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“No, Mr Swann, it’s Prince Hal you see before you, co made a dreadful mistake from which he may never recover”

The old man stood still as Sebastian took out his wallet, extracted a check, and handed it over

“But this is farfor words

“Not if you still want those new dressing rooms, a proper curtain, and not to have to be satisfied with last year’s costumes”

“Not to irls froh,” said Swann “But may I ask what you meant, Mr Clifton, when you said you had made a dreadful mistake from which you may never recover?”

“It’s a long story,” said Seb, “and I’ll not bore you—”

“I’ down opposite Seb

Sebastian told Mr Swann how he’d first seen Saraduation ceremony and been struck dumb

“I can’t iine that happens to you too often,” said Sith a smile

“When I next h to ask her out to dinner Not long after that I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her” The old man knehen to remain silent “But when she found out that I didn’t intend to honor my promise to you, she left me, and returned to America” He paused “I haven’t seen her since”

“Then I would beg you not to e”

“You made the same mistake?”

“Worse in a way When I was a youngEnglish at a grammar school in Worcestershire I’d never been happier, until I fell in love with the heade to let her know”

“Why not?”

“I’ve always been shy, especially around women, and in any case I was afraid the headmaster wouldn’t approve It must sound silly now, but it was a different world in those days I moved to another school and later learned that she had never ht have been able to live with that if just last year, when I attended her funeral, her younger sister hadn’t told me that I was her first and only love, but her father had told her she s known What a fool I was Aman, be sure not to make the same mistake Faint heart ne’er won a lady fair”