Also Oliver was forced to curse himself rather
admiringly for the large number of unnecessary knots he had used, when he
started to unravel his captive.
When they finally got him completely untangled Ted's first remarks were
hardly those of gratitude. He declared sulkily that his head felt as if it
were going to split open, that he must have a bump on the back of it as big
as a squash and that it wasn't Oliver's fault if he hadn't caught pneumonia
out on that fire-escape--the air, believe him, was _cold_!
Mrs. Severance, however, and as usual, rose to the occasion and produced a
bottle of witch-hazel from the bathroom with which she insisted on bathing
the bump till Ted remarked disgruntledly that he smelt like a hospital.
Oliver watched the domestic scene with frantic laughter tearing at his
vitals--this was so entirely different and unromantic an end to the evening
from that from which Oliver had set out to rescue Ted like a spectacled Mr.
Grundy and which Ted in his gust of madness had so bitterly and grandiosely
planned.
Then they moved back into the living-room and the story was related
consecutively, by Oliver with fanciful adornments, by Mrs.
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