Thirty-six
That was two years ago. We still live on the island. Before me, on therough wooden table, is the letter that Suzanne wrote me.
Dear Babes in the Wood—Dear Lunatics in Love,I’m not surprised—not at all. All the time we’ve been talk-ing Paris and frocks I felt that it wasn’t a bit real—thatyou’d vanish into the blue some day to be married over thetongs in the good old gipsy fashion. But you are a couple oflunatics! This idea of renouncing¹ a vast fortune is absurd.
Colonel Race wanted to argue the matter, but I have per-suaded him to leave the argument to time. He can admin-ister the estate for Harry²—and none better. Because, afterall, honeymoons⁴ don’t last forever—you’re not here, Anne,so I can safely say that without having you fly out at melike a little wildcat—Love in the wilderness⁵ will last a goodwhile, but one day you will suddenly begin to dream ofhouses in Park Lane, sumptuous⁶ furs, Paris frocks, thelargest thing in motors and the latest thing in perambu-lators, French maids and Norland nurses! Oh, yes, youwill!
But have your honeymoon³, dear lunatics, and let it be along one. And think of me sometimes, comfortably puttingon weight amidst the fleshpots!
Your loving friend,
Suzanne Blair
P.S.—I am sending you an assortment⁷ of frying pans as awedding present, and an enormous terrine of p?té de foiegras to remind you of me.
There is another letter that I sometimes read. It came a good while afterthe other and was accompanied by a bulky parcel. It appeared to be writ-ten from somewhere in Bolivia.
My dear Anne Beddingfeld,
I can’t resist writing to you, not so much for the pleasure itgives me to write, as for the enormous pleasure I know itwill give you to hear from me. Our friend Race wasn’t quiteas clever as he thought himself, was he?
I think I shall appoint you my literary executor. I’m send-ing you my diary. There’s nothing in it that would interestRace and his crowd, but I fancy that there are passages init which may amuse you. Make use of it in any way youlike. I suggest an article for the Daily Budget, “Criminals Ihave met.” I only

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