she murmured to herself.
"Eh?" said the young man, in a trembling voice.
"Nothing."
Miss Garland walked along with averted face; Mr. Sharp, his pulses bounding, trod on air beside her.
"I thought," he said, at last "I thought that Jack Butler was a favourite of hers?"
"Jack Butler!" said the girl, in tones of scornful surprise. "The idea!
How blind men are; you"re all alike, I think. You can"t see two inches in front of you. She"s as pleased as possible that you are coming on Wednesday; and so am--"
Mr. Sharp caught his breath. "Yes?" he murmured.
"Let"s go down here," said Miss Garland quickly; "down by the river. And I"ll tell you what we want you to do."
She placed her hand lightly on his arm, and Mr. Sharp, with a tremulous smile, obeyed. The smile faded gradually as he listened, and an expression of anxious astonishment took its place. He shook his head as she proceeded, and twice ventured a faint suggestion that she was only speaking in jest. Convinced at last, against his will, he walked on in silent consternation.
"But," he said at last, as Miss Garland paused for breath, "your uncle would never forgive me. He"d never let me come near the house again."
"Aunt will see to that," said the girl, confidently. "But, of course, if you don"t wish to please me--"
She turned away, and Mr. Sharp, plucking up spirit, ventured to take her hand and squeeze it. A faint, a very faint, squeeze in return decided him.
"It will come all right afterwards," said Miss Garland, "especially with the hold it will give aunt over him."
"I hope so," said the young man. "If not, I shall be far--farther off than ever."
Miss Garland blushed and, turning her head, gazed steadily at the river.
"Trust me," she said at last. "Me and auntie."
Mr. Sharp said that so long as he pleased her nothing else mattered, and, in the seventh heaven of delight, paced slowly along the towpath by her side.
"And you mustn"t mind what auntie and I say to you," said the girl, continuing her instructions. "We must keep up appearances, you know; and if we seem to be angry, you must remember we are only pretending."
Mr. Sharp, with a tender smile, said that he understood perfectly.
"And now I had better go," said Florrie, returning the smile. "Uncle might see us together, or somebody else might see us and tell him.
Good-bye."
She shook hands and went off, stopping three times to turn and wave her hand. In a state of bewildered delight Mr. Sharp continued his stroll, rehearsing, as he went, the somewhat complicated and voluminous instructions she had given him.
By Wednesday evening he was part-perfect, and, in a state of mind divided between nervousness and exaltation, set out for Mr. Culpepper"s. He found that gentleman, dressed in his best, sitting in an easy-chair with his hands folded over a fancy waistcoat of startling design, and, placing a small box of small cigars on his knees, wished him the usual "Happy Returns." The entrance of the ladies, who seemed as though they had just come off the ice, interrupted Mr. Culpepper"s thanks.
"Getting spoiled, that"s what I am," he remarked, playfully. "See this waistcoat? My old Aunt Elizabeth sent it this morning."
He leaned back in his chair and glanced down in warm approval. "The missis gave me a pipe, and Florrie gave me half a pound of tobacco. And I bought a bottle of port wine myself, for all of us."
He pointed to a bottle that stood on the supper-table, and, the ladies retiring to the kitchen to bring in the supper, rose and placed chairs.
A piece of roast beef was placed before him, and, motioning Mr. Sharp to a seat opposite Florrie, he began to carve.
"Just a nice comfortable party," he said, genially, as he finished.
"Help yourself to the ale, Bert."
Mr. Sharp, ignoring the surprise on the faces of the ladies, complied, and pa.s.sed the bottle to Mr. Culpepper. They drank to each other, and again a flicker of surprise appeared on the faces of Mrs. Culpepper and her niece. Mr. Culpepper, noticing it, shook his head waggishly at Mr.
Sharp.
"He drinks it as if he likes it," he remarked.
"I do," a.s.serted Mr. Sharp, and, raising his gla.s.s, emptied it, and resumed the attack on his plate. Mr. Culpepper unscrewed the top of another bottle, and the reckless Mr. Sharp, after helping himself, made a short and feeling speech, in which he wished Mr. Culpepper long life and happiness. "If you ain"t happy with Mrs. Culpepper," he concluded, gallantly, "you ought to be."
Mr. Culpepper nodded and went on eating in silence until, the keen edge of his appet.i.te having been taken off, he put down his knife and fork and waxed sentimental.
"Been married over thirty years," he said, slowly, with a glance at his wife, "and never regretted it."
"Who hasn"t?" inquired Mr. Sharp.
"Why, me," returned the surprised Mr. Culpepper.
Mr. Sharp, who had just raised his gla.s.s, put it down again and smiled.
It was a faint smile, but it seemed to affect his host unfavourably.
"What are you smiling at?" he demanded.
"Thoughts," said Mr. Sharp, exchanging a covert glance with Florrie.
"Something you told me the other day."
Mr. Culpepper looked bewildered. "I"ll give you a penny for them thoughts," he said, with an air of jocosity.
Mr. Sharp shook his head. "Money couldn"t buy "em," he said, with owlish solemnity, "espec--especially after the good supper you"re giving me."
"Bert," said Mr. Culpepper, uneasily, as his wife sat somewhat erect "Bert, it"s my birthday, and I don"t grudge nothing to n.o.body; but go easy with the beer. You ain"t used to it, you know."
"What"s the matter with the beer?" inquired Mr. Sharp. "It tastes all right--what there is of it."
"It ain"t the beer; it"s you," explained Mr. Culpepper.
Mr. Sharp stared at him. "Have I said anything I oughtn"t to?" he inquired.
Mr. Culpepper shook his head, and, taking up a fork and spoon, began to serve a plum-pudding that Miss Garland had just placed on the table.
"What was it you said I was to be sure and not tell Mrs. Culpepper?"
inquired Mr. Sharp, dreamily. "I haven"t said that, have I?"
"No!" snapped the hara.s.sed Mr. Culpepper, laying down the fork and spoon and regarding him ferociously. "I mean, there wasn"t anything. I mean, I didn"t say so. You"re raving."
"If I did say it, I"m sorry," persisted Mr. Sharp. "I can"t say fairer than that, can I?"