"Pipped?"
"Popped," explained Ginger. "I mean to say, he isn"t coming back or any rot like that, is he?"
"Mr. Carmyle? No, he has gone."
"Sound egg!" said Ginger with satisfaction. "For a moment, when I saw you yarning away together, I thought he might be with your party. What on earth is he doing over here at all, confound him? He"s got all Europe to play about in, why should he come infesting New York? I say, it really is ripping, seeing you again. It seems years... Of course, one get"s a certain amount of satisfaction writing letters, but it"s not the same. Besides, I write such rotten letters. I say, this really is rather priceless. Can"t I get you something? A cup of coffee, I mean, or an egg or something? By jove! this really is top-hole."
His homely, honest face glowed with pleasure, and it seemed to Sally as though she had come out of a winter"s night into a warm friendly room.
Her mercurial spirits soared.
"Oh, Ginger! If you knew what it"s like seeing you!"
"No, really? Do you mean, honestly, you"re braced?"
"I should say I am braced."
"Well, isn"t that fine! I was afraid you might have forgotten me."
"Forgotten you!"
With something of the effect of a revelation it suddenly struck Sally how far she had been from forgetting him, how large was the place he had occupied in her thoughts.
"I"ve missed you dreadfully," she said, and felt the words inadequate as she uttered them.
"What ho!" said Ginger, also internally condemning the poverty of speech as a vehicle for conveying thought.
There was a brief silence. The first exhilaration of the reunion over, Sally deep down in her heart was aware of a troubled feeling as though the world were out of joint. She forced herself to ignore it, but it would not be ignored. It grew. Dimly she was beginning to realize what Ginger meant to her, and she fought to keep herself from realizing it.
Strange things were happening to her to-night, strange emotions stirring her. Ginger seemed somehow different, as if she were really seeing him for the first time.
"You"re looking wonderfully well," she said trying to keep the conversation on a pedestrian level.
"I am well," said Ginger. "Never felt fitter in my life. Been out in the open all day long... simple life and all that... working like blazes.
I say, business is booming. Did you see me just now, handing over Percy the Pup to what"s-his-name? Five hundred dollars on that one deal. Got the cheque in my pocket. But what an extraordinarily rummy thing that I should have come to this place to deliver the goods just when you happened to be here. I couldn"t believe my eyes at first. I say, I hope the people you"re with won"t think I"m b.u.t.ting in. You"ll have to explain that we"re old pals and that you started me in business and all that sort of thing. Look here," he said lowering his voice, "I know how you hate being thanked, but I simply must say how terrifically decent..."
"Miss Nicholas."
Lee Schoenstein was standing at the table, and by his side an expectant youth with a small moustache and pince-nez. Sally got up, and the next moment Ginger was alone, gaping perplexedly after her as she vanished and reappeared in the jogging throng on the dancing floor. It was the nearest thing Ginger had seen to a conjuring trick, and at that moment he was ill-attuned to conjuring tricks. He brooded, fuming, at what seemed to him the supremest exhibition of pure cheek, of monumental nerve, and of undiluted crust that had ever come within his notice. To come and charge into a private conversation like that and whisk her away without a word...
"Who was that blighter?" he demanded with heat, when the music ceased and Sally limped back.
"That was Mr. Schoenstein."
"And who was the other?"
"The one I danced with? I don"t know."
"You don"t know?"
Sally perceived that the conversation had arrived at an embarra.s.sing point. There was nothing for it but candour.
"Ginger," she said, "you remember my telling you when we first met that I used to dance in a Broadway place? This is the place. I"m working again."
Complete unintelligence showed itself on Ginger"s every feature.
"I don"t understand," he said--unnecessarily, for his face revealed the fact.
"I"ve got my old job back."
"But why?"
"Well, I had to do something." She went on rapidly. Already a light dimly resembling the light of understanding was beginning to appear in Ginger"s eyes. "Fillmore went smash, you know--it wasn"t his fault, poor dear. He had the worst kind of luck--and most of my money was tied up in his business, so you see..."
She broke off confused by the look in his eyes, conscious of an absurd feeling of guilt. There was amazement in that look and a sort of incredulous horror.
"Do you mean to say..." Ginger gulped and started again. "Do you mean to tell me that you let me have... all that money... for the dog-business... when you were broke? Do you mean to say..."
Sally stole a glance at his crimson face and looked away again quickly.
There was an electric silence.
"Look here," exploded Ginger with sudden violence, "you"ve got to marry me. You"ve jolly well got to marry me! I don"t mean that," he added quickly. "I mean to say I know you"re going to marry whoever you please... but won"t you marry me? Sally, for G.o.d"s sake have a dash at it! I"ve been keeping it in all this time because it seemed rather rotten to bother you about it, but now....Oh, dammit, I wish I could put it into words. I always was rotten at talking. But... well, look here, what I mean is, I know I"m not much of a chap, but it seems to me you must care for me a bit to do a thing like that for a fellow... and...
I"ve loved you like the d.i.c.kens ever since I met you... I do wish you"d have a stab at it, Sally. At least I could look after you, you know, and all that... I mean to say, work like the deuce and try to give you a good time... I"m not such an a.s.s as to think a girl like you could ever really... er... love a blighter like me, but..."
Sally laid her hand on his.
"Ginger, dear," she said, "I do love you. I ought to have known it all along, but I seem to be understanding myself to-night for the first time." She got up and bent over him for a swift moment, whispering in his ear, "I shall never love anyone but you, Ginger. Will you try to remember that." She was moving away, but he caught at her arm and stopped her.
"Sally..."
She pulled her arm away, her face working as she fought against the tears that would not keep back.
"I"ve made a fool of myself," she said. "Ginger, your cousin... Mr.
Carmyle... just now he asked me to marry him, and I said I would."
She was gone, flitting among the tables like some wild creature running to its home: and Ginger, motionless, watched her go.
5
The telephone-bell in Sally"s little sitting-room was ringing jerkily as she let herself in at the front door. She guessed who it was at the other end of the wire, and the noise of the bell sounded to her like the voice of a friend in distress crying for help. Without stopping to close the door, she ran to the table and unhooked the receiver. m.u.f.fled, plaintive sounds were coming over the wire.
"Hullo... Hullo... I say... Hullo..."
"Hullo, Ginger," said Sally quietly.
An e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n that was half a shout and half gurgle answered her.