“That’s right,” said Max mournfully. “After I set you and Miss Davenport down in Geneva, I went into a tavern to have a plate of sausages and some beer, to take me mind off the sorrow of parting from you, like. Well, I had me musket with me and I set it down on the floor beside the table, to be safe, see? But when the serving girl came with the sausages, I caught me foot in the trigger, and it was loaded, only I’d forgotten—and it went off and shot the leg off an old gentleman’s chair.”

“No!”

“And as he fell backward, he grabbed at the table, see, and upset me plate—and a steaming hot sausage flew into the air and landed down the serving girl’s neck! And so she dropped the candle what she was carrying—and it set light to me britches….”

“Oh, Maxie!”

“So there was only one thing to do—I ran outside, yelling at one end and blazing at the other, and I jumped into the trough where old Jenny was drinking. She didn’t recognize her master, I suppose, in the heat of the moment, like, and she set off down the marketplace, upsetting stalls, with eggs and apples everywhere—and ran straight into the lake, poor girl, with the coach and all.”

“Oh, poor old Jenny! Was she all right?”

“Yes, they got her out, but that was the end of the coach. And there was me, sitting in the horse trough, with the serving girl and the old gentleman and the landlord all setting on me at once—and I stood up to defend meself, and then—that was when they arrested me.”

“Arrested you! Whatever for?”

“Well, when I stood up, I found me britches had all burned away. Very strict about britches they are, in Geneva. I had to sell poor old Jenny and the musket as well, to pay for the damage to the market, and I got thirty days in jail for appearing in public with no britches.”

“Oh, poor old Max!”

“I fell on me feet in jail, though, Eliza. I met a gent in there what had been jailed by mistake—that’s what he said, anyway. Doctor Cadaverezzi’s his name. He’s a traveling showman, and he’s got a Cabinet of Wonders. He took me on as his personal servant and magical assistant! But what that all means, my little dove, is that I ain’t got any money at the moment—and I can’t marry you as soon as we planned….”

“Oh, Maxie!”

And then they seemed to have forgotten what kissing was like, so they tried it again, just to remind themselves. I thought: I shouldn’t be listening to this. They’re a nice couple—they don’t deserve to be overheard….