SOME MIGHTY SILLY BUSINESS "In truth, madame," said I, "it's the wont of your sex.

As soon as a woman knows a thing to be hers entirely, she'll fling it away." With this scrap of love's lore and youth's philosophy I turned my back on my companion, and having walked to where the battered pasty lay beside the empty jug sat down in high dudgeon.

Barbara's eyes were set on the spot where the guinea had been swallowed by the waves, and she took no heed of my remark nor of my going.
Say that my pleasantry was misplaced, say that she was weary and strained beyond her power, say what you will in excuse, I allow it all.
Yet it was not reason to fling my last guinea into the sea.

A flash of petulance is well enough and may become beauty as summer lightning decks the sky, but fury is for termagants, and nought but fury could fling my last guinea to the waves.

The offence, if offence there were, was too small for so monstrous an outburst.