"Why, it"s quite late," she said, slowly; "the shop will be shut up long ago."
"I don"t care--I don"t care a bit," cried Lucy. "One can"t think about what"s proper. I"m just going straight away."
And she got up feverishly, and put on her hat again.
"Why can"t you tell father and send him? He"s downstairs in the reading-room," said Dora.
"I"ll go myself, Dora, thank you," said Lucy, with an obstinate toss of her head, as she stood before the old mirror over the mantelpiece. "I dare say you think I"m a very bold girl. It don"t matter."
Then for a minute she became absorbed in putting one side of her hair straight. Dora, from behind, sat looking at her, needle in hand. The gaslight fell on her pale, disturbed face, showed for an instant a sort of convulsion pa.s.s across it which Lucy did not see.
Then she drew her hand along her eyes, with a low, quivering breath, and went back to her work.
As Lucy opened the door, however, a movement of anxiety, of conscience, rose in Dora.
"Lucy, shall I go with you?"
"Oh, no," said Lucy, impatiently. "I know what"s what, thank you, Dora. I"ll take care of myself. Perhaps I"ll come back and tell you what he says."
And she closed the door behind her. Dora did not move from her work; but her hand trembled so that she made several false st.i.tches and had to undo them.
Meanwhile Lucy sped along across Market Street and through St.
Ann"s Square. Her blood was up, and she could have done anything, braved anybody, to defeat her father and win a smile from David Grieve. Yet, as she entered Potter Street, she began to quake a little. The street was narrow and dark. On one side the older houses had been long ago pulled down and replaced by tall warehouses, which at night were a black and towering ma.s.s, without a light anywhere. The few shops opposite closed early, for in the office quarter of Manchester there is very little doing after office hours, when the tide of life ebbs outwards.
Lucy looked for No. 15, her heart beating fast. There was a light in the first floor, but the shop-front was altogether dark. She crossed the street, and, lifting a shaking hand, rang the bell of the very narrow side door.
Instantly there were sounds inside--a step--and David stood on the threshold.
He stared in amazement at his unwonted visitor.
"Oh, Mr. Grieve--please--I"ve got something to tell you. Oh, no, I won"t come in--we can stand here, please, out of the wind. But father"s going to buy this place over your head, and I thought I"d better come and tell you. He"ll be pretty mad if he thinks I"ve let out; but I don"t care."
She was leaning against the wall of the pa.s.sage, and David could just see the defiance and agitation on her face by the light of the gas-lamp outside.
He himself gave a low whistle.
"Well, that"s rather strong, isn"t it, Miss Purcell?"
"It"s mean--it"s abominable," she cried. "I vowed I"d stop it. But I don"t know what he"ll do to me--kill me, most likely."
"n.o.body shall do anything to you," said David, decidedly. "You"re a brick. But look here--can you tell me anything more?"
She commanded herself with great difficulty, and told all she knew.
David leant against the wall beside her, twisting a meditative lip.
The situation was ominous, certainly. He had always known that his tenure was precarious, but from various indications he had supposed that it would be some years yet before his side of the street was much meddled with. That old fox! He must go and see Mr. Ancrum.
A pa.s.sion of hate and energy rose within him. Somehow or other he would pull through.
When Lucy had finished the tale of her eavesdroppings, the young fellow shook himself and stood erect.
"Well, I _am_ obliged to you, Miss Purcell. And now I"ll just go straight off and talk to somebody that I think"ll help me. But I"ll see you to Market Street first."
"Oh!--somebody will see us!" she cried in a fever, "and tell father."
"Not they; I"ll keep a look out."
Then suddenly, as they walked along together, a great shyness fell upon them both. Why had she done this thing, and run the risk of her father"s wrath? As David walked beside her, he felt for an instant, through all his grat.i.tude, as though some one had thrown a la.s.so round him, and the cord were tightening. He could not have explained the feeling, but it made him curt and restive, absorbed, apparently, in his own thoughts. Meanwhile Lucy"s heart swelled and swelled. She _did_ think he would have taken her news differently--have made more of it and her. She wished she had never come--she wished she had brought Dora. The familiar consciousness of failure, of insignificance, returned, and the hot tears rose in her eyes.
At Market Street she stopped him hurriedly.
"Don"t come any farther. I can get home."
David, meanwhile, was saying to himself that he was a churlish brute; but for the life of him he could not get out any pretty speeches worthy of the occasion.
"I"m sure I take it most kind of you, Miss Purcell. There"s nothing could have saved me if you hadn"t told. And I don"t know whether I can get out of it now. But if ever I can do anything for you, you know--"
"Oh, never mind!--never mind!" she said, incoherently, stabbed by his constraint. "Good night."
And she ran away into the darkness, choked by the sorest tears she had ever shed.
David, meanwhile, went on his way to Ancrum, scourging himself. If ever there was an ungrateful cur, it was he! Why could he find nothing nice to say to that girl in return for all her pluck? Of course she would get into trouble. Coming to see him at that time of night, too! Why, it was splendid!
Yet, all the same, he knew perfectly well that if she had been there beside him again, he would have been just as tongue-tied as before.
CHAPTER VII
On the following night David walked into the Parlour about eight o"clock, hung up his hat with the air of an emperor, and looked round for Daddy.
"Look here, Daddy! I"ve got something to say to you, but not down here: you"ll be letting out my private affairs, and I can"t stand that."
"Well, come upstairs then, you varmint! You"re a poor sort of fellow, always suspecting your friends. Come up--come up with you!
I"ll humour you!"
And Daddy, bursting with curiosity, led the way upstairs to Dora"s sitting-room. Dora was moving about amid a ma.s.s of silks, which lay carefully spread out on the table, shade melting into shade, awaiting their transference to a new silk case she had been busy upon.
As the door opened she look up, and when she saw David her face flushed all over.
Daddy pushed the lad in.
"Dora, he"s got some news. Out with it, sir!"
And he stood opposite the young fellow, on tiptoe, quivering with impatience.
David put both hands in his pockets, and looked out upon them, radiant.
"I think," he said slowly, "I"ve scotched old Purcell this time. But perhaps you don"t know what he"s been after?"