"She"s got to see it as I see it. That address?"
Mrs. Eldred rose heavily. She still trembled.
"You"d best speak to her uncle. "E"ll give it you if "e approves. And if "e doesn"t "e won"t."
He stormed. But he was impotent before this monument of middle-cla.s.s integrity.
"When will Eldred be back?"
"We"re expecting of "im nine o"clock to-night."
"Mind you send him up as soon as he comes in."
"Very good, sir."
She paused.
"Wot am I to do with that "at?"
He looked at her and at the hat. He laughed.
"You can leave the hat with me."
She moved slowly away. "Stop!" he cried; "have you got such a thing as a band-box?"
"I think I might "ave, sir; if I could lay my "and on it."
"Lay your hand on it, then, and bring it to me."
She brought it. An enormous band-box, but brown, which was a good colour. He lowered the hat into it with care and shut the lid on it, reverently, as if he were committing some sacred emblem to its shrine.
He sat at his writing-table, tried to work and accomplished nothing. His heart waited for the stroke of nine.
At nine there came to his summons the little, lean, brown man, Rose"s uncle. Eldred, who was a groom, was attired with excessive horsiness. He refused to come further into the room than its threshold, where he stood at attention, austerely servile, and respectfully despotic.
The interview in all points resembled Tanqueray"s encounter with Mrs.
Eldred; except that the little groom, who knew his world, was even more firmly persuaded that the gentleman was playing with his Rose.
"And we can"t "ave that, sir," said Eldred.
"You"re not going to have it."
"No, sir, we ain"t," reiterated Eldred. "We can"t "ave any such goin"s on "ere."
"Look here--don"t be an idiot--it isn"t your business, you know, to interfere."
"Not my business? When "er father left "er to me? I should like to know what is my business," said Mr. Eldred hotly.
Tanqueray saw that he would have to be patient with him. "Yes, _I_ know.
_That"s_ all right. Don"t you see, Eldred, I"m going to marry her."
But his eagerness woke in Eldred a ghastlier doubt. Rose"s uncle stood firmer than ever, not turning his head, but casting at Tanqueray a small, sidelong glance of suspicion.
"And _why_ do you want to marry her, sir? You tell me that."
Tanqueray saw.
"Because I want her. And it"s the only way to get her. Do you need me to tell you that?"
The man reddened. "I beg your pardon, sir."
"You beg _her_ pardon, you mean."
Eldred was silent. He had been hit hard, that time. Then he spoke.
"Are you certain sure of your feelin"s, sir?"
"I"m certain of nothing in this world except my feelings."
"Because" (Eldred was slow but steady and indomitable in coming to his point), "because we don"t want "er "eart broke."
"_You_"re breaking it, you fool, every minute you stand there. Give me her address."
In the end he gave it.
Down-stairs, in the kitchen, by the ashes of the raked-out fire, he discussed the situation with his wife.
"Did you tell him plain," said Mrs. Eldred, "that we"d "ave no triflin"?"
"I did."
"Did you tell "im that if "e was not certain sure "e wanted "er, there was a young man who did?"
Eldred said nothing to that question. He lit a pipe and began to smoke it.
"Did you tell "im," his wife persisted, "about Mr. Robinson?"
"No, I didn"t, old girl."
"Well, if it "ad bin me I should have said, "Mr. Tanqueray, for all you"ve fam"ly on your side and that, we"re not so awful anxious for Rose to marry you. We"d rather "ave a young man without fam"ly, in a good line o" business and steady risin". And we know of such as would give "is "ead to "ave "er." That"s wot I should "ave said."
"I dessay you would. I didn"t say it, because I don"t want "im to "ave "er. That I don"t. And if "e was wantin" to cry off, and I was to have named Mr. Robinson, that"d "ave bin the very thing to "ave stirred "im up to gettin" "er. That"s wot men _is_, missis, and women, too, all of "em I"ve ever set eyes on. Dorgs wot"ll leave the bone you give "em, to fight for the bone wot another dorg "e"s got. Wot do you say to that, Mrs. Smoker, old girl?"
Mrs. Smoker, the Aberdeen, p.r.i.c.ked up her ears and smiled, with her eyes only, after the manner of her breed.
"Anyhow," said Mrs. Eldred, "you let "im see as "ow we wasn"t any way s.n.a.t.c.hin" at "im?"
"I did, missis."