CROWN IMPERIAL
One cried, "God bless us!" and "Amen" the other,
As they had seen me with these hangman's hands.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Macbeth.
Peter came in cautiously, carrying a decanter.
"It's all right," said Harriet. "She's gone."
He put down the wine at a carefully calculated distance from the fire and observed, in a conversational tone:
"We found some decanters, after all."
"Yes--I see you did."
"My God, Harriet--what was I saying?"
"It's all right, darling. You were only quoting Donne."
"Is that all? I rather fancied I had put in one or two little bits of my own.... Oh, well, what's it matter? I love you and I don't care who knows it."
"Bless you."
"All the same," he went on, determined to put the embarrassing topic in its place for good and all, "this house is making m
