Her first lessons Eunice received from the professional, but after that
she saved money by distributing herself among her hordes of admirers,
who were only too willing to give up good matches to devote themselves
to her tuition. By degrees she acquired a fair skill and a confidence
in her game which was not altogether borne out by results. From Ramsden
Waters she did not demand a lesson. For one thing it never occurred to
her that so poor-spirited a man could be of any use at the game, and
for another Ramsden was always busy tooling round with little
Wilberforce.
Yet it was with Ramsden that she was paired in the first competition
for which she entered, the annual mixed foursomes. And it was on the
same evening that the list of the draw went up on the notice board that
Ramsden proposed.
The mind of a man in love works in strange ways. To you and to me there
would seem to be no reason why the fact that Eunice's name and his own
had been drawn out of a hat together should so impress Ramsden, but he
looked on it as an act of God. It seemed to him to draw them close
together, to set up a sort of spiritual affinity. In a word, it acted
on the poor fellow like a tonic, and that very night he went around to
her house, and having, after a long and extremely interesting
conversation with her aunt, contrived to get her alone, coughed eleven
times in a strangled sort of way, and suggested that the wedding bells
should ring out.
Eunice was more startled than angry.
'Of course, I'm tremendously complimented, Mr.----' She had to pause to
recall the name. 'Mr.----'
'Waters,' said Ramsden, humbly.
'Of course, yes. Mr. Waters. As I say, it's a great compliment----'
'Not at all!'
'A great compliment----'
'No, no!' murmured Ramsden obsequiously.
'I wish you wouldn't interrupt!' snapped Eunice with irritation. No
girl likes to have to keep going back and trying over her speeches.
'It's a great compliment, but it is quite impossible.'
'Just as you say, of course,' agreed Ramsden.
'What,' demanded Eunice, 'have you to offer me? I don't mean money. I
mean something more spiritual. What is there in you, Mr. Walter----'
'Waters.'
'Mr. Waters. What is there in you that would repay a girl for giving up
the priceless boon of freedom?'
'I know a lot about dried seaweed,' suggested Ramsden hopefully.
Eunice shook her head.
'No,' she said, 'it is quite impossible. You have paid me the greatest
compliment a man can pay a woman, Mr. Waterson----'
'Waters,' said Ramsden. 'I'll write it down for you.'
'Please don't trouble. I am afraid we shall never meet again----'
'But we are partners in the mixed foursomes tomorrow.'
'Oh, yes, so we are!' said Eunice. 'Well, mind you play up. I want to
win a cup more than anything on earth.'
