Love at Paddington

by W. Pett Ridge

  CHAPTER IV.

  Madame Hilbert and the forewoman in Great Titchfield Street consultedeach other only when crises occurred; the girls knew that if Madamecame to the doorway, saying, "Miss Rabbit, just half a second, please,"and the forewoman was absent for half an hour, then some matter ofsupreme importance was being discussed. The establishment was in closetouch with the military service at home and abroad, and the best strokegood fortune could make in favour of Hilbert's was to arrange a statelyceremonial in India, some alteration in the dress of officers, oranything that made uniforms necessary. The girls' workroom, even atordinary times, presented an aspect of enormous wealth, with everywherea display of gold--loose threads of it on the tables, collected threadsbeing sewn on foundations, epaulettes in course of making, heavydependent nuggets hung upon scarves. Gold floated in the air, and whenthe sun came through the windows it all looked as though one could playthe conjurer, and perform the enchanting trick of making a dash withthe hand and secure sovereigns. Many of the girls wore glasses becausecontinued attention to the glistening colours affected the eyes;sometimes a worker became pale of features, anaemic and depressed, andhad to hurry off to the sea-side, and Miss Rabbit referred to this asan act of Providence. For the most part, the girls were healthy andcheerful, and they had the encouragement of good wages. Miss Rabbit,it was reported, took home every Saturday two pounds ten shillings; thevery youngest assistant made twelve shillings a week.

  "I do hope," said Madame, at a special private conference, "it doesn'tmean she's taking up religion." The forewoman shook her head. "I'veknown cases in my time where it's come on suddenly, and it's thrown agirl clean off her balance. If it isn't religion it must be love.Love has just about the same effect with some of us. Have you everbeen gone on any one, Miss Rabbit?"

  "Only to a very moderate extent," replied the forewoman precisely."And it's such a long while ago, Madame, that I've nearly forgot allabout it."

  "I don't like to see one of my girls turn like this all at once," saidMadame with anxiety. "Moreover, she's the handy one in the business.There's nothing she doesn't know about the work, and little she can'tdo. If anything happened to you, I've always had the idea of puttingher in your position."

  Miss Rabbit's features twitched; she corrected the slip at once byassuming a look of cordial agreement. "You always know the right thingto do, Madame," she murmured reverently.

  "How'd it be to call her in, and both of us have a talk to her, andfind out whether she's got anything on her mind?"

  "That's a splendid notion," admitted Miss Rabbit with enthusiasm. "Orshall I have a quiet chat with her first, and pave the way, so tospeak?"

  "I wish you would," said Madame. "You're not particularly clever, butI believe you've got a kind heart."

  The forewoman that evening, whilst the girls were washing and sharingthe brush and comb, and complaining that hair came out by the handful,entered the office; announcing the occasion as her birthday, she askedMiss Higham to leave books, and assist in celebrating the event bytaking with her a cup of chocolate. Gertie wanted to reach home earlyin order to see whether an expected letter had arrived, but theinvitation suggested a rare compliment, and, with a stipulationarranging that the hospitality should not exceed the space of twentyminutes, she accepted. In an A.B.C. shop at the corner, later, Gertieraised her large cup and wished Miss Rabbit many happy returns. Hereyes wandered rather eagerly about the crowded tables; the inspectionover, she sighed.

  "Wonder if I can trust you, dear," said Miss Rabbit, resting elbows."I've been so often taken in over friendships with people that Isuppose I'm more cautious than most. But there's a look aboutyou--perhaps, though, I'd better keep on the safe side."

  "I'm not one to chatter."

  "I know, I know. That's why I've always took to you specially." AgainMiss Rabbit stopped. She stirred her cup of chocolate slowly.

  "If it's good news," advised Gertie, "tell me. I can do with some justnow. If it's not, keep it to yourself."

  "It's rather serious news, and that's why I think you ought to be told.First of all, you must promise me, on your soul and honour, not tobreathe a word of it to anybody. Above all, not to Madame."

  "I promise," she said.

  "Very well then"--with a satisfied air--"it's like this." She leanedacross the marble table. "Our show is going to burst up."

  The dramatic announcement over, and the appropriate ejaculation, thecorrect look of amazement and despair given. Miss Rabbit warmed to hertask, and became voluble; at each new paragraph of her discourse sheexacted a fresh guarantee that the information would go no further,that the bond of absolute secrecy should be respected. Once, she feltit necessary to say that if the other communicated a single word of theconfidences to any third party, she, Miss Rabbit, would feel it herduty to haunt Miss Higham to the last hour of her life. Put briefly,the news came to this. That Madame was in financial difficulties; thather name and address might be found in the bankruptcy list any comingWednesday or Saturday; that no one was likely to be stupid enough totake over the business; that the members of the staff, men and girls,would find themselves turned out into a cold, hard world. The drawbackof being connected with a business of a special nature like theirs wasthat there existed but few of a similar nature, and these were alreadyfully supplied with assistants. Miss Rabbit herself intended to lookout for another berth ere the market became swamped by manyapplications; with piety, she called attention to a well-known textwhich said, "Go thou and do likewise." Outside the A.B.C. shop, MissRabbit, in extorting thanks for her generous behaviour, demanded, oncemore, a promise.

  "Say it after me," she ordered. "'I will never utter a single syllableof all this to a solitary living soul.'" Her instructions compliedwith, she remarked that a great load was now taken from her mind, andasked Gertie for advice on the point whether to go home by omnibus orTube railway.

  The girl arrived at Praed Street after a brisk walk that was intendedto detach the mind from disturbing incident. In the broad thoroughfareof Portland Place (which looked as though it started with the idea ofbeing a long, important roadway to the north, and became suddenlyreminded, to its great astonishment, that Regent's Park barred the way)she had glanced up at the large houses, and wished she lived in one; inthat case she would receive Henry Douglass, at the end of the silencethat had come since the last meeting, and after listening to him,reject his advances haughtily. That was the phrase. Reject hisadvances haughtily. She had read it more than once in the literaturewhich attracted her in the days before Henry. Since she had known him,a course of reading, adopted at his suggestion, took her away from themore flowery and romantic pages, but in the old serial stories the folkhad nothing to do but to make love to each other, with intervals formeals and rest; they were not restricted to evening hours; the wholeday was at their service. And certainly the ladies never foundthemselves burdened with the anxiety of losing a weekly wage, in GreatTitchfield Street, and the prospect of difficulty in finding one toreplace it.

  "I'm home, aunt," she announced, entering the shop.

  "So I see," remarked Mrs. Mills. Two customers were being served atthe newspaper counter, and two were waiting on the tobacco side.Gertie attended to the orders for cigarettes; the shop cleared.

  "Is there a letter for me?" she asked.

  Mrs. Mills shook her head curtly.

  "Has--has any one called?"

  "Now, let me think." Her aunt deliberated carefully in the manner of aconscientious witness impressed by the taking of the oath. "Yes, MissRadford looked in and went again. Left word that she wanted you to gowith her for an outing next Saturday afternoon. Said she wanted abreath of fresh air. Mr. Trew is inside--and that reminds me, I've gotsomething to say to him. Wait here, like a dear, and look after theshop." Mrs. Mills closed the door carefully behind her as she wentinto the parlour.

  "So, Mr. Trew, I packed him off about his business," she said,obviously continuing a half-finished recital. "I said, 'She asked
meto tell you that she thought it better for both parties that you andher shouldn't see each other again.' Don't blame me, do you?"

  Mr. Trew rubbed his chin with the knuckle of a finger and remarkedthat, by rights, he ought to have a shave.

  "I stopped his two letters when they came," went on Mrs. Mills. "Manya woman in my position would have been curious enough to open them; Ididn't. I simply put them in a drawer where they can be found when thetrouble's all over. No one can blame me for that, surely."

  Mr. Trew mentioned that it was a rummy world, and the methods adoptedby the people living in it did not make it the less rummy.

  "I see what you mean," she said aggrievedly. "You think I've gone toofar. But you yourself admitted at the start, when she was meeting thatother young gentleman, that high and low never mixed well. And when Iheard that this one was likely to come into property, I made up my mindto take the bull by the horns. What's that you say? Speak out, ifyou've got anything in your head."

  "When you take the bull by the horns," said Trew, advancing to thewhite hearthrug, "what happens is a toss up. I can't tell you yetwhether you've done right or whether you've done wrong; but if you putthe question to me a 'underd years hence, I shall be able to answeryou. What's pretty clear to me is that you're fond of her, and I'mfond of her, and all we want is to see her comfor'ble and happy.Whether you're taking the right track to gain that object is more thanI can say. Personally, I shouldn't care to go so far as you've gone."

  "That's because you're a coward."

  "Delight of my juvenile heart," said Mr. Trew, "it's quite likelyyou've hit on precisely the right explanation. Only thing is, it seemsto me somewhat rough on the little missy."

  Miss Radford was studying the arrival of trains list at Paddington inorder to ascertain from which platform the 1.20 p.m. started; she hadassumed the slightly demented appearance that so many take when theyenter a railway station. Turning from the poster distractedly, sheclutched at the arm of a sailor, and was putting to him agitatedinquiries concerning the Great Western service when Gertie Highaminterposed, and released the naval man from a duty for which he was notadequately equipped. Firmly and resolutely she conducted Miss Radfordto the correct platform, where they found seats in a compartment; andMiss Radford in vain tried to remember whether it was that sittingfacing the engine or sitting with her back to the engine gave her aheadache. Gertie had obtained the tickets, and Miss Radford wantedhers; Gertie retained possession. On the question of finance, she saida settlement could be arranged when the outing was over. Otherpassengers entered, including two lads, who set at once on the work ofstudying scientific books; Miss Radford, changing her manner, droppedher parasol as the train started, and one of the youths picked it up,without disengaging his attention from the volume, and handed it to her.

  "Thanks awfully," she said, in refined and slightly languid tones; "Iam such a clumsy creature"--partly addressing her friend, but mainlyspeaking to the entire compartment. "Really, I seem quite lost withoutmy maid to look after me."

  "You managed to get away from the shop in good time," remarked Gertie.

  "What an irritating girl you are, to be sure!" whispered Miss Radfordaggrievedly. "No help at all when I'm trying to make a goodimpression. Wish now I hadn't asked you to come along with me; I onlydid it because I couldn't get any one else. What's become of thatyoung swell I saw you with on Primrose Hill?"

  "I really don't know."

  Miss Radford spoke complacently of her intense love of the country andkeen anticipation of the joy to be found at Burnham Beeches, and whenthe train stopped at Slough the compartment mentioned to her that thiswas where she ought to alight. Gertie, interposing, said that theywere, in reality, going further. On Miss Radford asking, in astonishedtones, "Whatever for?" she received information that the desire was toget well away from the crowd. The two, changing at a junction, found asmall train on another platform that had but a single line; MissRadford took the precaution of inquiring of the engine-driver whetherhe considered it safe. The two lads crossed the bridge, and, to herintense annoyance, entered a smoking-compartment.

  "I daresay, perhaps"--recovering from this blow--"that we shall manageto run across some others before the day's out."

  "Hope not."

  "Well, upon my word," declared the astonished Miss Radford, "you growmore and more peculiar every day!"

  They discovered themselves, immediately after leaving the station yard,in an old-fashioned town with large houses close to the brick pavement;cyclists raced along the narrow roadway, and folk carried baskets inthe direction of the river. Gertie stopped to put an inquiry to apoliceman, and declined to satisfy her companion's curiosity either inregard to the question or to the answer. Turning to the right, theycame to a market-place and a town hall, and, amongst the small shops,one that they noted as a suitable place for tea. The sun was warm, andfolk were shopping with suitable deliberation; dogcarts stood outsidethe principal establishments, motor cars brought up new supplies ofclients. Gertie appeared greatly interested in the occupants of theseconveyances; some of the ladies were so well protected from dust thatidentification would not have been easy. Miss Radford mentioned thatshe had not seen so many funny figures about since the fifth ofNovember of the previous year.

  "Where are we off to now?" she demanded.

  "A good long walk."

  "Not me!" replied Miss Radford with determination. "I've got new shoeson. You leave me somewhere with a magazine to read, and go off on yourown, and come back when you're tired."

  "You won't be lonely?"

  "I can always find a pleasure," said Gertie's friend haughtily, "in myown company."

  The riverside, Miss Radford decided, was a suitable spot for rest; shecould sit there and, in the intervals of application to literature ofthe day, watch young men hiring boats and setting out to Shillingfordor Cholsey. So Gertie Higham started out across the bridge and walkedalone through a village where every shop sold everything, where thepolice station was a homely, comfortable cottage, and children playedon wide grass borders of the road. At the cross-roads she went to theleft; an avenue of trees gave a shade that was welcome. The colourcame to her face as she strode along briskly, and this was not entirelydue to hurry or to the rays of the afternoon sun. Once or twice shealmost stopped, as though considering the advisability of returning.

  An ivy-covered house stood at the side of iron gates, and Gertiewatched it as she approached. An elderly man was clipping hedges; hearrested his work, with an evident hope that conversation would occur.

  "No, young 'ooman," he said, "that ent where her ladyship lives.That's only the gate lodge what you're looking at. A good ha'f-mile'fore you come the house itself. Do you know her, may I inquire?"

  "We've met in London."

  "Well"--slowly, and making the most of the opportunity--"she entpleased to see many of her visitors, if all I hear is true; but nodoubt she'd be gratified to see you. I'm only a new-comer hereabouts,so to speak, but--" He shook his head thoughtfully, and, taking offhis hat, readjusted the cabbage leaf that lined it. "I don't blame SirMark for going off and getting killed. After all, it ent as though shewere left chargeable to the parish, as you may say."

  "She is quite well to do, I suppose?"

  "Plenty of money about, as me and you would rackon it. I understandshe complains of not having enough--but there, some people are neversatisfied. Going to give a party next week," he added confidentially."Not a great turn-out, because they're all in black, so to speak. Sofur as I can gain from the local newspaper--"

  "You say it's half a mile up to the house?"

  "You can't very well miss it if you foller your nose," said the oldman, hurt by the interruption.

  Through the iron gates Gertie saw two figures coming around the curveof the gravelled carriage-way; she took ambush hurriedly near to an oaktree. Henry's voice could be heard, with an occasional remark fromMiss Loriner. "And if I promise to worship you all my life," Henry wassayin
g, "will you then give me my heart's desire?" His companion didnot reply; he repeated the last words. "You must first," she said,"make a name in the world, and show yourself worthy of a woman's love."They turned as they reached the gates, and when Henry next spoke hisremarks did not reach the girl near the oak tree.

  "And haven't you been a time!" complained Miss Radford. "Over a howeraltogether, according to my watch. And I'm simply dying for a cup oftea. There's only been one young gentleman who waved his hand to me; Iwas so cross that I didn't wave back. Whatever are you dodging up tonow?"

  "I'm going to hire a boat," said Gertie, "and take you out on theriver."

  "You can't row."

  "Some one learnt me--taught me on the lake in Regent's Park."

  Miss Radford declared, on the journey home, that she envied herfriend's good spirits; in her own case, she always found that if shebecame more than ordinarily cheerful she inevitably paid for it bysubsequent depression. Gertie recommended her to adopt the method ofnot magnifying grievances; if you wanted to view trouble, you couldtake opera-glasses, but you should be careful to hold them the wrongway round. The studious youths entered the compartment at Goring,their books now put away in pockets, and similarly cheered by exercise;one, seated opposite Gertie, touched her foot with his shoe atPangbourne, and she took no notice. When he did this again atTilehurst, she came down heavily upon his toes, and gave, for herclumsiness, an apologetic word that he accepted sulkily. Near toPaddington, Miss Radford mentioned that, in her opinion, men were mostfrightfully stupid, and to her surprise Gertie agreed.

  Gertie Higham relieved her aunt from duty in the shop, and a letterbrought by the postman at nine o'clock was handed over the counter toher direct; the official recommended her to accept the offer, and putthe young gentleman out of his misery. The communication was writtenin a large hand, about twelve words to a page, and liberallyunderlined. Printed in the corner were a telegraphic address, atelephone number, directions concerning nearest railway station. Forheading, Morden Place, Ewelme.

  "DEAR MISS HIGHAM,--We shall be so glad if you can pay us a visit onFriday next and stay over for the week-end. _Dear_ Henry is_particularly_ anxious that you should be here on _Saturday evening_.

  "What a _wonderful_ summer we are having!!!--Yours _sincerely_,

  "MYRA DOUGLASS."

  The girl found a sheet of the best notepaper on the shelves, and wroteat once.

  "DEAR LADY DOUGLASS,--I shall not be able to come to you next Friday.I am rather busy.

  "It is indeed a capital summer. I am enjoying it.--Yours sincerely,

  "GERTRUDE HIGHAM."