THE LADY OF THE BARGE

AND OTHER STORIES

By W. W. Jacobs




A MIXED PROPOSAL


Major Brill, late of the Fenshire Volununteers, stood in front of the
small piece of glass in the hatstand, and with a firm and experienced
hand gave his new silk hat a slight tilt over the right eye. Then he
took his cane and a new pair of gloves, and with a military but squeaky
tread, passed out into the road. It was a glorious day in early autumn,
and the soft English landscape was looking its best, but despite the fact
that there was nothing more alarming in sight than a few cows on the
hillside a mile away, the Major paused at his gate, and his face took on
an appearance of the greatest courage and resolution before proceeding.
The road was dusty and quiet, except for the children playing at cottage
doors, and so hot that the Major, heedless of the fact that he could not
replace the hat at exactly the same angle, stood in the shade of a tree
while he removed it and mopped his heated brow.

He proceeded on his way more leisurely, overtaking, despite his lack of
speed, another man who was walking still more slowly in the shade of the
hedge.