"Who thought of it first?" demanded Mr. Raggett ferociously. "Who came to me and asked me to court his slip of a girl?"
"Don"t you be a" old fool," said Mr. Boom heatedly. "It"s done now, and what"s done can"t be undone. I never thought to have a son-in-law seven or eight years older than what I am, and what"s more, I don"t want it."
"Said I wasn"t much to look at, but she liked my chest o" drawers,"
repeated Raggett mechanically.
"Don"t ask me where she gets her natur" from, cos I couldn"t tell you,"
said the unhappy parent; "she don"t get it from me."
Mr. Raggett allowed this reflection upon the late Mrs. Boom to pa.s.s unnoticed, and taking his hat from the table, fixed it firmly upon his head, and gazing with scornful indignation upon his host, stepped slowly out of the door without going through the formality of bidding him good-night.
"George," said a voice from above him.
Mr. Raggett started, and glanced up at somebody leaning from the window.
"Come in to tea to-morrow early," said the voice pressingly; "good-night, dear."
Mr. Raggett turned and fled into the night, dimly conscious that a dark figure had detached itself from the stile opposite, and was walking beside him.
"That you, d.i.c.k?" he inquired nervously, after an oppressive silence.
"That"s me," said d.i.c.k. "I heard her call you "dear."" Mr. Raggett, his face suffused with blushes, hung his head.
"Called you "dear,"" repeated d.i.c.k; "I heard her say it. I"m going to pitch you into the harbour. I"ll learn you to go courting a young girl.
What are you stopping for?"
Mr. Raggett delicately intimated that he was stopping because he preferred, all things considered, to be alone. Finding the young man, however, bent upon accompanying him, he divulged the plot of which he had been the victim, and bitterly lamented his share in it.
"You don"t want to marry her, then," said the astonished d.i.c.k.
"Course I don"t," snarled Mr. Raggett; "I can"t afford it. I"m too old; besides which, she"ll turn my little place topsy-turvy. Look here, d.i.c.k, I done this all for you. Now, it"s evident she only wants my furniture: if I give all the best of it to you, she"ll take you instead."
"No, she won"t," said d.i.c.k grimly; "I wouldn"t have her now not if she asked me on her bended knee."
"Why not?" said Raggett.
"I don"t want to marry that sort o" girl," said the other scornfully; "it"s cured me."
"What about me, then?" said the unfortunate Raggett.
"Well, so far as I can see, it serves you right for mixing in other people"s business," said d.i.c.k shortly. "Well, good-night, and good luck to you."
To Mr. Raggett"s sore disappointment, he kept to his resolution, and being approached by Mr. Boom on his elderly friend"s behalf, was rudely frank to him.
"I"m a free man again," he said blithely, "and I feel better than I"ve felt for ever so long. More manly."
"You ought to think of other people," said Mr. Boom severely; "think of poor old Raggett."
"Well, he"s got a young wife out of it," said d.i.c.k. "I dare say he"ll be happy enough. He wants somebody to help him spend his money."
In this happy frame of mind he resumed his ordinary life, and when he encountered his former idol, met her with a heartiness and unconcern which the lady regarded with secret disapproval. He was now so sure of himself that, despite a suspicion of ulterior design on the part of Miss Boom, he even accepted an invitation to tea.
The presence of Mr. Raggett made it a slow and solemn function. n.o.body with any feelings could eat with any appet.i.te with that afflicted man at the table, and the meal pa.s.sed almost in silence. Kate cleared the meal away, and the men sat at the open door with their pipes while she washed up in the kitchen.
"Me an" Raggett thought o" stepping down to the "Sailor"s"" said Mr.
Boom, after a third application of his friend"s elbow.
"I"ll come with you," said d.i.c.k.
"Well, we"ve got a little business to talk about," said Boom confidentially; "but we shan"t be long. If you wait here, d.i.c.k, we"ll see you when we come back."
"All right," said Tarrell.
He watched the two old men down the road, and then, moving his chair back into the room, silently regarded the busy Kate.
"Make yourself useful," said she brightly; "shake the tablecloth."
Tarrell took it to the door, and having shaken it, folded it with much gravity, and handed it back.
"Not so bad for a beginner," said Kate, taking it and putting it in a drawer. She took some needlework from another drawer, and, sitting down, began busily st.i.tching.
"Wedding-dress?" inquired Tarrell, with an a.s.sumption of great ease.
"No, tablecloth!" said the girl, with a laugh. "You"ll want to know a little more before you get married."
"Plenty o" time for me," said Tarrell; "I"m in no hurry."
The girl put her work down and looked up at him.
"That"s right," she said steadily. "I suppose you were rather surprised to hear I was going to get married?"
"A little." said Tarrell; "there"s been so many after old Raggett, I didn"t think he"d ever be caught."
"Oh!" said Kate.
"I daresay he"ll make a very good husband," said Tarrell patronisingly.
"I think you"ll make a nice couple. He"s got a nice home."
"That"s why I"m going to marry him," said Kate. "Do you think it"s wrong to marry a man for that?"
"That"s your business," said Tarrell coldly; "speaking for myself, and not wishing to hurt your feelings, _I_ shouldn"t like to marry a girl like that."
"You mean you wouldn"t like to marry me?" said Kate softly.
She leaned forward as she spoke, until her breath fanned his face.
"That"s what I do mean," said Tarrell, with a suspicion of doggedness in his voice.