beloved Big Lion or our esteemed
guest, who has endeared himself to all of us by his
unconscious humour. Come along, Sir Peter,’’ and he
slipped his arm through mine. ‘“ We have no time