A slattern at the door halted him:
"n.o.body ain"t let up them stairs without my knowin" why," she mumbled.
"I want to see Captain Selwyn," he explained.
"Hey?"
"Captain Selwyn!"
"Hey? I"m a little deef!" screeched the old crone. "Is it Cap"n Selwyn you want?"
Above, Selwyn, hearing his name screamed through the shadows of the ancient house, came to the stairwell and looked down into the blackness.
"What is it, Mrs. Glodden?" he said sharply; then, catching sight of a dim figure springing up the stairs:
"Here! this way. Is it for me?" and as Boots came into the light from his open door: "Oh!" he whispered, deadly pale under the reaction; "I thought it was a telegram. Come in."
Boots shook the snow from his hat and coat into the pa.s.sageway and took the single chair; Selwyn, tall and gaunt in his shabby dressing-gown, stood looking at him and plucking nervously at the frayed and ta.s.selled cord around his waist.
"I don"t know how you came to stumble in here," he said at length, "but I"m glad to see you."
"Thanks," replied Boots, gazing shamelessly and inquisitively about.
There was nothing to see except a few books, a pipe or two, toilet articles, and a shaky gas-jet. The flat military trunk was under the iron bed.
"I--it"s not much of a place," observed Selwyn, forcing a smile.
"However, you see I"m so seldom in town; I"m busy at the Hook, you know.
So I don"t require anything elaborate."
"Yes, I know," said Boots solemnly. A silence.
"H--have a pipe?" inquired Selwyn uneasily. He had nothing else to offer.
Boots leaned back in his stiff chair, crossed his legs, and filled a pipe. When he had lighted it he said:
"How are things, Phil?"
"All right. First rate, thank you."
Boots removed the pipe from his lips and swore at him; and Selwyn listened with head obstinately lowered and lean hands plucking at his frayed girdle. And when Boots had ended his observations with an emphatic question, Selwyn shook his head:
"No, Boots. You"re very good to ask me to stop with you, but I can"t.
I"d be hampered; there are matters--affairs that concern me--that need instant attention at times--at certain times. I must be free to go, free to come. I couldn"t be in your house. Don"t ask me. But I"m--I thank you for offering--"
"Phil!"
"What?"
"Are you broke?"
"Ah--a little"--with a smile.
"Will you take what you require from me?"
"No."
"Oh--very well. I was horribly afraid you would."
Selwyn laughed and leaned back, indenting his meagre pillow.
"Come, Boots," he said, "you and I have often had worse quarters than this. To tell you the truth I rather like it than otherwise."
"Oh, d.a.m.n!" said Boots, disgusted; "the same old conscience in the same old mule! Who likes squalidity? I don"t. You don"t! What if Fate has. .h.i.t you a nasty swipe! Suppose Fortune has landed you a few in the slats!
It"s only temporary and you know it. All business in the world is conducted on borrowed capital. It"s your business to live in decent quarters, and I"m here to lend you the means of conducting that business. Oh, come on, Phil, for Heaven"s sake! If there were really any reason--any logical reason for this genius-in-the-garret business, I"d not say a word. But there isn"t; you"re going to make money--"
"Oh, yes, I"ve got to," said Selwyn simply.
"Well, then! In the meanwhile--"
"No. Listen, Boots; I couldn"t be free in your house. I--they--there are telegrams--unexpected ones--at all hours."
"What of it?"
"You don"t understand."
"Wait a bit! How do you know I don"t? Do the telegrams come from Sandy Hook?"
"No."
Boots looked him calmly in the eye. "Then I _do_ understand, old man.
Come on out of this, in Heaven"s name! Come, now! Get your dressing-gown off and your coat on! Don"t you think I understand? I tell you I _do_!
Yes, the whole blessed, illogical, chivalrous business... . Never mind how I know--for I won"t tell you! Oh, I"m not trying to interfere with you; I know enough to shun buzz-saws. All I want is for you to come and take that big back room and help a fellow live in a lonely house--help a man to make it cheerful. I can"t stand it alone any longer; and it will be four years before Drina is eighteen."
"Drina!" repeated Selwyn blankly--then he laughed. It was genuine laughter, too; and Boots grinned and puffed at his pipe, and recrossed his legs, watching Selwyn out of eyes brightening with expectancy.
"Then it"s settled," he said.
"What? Your ultimate career with Drina?"
"Oh, yes; that also. But I referred to your coming to live with me."
"Boots--"
"Oh, fizz! Come on. I don"t like the way you act, Phil."
Selwyn said slowly: "Do you make it a personal matter--"
"Yes, I do; dam"f I don"t! You"ll be perfectly free there. I don"t care what you do or where you go or what hours you keep. You can run up and down Broadway all night, if you want to, or you can stop at home and play with the cats. I"ve three fine ones"--he made a cup of his hands and breathed into them, for the room was horribly cold--"three fine tabbies, and a good fire for "em to blink at when they start purring."
He looked kindly but anxiously at Selwyn, waiting for a word; and as none came he said: