Love and the Ironmonger

by W. W. Jacobs

  CHAPTER VII--_An Erring Husband improves against his Will_

  George Early certainly showed some shrewdness when he took up hisposition as secretary to Miss Fairbrother, for his address andappearance underwent a process of swift renovation. He brushed his hairvery nicely, shaved every morning, and attuned his voice to the earthat was to receive its melody during business hours.

  Miss Fairbrother approved of George; he was neither uncouth nor denselike a good many other men who are clerks. He knew just when to beformal, and when his business features might relax into a smile.Nothing embarrassed him. He took over the little problems of the bigoffice and smoothed them out comfortably--not by himself, but by thehelp of other men downstairs. When something puzzled Miss Fairbrother,as most business affairs did, George immediately cleared the air byaffirming that Gray or Busby or Parrott could explain it, and to Grayor Busby or Parrott George went. Letters, orders, bills, complaints,came up daily to the desk of the fair employer, laying the foundationof many a thin line on the white brow; letter, order, bill, andcomplaint were picked up and laid down by turns, jumbled, mixed, andsighed over. Then the little bell would tinkle, and from his officeadjoining in would come George, bright-eyed, confident, and submissive.Could he understand to what this letter referred? Miss Fairbrotherdidn't remember the matter. This complaint about stoves. Who wasresponsible for the delay, and was it usual to allow discount in thisother case, as the customer asserted?

  George didn't know; but if you think that George was fool enough everto admit it, you have quite mistaken his character. George would attendto all these matters, and see that everything was put right. He did sotoo, and took upon himself a good deal of authority downstairs, whichwas his peculiar way.

  "A man might rise to a good position here," he said to himself,flicking a speck off his fancy waistcoat. "There is nothing goingdownstairs; it's up here where the salary is, and the good jobs and allthe rest of it. Besides, feminine society is much more in my line.Women are so much more easy to manage--in business. Who knows, some dayI may be giving a rise to others: you never---- Come in!"

  "Gentleman to see Miss Fairbrother."

  A large man of the country builder type tramped in.

  "You want," said George, with the air of one about to confer a favour,"to see Miss Fairbrother?"

  "That's it, m'lad. Shall I go in?"

  "If you will be so kind as to sit down," said George, with affability,"I will find out if the lady can see you. Our busiest time this; fourpeople inside now."

  "I know, I know, my lad. I have been dealing here this thirty year."

  "Really?" said George.

  "Yes," said the builder. "I knew your missis when she was a little 'un,two year old. They tell me she's grown a fine lass."

  "She has," said George. He went inside.

  Miss Fairbrother was engaged in the unbusinesslike occupation oflooking over a pile of draper's patterns.

  "A gentleman to see me? Joseph Brown,--I don't know the name. What doeshe want?"

  "Wants to gossip and give a small order, I should say," said George.

  "I suppose you may send him in," said Miss Fairbrother, abstractedly,feasting her eyes upon a square figured watered silk. "Is he a niceman?"

  "Harmless," said George; "but probably a talker. He's been dealing herethirty years. Old acquaintance, he says."

  "Oh!" said Miss Fairbrother, looking up, "what else did he say?"

  The ghost of a smile lit up George's face.

  "Said he knew you when you were--so high." He gave a guess at theheight of a two-year-old girl.

  Against her will, Miss Fairbrother's face flushed. She lookeddoubtfully at the door, then at the patterns, and said--

  "Please say I'm very busy. Perhaps you can settle the matter yourself;I really am busy, you know," and she pulled a fresh box of patternsfrom under the desk, and spread them out before her.

  After some trouble George convinced Joseph Brown that the fourcustomers inside would occupy Miss Fairbrother's attention for at leasttwo hours, and advised him to call again.

  Miss Fairbrother spent the rest of the day in poring over the pages offashion-books, leaving George to wrestle with the problems of the firmin the shape of business correspondence.

  "Lucky thing she's got a good business staff," mused George. "The oldman knew what he was doing when he tied those three beggars to the firmwith five hundred pounds each. Not but what he might have found bettermen--myself, for instance. However, I mustn't grumble."

  George did not grumble; on the contrary, his good humour wasinexhaustible, and his temper as even as a man's temper could be,considering that he held a position of responsibility. He worked nowmuch more than he had ever worked before; but it may safely be assumedthat he was not doing it for the fun of the thing; that there was moneyin it, or that he did it with a purpose; in other words, that he knewwhat he was about.

  So far as the legatees were concerned, Miss Fairbrother's secretary didnot see fit to relax his vigilance. Perhaps he felt that the apathy of"Old Joe's" lawyers made it necessary in the interests of justice thata private person should take up the case, or perhaps he found it usefulto have the men under his thumb; whatever his reasons were it iscertain that his eyes were as watchful as ever, and equally certainthat his victims strongly disapproved of his attention.

  "It's my duty," he said to Gray, when that gentleman brutally asked howlong he intended to intrude upon his home comforts.

  "Hang your duty!" said Gray; "we don't want you."

  "I'm a good lodger," said George; "ask your wife if I don't givecomplete satisfaction. She hasn't grumbled, that I'm aware of. You knowyou've always wanted a lodger, and now you've got one you're notsatisfied."

  Gray was certainly a long way from being satisfied. Since the advent ofGeorge Early his home had become as sanctimonious as an A.B.C. shop. Hewas obliged to conduct himself according to the creed of the newlodger, who held over his head the grim sword of exposure. He came homeearly when George willed it, and attended to his duties as secretary ofthe Old Friends' Society when George saw fit to grant him an eveningoff.

  Mrs. Gray was just as pleasant with the new lodger as her husband wasannoyed with him. Gray had had a partiality for Scotch whisky that hadat times left much in his character to be desired as a husband. Hiswife confided this much to George, who promised to lead the erringhusband from his wicked ways. He was as good as his word, and in duecourse the whisky bottle disappeared. Other bad habits of Gray's alsowere toned down considerably, and James Gray's wife was not slow toshow her appreciation by holding up George Early as a model young man,and an excellent lodger.

  "My time will come," said Gray, savagely, to George; "and when it doesI shan't forget you."

  "I hope not," said George, "I've been more than a brother to you."

  Elated by the growing fortunes of the family, and the reformation ofher husband, Mrs. Gray proceeded to lay out the extra cash that flowedinto the family coffers in new strips of oil-cloth and art muslin. Inher pursuit of these useful articles she kept a watchful eye on thelocal drapers' sales, and joined the mad rush that followed the openingdoors on the first day. Fancy curtains of weird colours greeted theeyes of her husband in all parts of the house, and odd forgottencorners sprang into new life under a mantle of carpet remnants.

  George Early's bedroom was not neglected, and, in order to show hergratitude for the good he had done, Mrs. Gray determined to surprisehim by gracing that virtuous apartment with a brand new bookshelf, onwhich the dozen odd volumes of his leisure might repose with dignity.

  With this object in view, she started out one morning to Stratford,hugging a catalogue wherein it was stated that among other things"bookshelves of artistic design" were to be "absolutely thrown away."

  In due course Mrs. Gray reached the scene of battle, and joined thegreat throng of combatants all eager for the fray. It was a mightycrowd, but Mrs. Gray, who knew something of Stratford and itsinhabitants, was convinced that the five-shilling mantles, skirts
, andblouses would engage their attention before books and bookshelves. Herreckoning, wise as it may seem, was somewhat out; as she discoveredwhen, hot and panting, she reached the bookshelf counter. They had soldlike hot cakes. One solitary bookshelf, abashed at its loneliness, andstill bearing the glaring red sale ticket, reposed on the long counter.

  "Bookshelves," gasped Mrs. Gray to the nearest assistant.

  "Here you are, ma'am, the last one."

  "Oh! Haven't you any others?"

  The crowd surged, and it was only by an effort that little Mrs. Graygot back to the counter.

  "Bookshelves," she gasped again to the perspiring draper.

  "Last one, better have it while you can," said the man.

  "Oh, well, I----"

  "How much is this bookshelf?" said a voice.

  Mrs. Gray's hand grasped it convulsively. "This is sold," she cried;"I've bought it."

  "I beg pardon, ma'am, I didn't hear you say----"

  "I spoke first," said the other lady, laying a hand on the bookshelf;"you've no right----"

  "Excuse me----"

  "It's no use talking, I----"

  "But I was here first, before you ever----"

  "Take the money, please, one and----"

  "Do nothing of the sort. I've already bought----"

  "Now ladies, ladies, ladies!" cried the assistant.

  "But you know----" began Mrs. Gray indignantly to the man.

  "How ridiculous! You heard me say I'd have it. Why----"

  "You didn't!"

  "I did."

  "But I was here long----"

  "Mind your heads!" screamed a porter, forcing his way through.

  "Here you are!" cried the assistant; "here's another one, so you'llboth be satisfied."

  Mrs. Gray surged out triumphantly with her bookcase, her rivalfollowing with the duplicate. Together they stood on the kerbstonewaiting for the Leytonstone tram.

  Mrs. Gray was a good-tempered little body, and now that she had gotwhat she wanted she was pleased to be gracious; so when she caught herrival's eye a smile crept about her lips, which brought forth ananswering smile, showing that the temper of each was but short, andthat no malice was borne.

  They got on the same tram, and Mrs. Gray at once held out the olivebranch.

  "I hope you didn't think me very rude," she said; "but I did so wantthis for a very special purpose, that I could have done anything ratherthan go without."

  "So could I," said the other eagerly; "you must have thought me rude,too, but I was mad to get it."

  "Really? Oh, I didn't think you rude. I'm sure I----"

  "Oh, but think how I screamed. You were not so rude as----"

  "I screamed too. Aren't they nice?"

  "Lovely!"

  Harmless chatter and apologies filled the journey, and the friendshipwas strengthened by both getting out at the same point.

  "Do come in and have a cup of tea," said Mrs. Gray; "have you time?"

  The other had heaps of time. "But I hardly like to after my rudeness,"she said.

  "You mean my rudeness," said Mrs. Gray, poking the key in the frontdoor.

  By the time that the tea was ready each knew a great deal of the familyhistory of the other, and the bookshelves again came under discussion.

  "I've so wanted to get a bookshelf," said Mrs. Gray. "You know, I've alodger who's such a clever man, and so steady, that I thought he wouldappreciate this more than anything else."

  "Really? Well, my husband's very studious; he loves books, and there'snothing he likes so much as a bookshelf, unless it's a book. He doesn'tknow I'm buying this; it's to be a surprise."

  "So is mine."

  "He will be glad. You'd never believe how fond he is of books. Hespends all his spare hours in the Free Library; that will show you howstudious he is. While I'm staying down here with mother, he keeps inour house all alone because it's near the library; while if he camedown here he would lose an hour away from his books."

  When they finally parted Mrs. Busby extracted a promise from Mrs. Grayto take tea with her on the following day, and Mrs. Gray declared itwould give her the greatest pleasure to do so. Fervent kisses andexclamations of surprise at what the respective husbands would thinkclosed the interview.

  The respective husbands heard about the meeting in due course; Grayfrom his wife, and Busby from George Early. On the occasion of hisimparting this information George took the opportunity to borrow a fewpounds from Busby, which the cashier lent with some reluctance.

  On the same day Mrs. Busby received a wire recalling her to Clapham.