Then he went on to Chelsea and interviewed a fatherly gentleman at the
Vestry offices. The fatherly gentleman was chubby-faced and
spectacled, and his manner was sympathetic but business-like. He
"called back" each item of the interview, "And what can I do for you?
You wish to be married! By licence?"
"By licence."
"By licence!"
And so forth. He opened a book and made neat entries of the
particulars.
"The lady's age?"
"Twenty-one."
"A very suitable age ... for a lady."
He advised Lewisham to get a ring, and said he would need two
witnesses.
"_Well_--" hesitated Lewisham.
"There is always someone about," said the superintendent
registrar. "And they are quite used to it."
Thursday and Friday Lewisham passed in exceedingly high spirits. No
consciousness of the practical destruction of the Career seems to have
troubled him at this time. Doubt had vanished from his universe for a
space. He wanted to dance along the corridors. He felt curiously
irresponsible and threw up an unpleasant sort of humour that pleased
nobody. He wished Miss Heydinger many happy returns of the day,
_apropos_ of nothing, and he threw a bun across the refreshment room
at Smithers and hit one of the Art School officials. Both were
extremely silly things to do.
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