"Indeed!" Miss Truscott just parted her lips and let the word drop out, that was all.
"May I ask what I am to understand by that?"
Just then a fat white dog, of the doormat species, appeared on the top of the steps. Miss Truscott addressed this animal--
"Pompey! Pompey! Good dog! Come here!"
The "good dog" referred to slowly waddled across the gra.s.s, and on reaching Miss Truscott"s chair was raised to the seat of honour upon that lady"s knee.
"Are you interested in dogs, Mr. Ely? If so, I am sure you must like Pompey. He generally bites strangers at first, but perhaps after a time he won"t bite you!"
"I"ll take care he doesn"t get a chance--either first or last."
"Why not? He bit a piece of cloth out of the Curate"s trousers the other day, but Mr. Staines says that he doesn"t think his teeth quite met in the calf of his leg."
Mr. Ely gasped. His temperature seemed rapidly to increase.
"I did not come here to talk about dogs: and you"ll excuse my mentioning that you have not yet informed me as to whether Mr. Ash has told you what I did come for."
"Let me see!" Miss Truscott took out her guardian"s letter and referred to it before Mr. Ely"s distended eyes. "Hum--hum--Pompey, lie down! There, now Pompey has torn it all to bits!" As indeed the animal had, and was now chewing some of the fragments as though they were a sort of supplementary meal. "What shall I do? Pompey has the most extraordinary taste. It runs in the family, I think. Do you know that his mother once ate nearly the whole of a pair of my old shoes?"
Mr. Ely wiped his brow. He was becoming very warm indeed. He seated himself in another garden chair. For a moment he contemplated drawing it closer to Miss Truscott"s side, but the thought of Pompey and his extraordinary taste--which ran in his family--induced him to refrain.
"Miss Truscott, I"m a business man, and I like to do things in a business kind of way."
Mr. Ely paused. He felt that he was feeling his way. But the young lady disarranged his plans.
"By the way, Mr. Ely, have you been up Regent Street just lately?"
"Been up Regent Street?"
"Can you tell me if there are any nice things in the shop-windows?"
Mr. Ely did not exactly gasp this time. He choked down something in his throat. What it was we cannot say.
"Miss Truscott, I"m a business man----"
"You said that before." The words were murmured as Miss Truscott stroked Pompey"s woolly head.
"Said it before! I say it again! I wish you"d allow me to get right through."
"Right through what?"
"Right through what! Right through what I have to say!"
"Oh, go on, pray. I hope I haven"t interrupted you?"
"Interrupted me!" Mr. Ely snorted; no other word will describe the sound he made. "I say, I"m a business man----"
"Third time of asking!"
Mr. Ely got up. He looked very cross indeed. Pompey snarled. That faithful animal seemed to scent battle in the air.
"Well, I"m--hanged!"
We fear that Mr. Ely would have preferred another termination, but he contented himself with "hanged." Miss Truscott looked up. She allowed her long, sweeping eyelashes gradually to unveil her eyes. She regarded Mr. Ely with a look of the sweetest, most innocent surprise.
"Mr. Ely! Whatever is there wrong?"
Mr. Ely was obliged to take a step or two before he could trust himself to speak. As he was sufficiently warm already the exercise did not tend to make him cool. Under the circ.u.mstances, he showed a considerable amount of courage in coming to the point with a rush.
"Miss Truscott, I want a wife!"
"You want a what?"
"A wife! Don"t I say it plain enough? I want a wife!"
"I see. You want a wife." With her calmest, coolest air Miss Truscott continued stroking Pompey"s head. "Did you notice how they are wearing the hats in town?"
Mr. Ely sprang--literally sprang!--about an inch and a half from the ground. "What the d.i.c.kens do I know about the hats in town?"
"Mr. Ely! How excited you do get! I thought everybody knew about the hats in town--I mean, whether they wear them on the right side or the left."
Mr. Ely was not an excitable man as a rule, but he certainly did seem excited now. His handkerchief, which he had kept in his hand since the commencement of the interview, he had kneaded into a little ball which was hard as stone.
"Miss Truscott, I"ll--I"ll give a sovereign to any charity you like to name if you"ll stick to the point for just two minutes."
"Hand over the sovereign!"
Mr. Ely was taken aback. Miss Truscott held out her small, white hand with a prompt.i.tude which surprised him.
"I--I said that I would give a sovereign to any charity you like to name if you"ll stick to the point for just two minutes."
"Cash in advance, and I"ll keep to any point you like to name for ten."
Mr. Ely was doubtful. Miss Truscott looked at him with eyes which were wide enough open now. Her hand was unflinchingly held out. Mr. Ely felt in the recesses of his waistcoat pocket. He produced a sovereign purse, and from this sovereign purse he produced a coin.
"It"s the first time I ever heard of a man having to pay a sovereign to ask a woman to be his wife!"
"Hand over the sovereign!" She became possessed of the golden coin.
"This sovereign will be applied to the charitable purpose of erecting a monument over Pompey"s mother"s grave. Now, Mr. Ely, I"m your man."
Mr. Ely seemed a little subdued. The business-like way in which he had been taken at his word perhaps caused him to feel a certain respect for the lady"s character. He reseated himself in the garden-chair.
"I"ve already said that I want a wife."
"Do you wish me to find you one? I can introduce you to several of my friends. I know a young lady in the village, aged about thirty-eight, who has an impediment in her speech, who would make an excellent companion for your more silent hours."
"The wife I want is you."