by W. W. Jacobs
going?" he asked, ina voice which betrayed a little pardonable anxiety.
"Not far, I hope," said Prudence.
"I really think," said Mr. Catesby, rising--"I really think that I hadbetter go after her. At her age----"
He walked into the small passage and put his hand on the latch.Prudence, now quite certain of his sanity, felt sorely reluctant to letsuch impudence go unpunished.
"Are you going?" she inquired.
"I think I'd better," said Mr. Catesby, gravely. "Dear mother--"
"You're afraid," said the girl, calmly.
Mr. Catesby coloured and his buoyancy failed him. He felt a little bitcheap.
"You are brave enough with two women," continued the girl, disdainfully;"but you had better go if you're afraid."
Mr. Catesby regarded the temptress uneasily. "Would you like me tostay?" he asked.
"I?" said Miss Truefitt, tossing her head. "No, I don't want you.Besides, you're frightened."
Mr. Catesby turned, and with a firm step made his way back to the room;Prudence, with a half-smile, took a chair near the door and regarded herprisoner with unholy triumph.
"I shouldn't like to be in your shoes," she said, agreeably; "mother hasgone for a policeman."
"Bless her," said Mr. Catesby, fervently. "What had we better say to himwhen he comes?"
"You'll be locked up," said Prudence; "and it will serve you right foryour bad behaviour."
Mr. Catesby sighed. "It's the heart," he said, gravely. "I'm not toblame, really. I saw you standing in the window, and I could see at oncethat you were beautiful, and good, and kind."
"I never heard of such impudence," continued Miss Truefitt.
"I surprised myself," admitted Mr. Catesby. "In the usual way I am veryquiet and well-behaved, not to say shy."
Miss Truefitt looked at him scornfully. "I think that you had betterstop your nonsense and go," she remarked.
"Don't you want me to be punished?" inquired the other, in a soft voice.
"I think that you had better go while you can," said the girl, and atthat moment there was a heavy knock at the front-door. Mr. Catesby,despite his assurance, changed colour; the girl eyed him in perplexity.Then she opened the small folding-doors at the back of the room.
"You're only--stupid," she whispered. "Quick! Go in there. I'll sayyou've gone. Keep quiet, and I'll let you out by-and-by."
She pushed him in and closed the doors. From his hiding-place he heardan animated conversation at the street-door and minute particulars as tothe time which had elapsed since his departure and the direction he hadtaken.
"I never heard such impudence," said Mrs. Truefitt, going into thefront-room and sinking into a chair after the constable had taken hisdeparture. "I don't believe he was mad."
"Only a little weak in the head, I think," said Prudence, in a clearvoice. "He was very frightened after you had gone; I don't think he willtrouble us again."
"He'd better not," said Mrs. Truefitt, sharply. "I never heard of such athing--never."
She continued to grumble, while Prudence, in a low voice, endeavoured tosoothe her. Her efforts were evidently successful, as the prisoner was,after a time, surprised to hear the older woman laugh--at first gently,and then with so much enjoyment that her daughter was at some pains torestrain her. He sat in patience until evening deepened into night, anda line of light beneath the folding-doors announced the lighting of thelamp in the front-room. By a pleasant clatter of crockery he becameaware that they were at supper, and he pricked up his ears as Prudencemade another reference to him.
"If he comes to-morrow night while you are out I sha'n't open the door,"she said. "You'll be back by nine, I suppose."
Mrs. Truefitt assented.
"And you won't be leaving before seven," continued Prudence. "I shall beall right."
Mr. Catesby's face glowed and his eyes grew tender; Prudence was asclever as she was beautiful. The delicacy with which she had intimatedthe fact of the unconscious Mrs. Truefitt's absence on the followingevening was beyond all praise. The only depressing thought was that suchresourcefulness savoured of practice.
He sat in the darkness for so long that even the proximity of Prudencewas not sufficient amends for the monotony of it, and it was not untilpast ten o'clock that the folding-doors were opened and he stood blinkingat the girl in the glare of the lamp.
"Quick!" she whispered.
Mr. Catesby stepped into the lighted room.
"The front-door is open," whispered Prudence. "Make haste. I'll closeit."
She followed him to the door; he made an ineffectual attempt to seize herhand, and the next moment was pushed gently outside and the door closedbehind him. He stood a moment gazing at the house, and then hastenedback to his ship.
"Seven to-morrow," he murmured; "seven to-morrow. After all, there'snothing pays in this world like cheek--nothing."
He slept soundly that night, though the things that the second-engineersaid to him about wasting a hard-working man's evening would have lainheavy on the conscience of a more scrupulous man. The only thing thattroubled him was the manifest intention of his friend not to let him slipthrough his fingers on the following evening. At last, in sheer despairat his inability to shake him off, he had to tell him that he had anappointment with a lady.
"Well, I'll come, too," said the other, glowering at him. "It's verylike she'll have a friend with her; they generally do."
"I'll run round and tell her," said Catesby. "I'd have arranged itbefore, only I thought you didn't care about that sort of thing."
"Female society is softening," said the second-engineer. "I'll go andput on a clean collar."
"I'll go and put on a clean collar."]
Catesby watched him into his cabin and then, though it still wanted anhour to seven, hastily quitted the ship and secreted himself in theprivate bar of the Beehive.
He waited there until a quarter past seven, and then, adjusting his tiefor about the tenth time that evening in the glass behind the bar,sallied out in the direction of No. 5.
He knocked lightly, and waited. There was no response, and he knockedagain. When the fourth knock brought no response, his heart sank withinhim and he indulged in vain speculations as to the reasons for thisunexpected hitch in the programme. He knocked again, and then the dooropened suddenly and Prudence, with a little cry of surprise and dismay,backed into the passage.
"You!" she said, regarding him with large eyes. Mr. Catesby bowedtenderly, and passing in closed the door behind him.
"I wanted to thank you for your kindness last night," he said, humbly.
"Very well," said Prudence; "good-bye."
Mr. Catesby smiled. "It'll take me a long time to thank you as I oughtto thank you," he murmured. "And then I want to apologise; that'll taketime, too."
"You had better go," said Prudence, severely; "kindness is thrown awayupon you. I ought to have let you be punished."
"You are too good and kind," said the other, drifting by easy stages intothe parlour.
Miss Truefitt made no reply, but following him into the room seatedherself in an easy-chair and sat coldly watchful.
"How do you know what I am?" she inquired.
"Your face tells me," said the infatuated Richard. "I hope you willforgive me for my rudeness last night. It was all done on the spur ofthe moment."
"I am glad you are sorry," said the girl, softening.
"All the same, if I hadn't done it," pursued Mr. Catesby, "I shouldn't besitting here talking to you now."
Miss Truefitt raised her eyes to his, and then lowered them modestly tothe ground. "That is true," she said, quietly.
"And I would sooner be sitting here than any-where," pursued Catesby."That is," he added, rising, and taking a chair by her side, "excepthere."
Miss Truefitt appeared to tremble, and made as though to rise. Then shesat still and took a gentle peep at Mr. Catesby from the corner of hereye.
"I hope that you are not sorry that
I am here?" said that gentleman.
Miss Truefitt hesitated. "No," she said, at last."
"Are you--are you glad?" asked the modest Richard.
Miss Truefitt averted her eyes altogether. "Yes," she said, faintly.
A strange feeling of solemnity came over the triumphant Richard. He tookthe hand nearest to him and pressed it gently.
"I--I can hardly