His keen eye detected a crumb on his coat-sleeve. This retrieved and consumed, he turned to her, seeking explanation.
She was changed. The battle-gleam had faded from her eyes. She seemed scared and subdued. Her manner was of one craving comfort and protection. "That awful boy!" she breathed.
"Bean?" said Mr Ferguson, picking a crumb off the carpet.
"He"s frightful."
"I thought you might get a little tired of him! What has he been doing?"
"Talking. I feel battered. He"s like one of those awful encyclopedias that give you a sort of dull leaden feeling in your head directly you open them. Do you know how many tons of water go over Niagara Falls every year?"
"No."
"He does."
"I told you he had a fund of useful information. The Purpose and Tenacity books insist on it. That"s how you Catch your Employer"s Eye.
One morning the boss suddenly wants to know how many horsehair sofas there are in Brixton, the number of pins that would reach from London Bridge to Waterloo. You tell him, and he takes you into partnership.
Later you become a millionaire. But I haven"t thanked you for the cocoa. It was fine."
He waited for the retort, but it did not come. A pleased wonderment filled him. Could these things really be thus?
"And it isn"t only what he says," she went on. "I know what you mean about him now. It"s his accusing manner."
"I"ve tried to a.n.a.lyse that manner. I believe it"s the spectacles."
"It"s frightful when he looks at you; you think of all the wrong things you have ever done or ever wanted to do."
"Does he have that effect on you?" he said, excitedly. "Why, that exactly describes what I feel."
The affinities looked at one another.
She was the first to speak.
"We always did think alike on most things, didn"t we?" she said.
"Of course we did."
He shifted his chair forward.
"It was all my fault," he said. "I mean, what happened."
"It wasn"t. It--"
"Yes, it was. I want to tell you something. I don"t know if it will make any difference now, but I should like you to know it. It"s this.
I"ve altered a good deal since I came to London. For the better, I think. I"m a pretty poor sort of specimen still, but at least I don"t imagine I can measure life with a foot-rule. I don"t judge the world any longer by the standards of a country town. London has knocked some of the corners off me. I don"t think you would find me the Bean type any longer. I don"t disapprove of other people much now. Not as a habit. I find I have enough to do keeping myself up to the mark."
"I want to tell you something, too," she said. "I expect it"s too late, but never mind. I want you to hear it. I"ve altered, too, since I came to London. I used to think the Universe had been invented just to look on and wave its hat while I did great things. London has put a large piece of cold ice against my head, and the swelling has gone down. I"m not the girl with ambitions any longer. I just want to keep employed, and not have too bad a time when the day"s work is over."
He came across to where she sat.
"We said we would meet as strangers, and we do. We never have known each other. Don"t you think we had better get acquainted?" he said.
There was a respectful tap at the door.
"Come in?" snapped Mr Ferguson. "Well?" Behind the gold-rimmed spectacles of Master Bean there shone a softer look than usual, a look rather complacent than disapproving.
"I must apologize, sir, for intruding upon you. I am no longer in your employment, but I do hope that in the circ.u.mstances you will forgive my entering your private office. Thinking over our situation just now an idea came to me by means of which I fancy we might be enabled to leave the building."
"What!"
"It occurred to me, sir, that by telephoning to the nearest police-station--"
"Good heavens!" cried Mr Ferguson.
Two minutes later he replaced the receiver.
"It"s all right," he said. "I"ve made them understand the trouble.
They"re bringing a ladder. I wonder what the time is? It must be about four in the morning."
Master Bean produced a Waterbury watch.
"The time, sir, is almost exactly half past ten."
"Half past ten! We must have been here longer than three hours. Your watch is wrong."
"No, sir, I am very careful to keep it exactly right. I do not wish to run any risk of being unpunctual."
"Half past ten!" cried Mr Ferguson. "Why, we"re in heaps of time to look in at the Savoy for supper. This is great. I"ll phone them to keep a table."
"Supper! I thought--"
She stopped.
"What"s that? Thought what?"
"Hadn"t you an engagement for supper?"
He stared at her.
"Whatever gave you that idea? Of course not."
"I thought you said you were taking Miss Templeton--"
"Miss Temp--Oh!" His face cleared. "Oh, there isn"t such a person. I invented her. I had to when you accused me of being like our friend the Miasma. Legitimate self-defence."
"I do not wish to interrupt you, sir, when you are busy," said Master Bean, "but--"
"Come and see me tomorrow morning," said Mr Ferguson.