good friends show paul the road to freedom. but before setting out, he will go a-visiting.
the sun was streaming into my window when i woke in the morning. i sat up and listened. the roar of the streets told me plainly that the day had begun without me. i reached out my hand for my watch; it was not in its usual place upon the rickety dressing-table. i raised myself still higher and looked about me. my clothes lay scattered on the floor. one boot, in solitary state, occupied the chair by the fireplace; the other i could not see anywhere.
during the night my head appeared to have grown considerably. i wondered idly for the moment whether i had not made a mistake and put on minikin's; if so, i should be glad to exchange back for my own. this thing i had got was a top-heavy affair, and was aching most confoundedly.
suddenly the recollection of the previous night rushed at me and shook me awake. from a neighbouring steeple rang chimes: i counted with care. eleven o'clock. i sprang out of bed, and at once sat down upon the floor.
i remembered how, holding on to the bed, i had felt the room waltzing wildly round and round. it had not quite steadied itself even yet. it was still rotating, not whirling now, but staggering feebly, as though worn out by its all-night orgie. creeping to the wash-stand, i succeeded, after one or two false plunges, in getting my head inside the basin. then, drawing on my trousers with difficulty and reaching the easy-chair, i sat down and reviewed matters so far as i was able, commencing from the present and working back towards the past.
i was feeling very ill. that was quite clear. something had disagreed with me.
“that strong cigar,” i whispered feebly to myself; “i ought never to have ventured upon it. and then the little room with all those people in it. besides, i have been working very hard. i must really take more exercise.”
it gave me some satisfaction to observe that, shuffling and cowardly though i might be, i was not a person easily bamboozled.
“nonsense,” i told myself brutally; “don't try to deceive me. you were drunk.”
“not drunk,” i pleaded; “don't say drunk; it is such a coarse expression. some people cannot stand sweet champagne, so i have heard. it affected my liver. do please make it a question of liver.”
“drunk,” i persisted unrelentingly, “hopelessly, vulgarly drunk—drunk as any 'arry after a bank holiday.”
“it is the first time,” i murmured.
“it was your first opportunity,” i replied.
“never again,” i promised.
“the stock phrase,” i returned.
“how old are you?”
“nineteen.”
“so you have not even the excuse of youth. how do you know that it will not grow upon you; that, having thus commenced a downward career, you will not sink lower and lower, and so end by becoming a confirmed sot?”
my heavy head dropped into my hands, and i groaned. many a temperance tale perused on sunday afternoons came back to me. imaginative in all directions, i watched myself hastening toward a drunkard's grave, now heroically struggling against temptation, now weakly yielding, the craving growing upon me. in the misty air about me i saw my father's white face, my mother's sad eyes. i thought of barbara, of the scorn that could quiver round that bewitching mouth; of hal, with his tremendous contempt for all forms of weakness. shame of the present and terror of the future between them racked my mind.
“it shall be never again!” i cried aloud. “by god, it shall!” (at nineteen one is apt to be vehement.) “i will leave this house at once,” i continued to myself aloud; “i will get away from its unwholesome atmosphere. i will wipe it out of my mind, and all connected with it. i will make a fresh start. i will—”
something i had been dimly conscious of at the back of my brain came forward and stood before me: the flabby figure of miss rosina sellars. what was she doing here? what right had she to step between me and my regeneration?
“the right of your affianced bride,” my other half explained, with a grim smile to myself.
“did i really go so far as that?”
“we will not go into details,” i replied; “i do not wish to dwell upon them. that was the result.”
“i was—i was not quite myself at the time. i did not know what i was doing.”
“as a rule, we don't when we do foolish things; but we have to abide by the consequences, all the same. unfortunately, it happened to be in the presence of witnesses, and she is not the sort of lady to be easily got rid of. you will marry her and settle down with her in two small rooms. her people will be your people. you will come to know them better before many days are passed. among them she is regarded as 'the lady,' from which you can judge of them. a nice commencement of your career, is it not, my ambitious young friend? a nice mess you have made of it!”
“what am i to do?” i asked.
“upon my word, i don't know,” i answered.
i passed a wretched day. ashamed to face mrs. peedles or even the slavey, i kept to my room, with the door locked. at dusk, feeling a little better—or, rather, less bad, i stole out and indulged in a simple meal, consisting of tea without sugar and a kippered herring, at a neighbouring coffee-house. another gentleman, taking his seat opposite to me and ordering hot buttered toast, i left hastily.
at eight o'clock in the evening minikin called round from the office to know what had happened. seeking help from shame, i confessed to him the truth.
“thought as much,” he answered. “seems to have been an a1 from the look of you.”
“i am glad it has happened, now it is over,” i said to him. “it will be a lesson i shall never forget.”
“i know,” said minikin. “nothing like a fair and square drunk for making you feel real good; better than a sermon.”
in my trouble i felt the need of advice; and minikin, though my junior, was, i knew, far more experienced in worldly affairs than i was.
“that's not the worst,” i confided to him. “what do you think i've done?”
“killed a policeman?” suggested minikin.
“got myself engaged.”
“no one like you quiet fellows for going it when you do begin,” commented minikin. “nice girl?”
“i don't know,” i answered. “i only know i don't want her. how can i get out of it?”
minikin removed his left eye and commenced to polish it upon his handkerchief, a habit he had when in doubt. from looking into it he appeared to derive inspiration.
“take-her-own-part sort of a girl?”
i intimated that he had diagnosed miss rosina sellars correctly.
“know how much you're earning?”
“she knows i live up here in this attic and do my own cooking,” i answered.
minikin glanced round the room. “must be fond of you.”
“she thinks i'm clever,” i explained, “and that i shall make my way.
“and she's willing to wait?”
i nodded.
“well, i should let her wait,” replied minikin, replacing his eye. “there's plenty of time before you.”
“but she's a barmaid, and she'll expect me to walk with her, to take her out on sundays, to go and see her friends. i can't do it. besides, she's right: i mean to get on. then she'll stick to me. it's awful!”
“how did it happen?” asked minikin.
“i don't know,” i replied. “i didn't know i had done it till it was over.”
“anybody present?”
“half-a-dozen of them,” i groaned.
the door opened, and jarman entered; he never troubled to knock anywhere. in place of his usual noisy greeting, he crossed in silence and shook me gravely by the hand.
“friend of yours?” he asked, indicating minikin.
i introduced them to each other.
“proud to meet you,” said jarman.
“glad to hear it,” said minikin. “don't look as if you'd got much else to be stuck up about.”
“don't mind him,” i explained to jarman. “he was born like it.”
“wonderful gift” replied jarman. “d'ye know what i should do if i 'ad it?” he did not wait for minikin's reply. “'ire myself out to break up evening parties. ever thought of it seriously?”
minikin replied that he would give the idea consideration.
“make your fortune going round the suburbs,” assured him jarman. “pity you weren't 'ere last night,” he continued; “might 'ave saved our young friend 'ere a deal of trouble. has 'e told you the news?”
i explained that i had already put minikin in possession of all the facts.
“now you've got a good, steady eye,” said jarman, upon whom minikin, according to his manner, had fixed his glass orb; “'ow d'ye think 'e is looking?”
“as well as can be expected under the circumstances, don't you think?” answered minikin.
“does 'e know the circumstances? has 'e seen the girl?” asked jarman.
i replied he had not as yet enjoyed that privilege. “then 'e don't know the worst,” said jarman. “a hundred and sixty pounds of 'er, and still growing! bit of a load for 'im, ain't it?”
“some of 'em do have luck,” was minikin's rejoinder. jarman leant forward and took further stock for a few seconds of his new acquaintance.
“that's a fine 'ead of yours,” he remarked; “all your own? no offence,” continued jarman, without giving minikin time for repartee. “i was merely thinking there must be room for a lot of sense in it. now, what do you, as a practical man, advise 'im: dose of poison, or waterloo bridge and a brick?”
“i suppose there's no doubt,” i interjected, “that we are actually engaged?”
“not a blooming shadow,” assured me jarman, cheerfully, “so far as she's concerned.”
“i shall tell her plainly,” i explained, “that i was drunk at the time.”
“and 'ow are you going to convince 'er of it?” asked jarman. “you think your telling 'er you loved 'er proves it. so it would to anybody else, but not to 'er. you can't expect it. besides, if every girl is going to give up 'er catch just because the fellow 'adn't all 'is wits about 'im at the time—well, what do you think?” he appealed to minikin.
to minikin it appeared that if such contention were allowed girls might as well shut up shop.
jarman, who now that he had “got even” with minikin, was more friendly disposed towards that young man, drew his chair closer to him and entered upon a private and confidential argument, from which i appeared to be entirely excluded.
“you see,” explained jarman, “this ain't an ordinary case. this chap's going to be the future poet laureate. now, when the prince of wales invites him to dine at marlborough 'ouse, 'e don't want to go there tacked on to a girl that carries aitches with her in a bag, and don't know which end of the spoon out of which to drink 'er soup.”
“it makes a difference, of course,” agreed minikin.
“what we've got to do,” said jarman, “is to get 'im out of it. and upon my sivvy, blessed if i see 'ow to do it!”
“she fancies him?” asked minikin.
“what she fancies,” explained jarman, “is that nature intended 'er to be a lady. and it's no good pointing out to 'er the mistake she's making, because she ain't got sense enough to see it.”
“no good talking straight to her,” suggested minikin, “telling her that it can never be?”
“that's our difficulty,” replied jarman; “it can be. this chap”—i listened as might a prisoner in the dock to the argument of counsel, interested but impotent—“don't know enough to come in out of the rain, as the saying is. 'e's just the sort of chap this sort of thing does 'appen to.”
“but he don't want her,” urged minikin. “he says he don't want her.”
“yes, to you and me,” answered jarman; “and of course 'e don't. i'm not saying 'e's a natural born idiot. but let 'er come along and do a snivel—tell 'im that 'e's breaking 'er 'eart, and appeal to 'im to be'ave as a gentleman, and all that sort of thing, and what do you think will be the result?”
minikin agreed that the problem presented difficulties.
“of course, if 'twas you or me, we should just tell 'er to put 'erself away somewhere where the moth couldn't get at 'er and wait till we sent round for 'er; and there'd be an end of the matter. but with 'im it's different.”
“he is a bit of a soft,” agreed minikin.
“'tain't 'is fault,” explained jarman; “'twas the way 'e was brought up. 'e fancies girls are the sort of things one sees in plays, going about saying 'un'and me!' 'let me pass!' maybe some of 'em are, but this ain't one of 'em.”
“how did it happen?” asked minikin.
“'ow does it 'appen nine times out of ten?” returned jarman. “'e was a bit misty, and she was wide awake. 'e gets a bit spoony, and—well, you know.”
“artful things, girls,” commented minikin.
“can't blame 'em,” returned jarman, with generosity; “it's their business. got to dispose of themselves somehow. oughtn't to be binding without a written order dated the next morning; that'd make it all right.”
“couldn't prove a prior engagement?” suggested minikin.
“she'd want to see the girl first before she'd believe it—only natural,” returned jarman.
“couldn't get a girl?” urged minikin.
“who could you trust?” asked the cautious jarman. “besides, there ain't time. she's letting 'im rest to-day; to-morrow evening she'll be down on 'im.”
“don't see anything for it,” said minikin, “but for him to do a bunk.”
“not a bad idea that,” mused jarman; “only where's 'e to bunk to?”
“needn't go far,” said minikin.
“she'd find 'im out and follow 'im,” said jarman. “she can look after herself, mind you. don't you go doing 'er any injustice.”
“he could change his name,” suggested minikin.
“'ow could 'e get a crib?” asked jarman; “no character, no references.”
“i've got it,” cried jarman, starting up; “the stage!”
“can he act?” asked minikin.
“can do anything,” retorted my supporter, “that don't want too much sense. that's 'is sanctuary, the stage. no questions asked, no character wanted. lord! why didn't i think of it before?”
“wants a bit of getting on to, doesn't it?” suggested minikin.
“depends upon where you want to get,” replied jarman. for the first time since the commencement of the discussion he turned to me. “can you sing?” he asked me.
i replied that i could a little, though i had never done so in public.
“sing something now,” demanded jarman; “let's 'ear you. wait a minute!” he cried.
he slipped out of the room. i heard him pause upon the landing below and knock at the door of the fair rosina's room. the next minute he returned.
“it's all right,” he explained; “she's not in yet. now, sing for all you're worth. remember, it's for life and freedom.”
i sang “sally in our alley,” not with much spirit, i am inclined to think. with every mention of the lady's name there rose before me the abundant form and features of my fiancee, which checked the feeling that should have trembled through my voice. but jarman, though not enthusiastic, was content.
“it isn't what i call a grand opera voice,” he commented, “but it ought to do all right for a chorus where economy is the chief point to be considered. now, i'll tell you what to do. you go to-morrow straight to the o'kelly, and put the whole thing before 'im. 'e's a good sort; 'e'll touch you up a bit, and maybe give you a few introductions. lucky for you, this is just the right time. there's one or two things comin' on, and if fate ain't dead against you, you'll lose your amorita, or whatever it's called, and not find 'er again till it's too late.”
i was not in the mood that evening to feel hopeful about anything; but i thanked both of them for their kind intentions and promised to think the suggestion over on the morrow, when, as it was generally agreed, i should be in a more fitting state to bring cool judgment to bear upon the subject; and they rose to take their departure.
leaving minikin to descend alone, jarman returned the next minute. “consols are down a bit this week,” he whispered, with the door in his hand. “if you want a little of the ready to carry you through, don't go sellin' out. i can manage a few pounds. suck a couple of lemons and you'll be all right in the morning. so long.”
i followed his advice regarding the lemons, and finding it correct, went to the office next morning as usual. lott & co., in consideration of my agreeing to a deduction of two shillings on the week's salary, allowed himself to overlook the matter. i had intended acting on jarman's advice, to call upon the o'kelly at his address of respectability in hampstead that evening, and had posted him a note saying i was coming. before leaving the office, however, i received a reply to the effect that he would be out that evening, and asking me to make it the following friday instead. disappointed, i returned to my lodgings in a depressed state of mind. jarman 's scheme, which had appeared hopeful and even attractive during the daytime, now loomed shadowy and impossible before me. the emptiness of the first floor parlour as i passed its open door struck a chill upon me, reminding me of the disappearance of a friend to whom, in spite of moral disapproval, i had during these last few months become attached. unable to work, the old pain of loneliness returned upon me. i sat for awhile in the darkness, listening to the scratching of the pen of my neighbour, the old law-writer, and the sense of despair that its sound always communicated to me encompassed me about this evening with heavier weight than usual.
after all, was not the sympathy of the lady 'ortensia, stimulated for personal purposes though it might be, better than nothing? at least, here was some living creature to whom i belonged, to whom my existence or nonexistence was of interest, who, if only for her own sake, was bound to share my hopes, my fears.
it was in this mood that i heard a slight tap at the door. in the dim passage stood the small slavey, holding out a note. i took it, and returning, lighted my candle. the envelope was pink and scented. it was addressed, in handwriting not so bad as i had expected, to “paul kelver, esquire.” i opened it and read:
“dr mr. paul—i herd as how you was took hill hafter the party. i feer you are not strong. you must not work so hard or you will be hill and then i shall be very cros with you. i hop you are well now. if so i am going for a wark and you may come with me if you are good. with much love. from your affechonat rosie.”
in spite of the spelling, a curious, tingling sensation stole over me as i read this my first love-letter. a faint mist swam before my eyes. through it, glorified and softened, i saw the face of my betrothed, pasty yet alluring, her large white fleshy arms stretched out invitingly toward me. moved by a sudden hot haste that seized me, i dressed myself with trembling hands; i appeared to be anxious to act without giving myself time for thought. complete, with a colour in my cheeks unusual to them, and a burning in my eyes, i descended and knocked with a nervous hand at the door of the second floor back.
“who's that?” came in answer miss sellars' sharp tones.
“it is i—paul.”
“oh, wait a minute, dear.” the tone was sweeter. there followed the sound of scurried footsteps, a rustling of clothes, a banging of drawers, a few moments' dead silence, and then:
“you can come in now, dear.”
i entered. it was a small, untidy room, smelling of smoky lamp; but all i saw distinctly at the moment was miss sellars with her arms above her head, pinning her hat upon her straw-coloured hair.
with the sight of her before me in the flesh, my feelings underwent a sudden revulsion. during the few minutes she had kept me waiting outside the door i had suffered from an almost uncontrollable desire to turn the handle and rush in. now, had i acted on impulse, i should have run out. not that she was an unpleasant-looking girl by any means; it was the atmosphere of coarseness, of commonness, around her that repelled me. the fastidiousness—finikinness; if you will—that would so often spoil my rare chop, put before me by a waitress with dirty finger-nails, forced me to disregard the ample charms she no doubt did possess, to fasten my eyes exclusively upon her red, rough hands and the one or two warts that grew thereon.
“you're a very naughty boy,” told me miss sellars, finishing the fastening of her hat. “why didn't you come in and see me in the dinner-hour? i've a great mind not to kiss you.”
the powder she had evidently dabbed on hastily was plainly visible upon her face; the round, soft arms were hidden beneath ill-fitting sleeves of some crapey material, the thought of which put my teeth on edge. i wished her intention had been stronger. instead, relenting, she offered me her flowery cheek, which i saluted gingerly, the taste of it reminding me of certain pale, thin dough-cakes manufactured by the wife of our school porter and sold to us in playtime at four a penny, and which, having regard to their satisfying quality, had been popular with me in those days.
at the top of the kitchen stairs miss sellars paused and called down shrilly to mrs. peedles, who in course of time appeared, panting.
“oh, me and mr. kelver are going out for a short walk, mrs. peedles. i shan't want any supper. good night.”
“oh, good night, my dear,” replied mrs. peedles. “hope you'll enjoy yourselves. is mr. kelver there?”
“he's round the corner,” i heard miss sellars explain in a lower voice; and there followed a snigger.
“he's a bit shy, ain't he?” suggested mrs. peedles in a whisper.
“i've had enough of the other sort,” was miss sellars' answer in low tones.
“ah, well; it's the shy ones that come out the strongest after a bit—leastways, that's been my experience.”
“he'll do all right. so long.”
miss sellars, buttoning a burst glove, rejoined me.
“i suppose you've never had a sweetheart before?” asked miss sellars, as we turned into the blackfriars road.
i admitted that this was my first experience.
“i can't a-bear a flirty man,” explained miss sellars. “that's why i took to you from the beginning. you was so quiet.”
i began to wish that nature had bestowed upon me a noisier temperament.
“anybody could see you was a gentleman,” continued miss sellars. “heaps and heaps of hoffers i've had—hundreds you might almost say. but what i've always told 'em is, 'i like you very much indeed as a friend, but i'm not going to marry any one but a gentleman.' don't you think i was right?”
i murmured it was only what i should have expected of her.
“you may take my harm, if you like,” suggested miss sellars, as we crossed st. george's circus; and linked, we pursued our way along the kennington park road.
fortunately, there was not much need for me to talk. miss sellars was content to supply most of the conversation herself, and all of it was about herself.
i learned that her instincts since childhood had been toward gentility. nor was this to be wondered at, seeing that her family—on her mother's side, at all events,—were connected distinctly with “the highest in the land.” mesalliances, however, are common in all communities, and one of them, a particularly flagrant specimen—her “mar” had, alas! contracted, having married—what did i think? i should never guess—a waiter! miss sellars, stopping in the act of crossing newington butts to shudder at the recollection of her female parent's shame, was nearly run down by a tramcar.
mr. and mrs. sellars did not appear to have “hit it off” together. could one wonder: mrs. sellars with an uncle on the stock exchange, and mr. sellars with one on peckham rye? i gathered his calling to have been, chiefly, “three shies a penny.” mrs. sellars was now, however, happily dead; and if no other good thing had come out of the catastrophe, it had determined miss sellars to take warning by her mother's error and avoid connection with the lowly born. she it was who, with my help, would lift the family back again to its proper position in society.
“it used to be a joke against me,” explained miss sellars, “heven when i was quite a child. i never could tolerate anything low. why, one day when i was only seven years old, what do you think happened?”
i confessed my inability to guess.
“well, i'll tell you,” said miss sellars; “it'll just show you. uncle joseph—that was father's uncle, you understand?”
i assured miss sellars that the point was fixed in my mind.
“well, one day when he came to see us he takes a cocoanut out of his pocket and offers it to me. 'thank you,' i says; 'i don't heat cocoanuts that have been shied at by just anybody and missed!' it made him so wild. after that,” explained miss sellars, “they used to call me at home the princess of wales.”
i murmured it was a pretty fancy.
“some people,” replied miss sellars, with a giggle, “says it fits me; but, of course, that's only their nonsense.”
not knowing what to reply, i remained silent, which appeared to somewhat disappoint miss sellars.
out of the clapham road we turned into a by-street of two-storeyed houses.
“you'll come in and have a bit of supper?” suggested miss sellars. “mar's quite hanxious to see you.”
i found sufficient courage to say i was not feeling well, and would much rather return home.
“oh, but you must just come in for five minutes, dear. it'll look so funny if you don't. i told 'em we was coming.”
“i would really rather not,” i urged; “some other evening.” i felt a presentiment, i confided to her, that on this particular evening i should not shine to advantage.
“oh, you mustn't be so shy,” said miss sellars. “i don't like shy fellows—not too shy. that's silly.” and miss sellars took my arm with a decided grip, making it clear to me that escape could be obtained only by an unseemly struggle in the street; not being prepared for which, i meekly yielded.
we knocked at the door of one of the small houses, miss sellars retaining her hold upon me until it had been opened to us by a lank young man in his shirt-sleeves and closed behind us.
“don't gentlemen wear coats of a hevening nowadays?” asked miss sellars, tartly, of the lank young man. “new fashion just come in?”
“i don't know what gentlemen wear in the evening or what they don't,” retorted the lank young man, who appeared to be in an aggressive mood. “if i can find one in this street, i'll ast him and let you know.”
“mother in the droaring-room?” enquired miss sellars, ignoring the retort.
“they're all of 'em in the parlour, if that's what you mean,” returned the lank young man, “the whole blooming shoot. if you stand up against the wall and don't breathe, there'll just be room for you.”
sweeping by the lank young man, miss sellars opened the parlour door, and towing me in behind her, shut it.
“well, mar, here we are,” announced miss sellars. an enormously stout lady, ornamented with a cap that appeared to have been made out of a bandanna handkerchief, rose to greet us, thus revealing the fact that she had been sitting upon an extremely small horsehair-covered easy-chair, the disproportion between the lady and her support being quite pathetic.
“i am charmed, mr.—”
“kelver,” supplied miss sellars.
“kelver, to make your ac-quain-tance,” recited mrs. sellars in the tone of one repeating a lesson.
i bowed, and murmured that the honour was entirely mine.
“don't mention it,” replied mrs. sellars. “pray be seated.”
mrs. sellars herself set the example by suddenly giving way and dropping down into her chair, which thus again became invisible. it received her with an agonised groan.
indeed, the insistence with which this article of furniture throughout the evening called attention to its sufferings was really quite distracting. with every breath that mrs. sellars took it moaned wearily. there were moments when it literally shrieked. i could not have accepted mrs. sellars' offer had i wished, there being no chair vacant and no room for another. a young man with watery eyes, sitting just behind me between a fat young lady and a lean one, rose and suggested my taking his place. miss sellars introduced me to him as her cousin joseph something or other, and we shook hands.
the watery-eyed joseph remarked that it had been a fine day between the showers, and hoped that the morrow would be either wet or dry; upon which the lean young lady, having slapped him, asked admiringly of the fat young lady if he wasn't a “silly fool;” to which the fat young lady replied, with somewhat unnecessary severity, i thought, that no one could help being what they were born. to this the lean young lady retorted that it was with precisely similar reflection that she herself controlled her own feelings when tempted to resent the fat young lady's “nasty jealous temper.”
the threatened quarrel was nipped in the bud by the discretion of miss sellars, who took the opportunity of the fat young lady's momentary speechlessness to introduce me promptly to both of them. they also, i learned, were cousins. the lean girl said she had “erd on me,” and immediately fell into an uncontrollable fit of giggles; of which the watery-eyed joseph requested me to take no notice, explaining that she always went off like that at exactly three-quarters to the half-hour every evening, sundays and holidays excepted; that she had taken everything possible for it without effect, and that what he himself advised was that she should have it off.
the fat girl, seizing the chance afforded her, remarked genteelly that she too had “heard hof me,” with emphasis upon the “hof.” she also remarked it was a long walk from blackfriars bridge.
“all depends upon the company, eh? bet they didn't find it too long.”
this came from a loud-voiced, red-faced man sitting on the sofa beside a somewhat melancholy-looking female dressed in bright green. these twain i discovered to be uncle and aunt gutton. from an observation dropped later in the evening concerning government restrictions on the sale of methylated spirit, and hastily smothered, i gathered that their line was oil and colour.
mr. gutton's forte appeared to be badinage. he it was who, on my explaining my heightened colour as due to the closeness of the evening, congratulated his niece on having secured so warm a partner.
“will be jolly handy,” shouted uncle gutton, “for rosina, seeing she's always complaining of her cold feet.”
here the lank young man attempted to squeeze himself into the room, but found his entrance barred by the square, squat figure of the watery-eyed young man.
“don't push,” advised the watery-eyed young man. “walk over me quietly.”
“well, why don't yer get out of the way,” growled the lank young man, now coated, but still aggressive.
“where am i to get to?” asked the watery-eyed young man, with some reason. “say the word and i'll 'ang myself up to the gas bracket.”
“in my courting days,” roared uncle gutton, “the girls used to be able to find seats, even if there wasn't enough chairs to go all round.”
the sentiment was received with varying degrees of approbation. the watery-eyed young man, sitting down, put the lean young lady on his knee, and in spite of her struggles and sounding slaps, heroically retained her there.
“now, then, rosie,” shouted uncle gutton, who appeared to have constituted himself master of the ceremonies, “don't stand about, my girl; you'll get tired.”
left to herself, i am inclined to think my fiancee would have spared me; but uncle gutton, having been invited to a love comedy, was not to be cheated of any part of the performance, and the audience clearly being with him, there was nothing for it but compliance. i seated myself, and amid plaudits accommodated the ample and heavy rosina upon my knee.
“good-bye,” called out to me the watery-eyed young man, as behind the fair rosina i disappeared from his view. “see you again later on.”
“i used to be a plump girl myself before i married,” observed aunt gutton. “plump as butter i was at one time.”
“it isn't what one eats,” said the maternal sellars. “i myself don't eat enough to keep a fly, and my legs—”
“that'll do, mar,” interrupted the filial sellars, tartly.
“i was only going to say, my dear—”
“we all know what you was going to say, mar,” retorted miss sellars. “we've heard it before, and it isn't interesting.”
mrs. sellars relapsed into silence.
“'ard work and plenty of it keeps you thin enough, i notice,” remarked the lank young man, with bitterness. to him i was now introduced, he being mr. george sellars. “seen 'im before,” was his curt greeting.
at supper—referred to by mrs. sellars again in the tone of one remembering a lesson, as a cold col-la-tion, with the accent on the “tion”—i sat between miss sellars and the lean young lady, with aunt and uncle gutton opposite to us. it was remarked with approval that i did not appear to be hungry.
“had too many kisses afore he started,” suggested uncle gutton, with his mouth full of cold roast pork and pickles. “wonderfully nourishing thing, kisses, eh? look at mother and me. that's all we live on.”
aunt gutton sighed, and observed that she had always been a poor feeder.
the watery-eyed young man, observing he had never tasted them himself—at which sally there was much laughter—said he would not mind trying a sample if the lean young lady would kindly pass him one.
the lean young lady opined that, not being used to high living, it might disagree with him.
“just one,” pleaded the watery-eyed young man, “to go with this bit of cracklin'.”
the lean young lady, amid renewed applause, first thoughtfully wiping her mouth, acceded to his request.
the watery-eyed young man turned it over with the air of a gourmet.
“not bad,” was his verdict. “reminds me of onions.” at this there was another burst of laughter.
“now then, ain't paul goin' to have one?” shouted uncle gutton, when the laughter had subsided.
amid silence, feeling as wretched as perhaps i have ever felt in my life before or since, i received one from the gracious miss sellars, wet and sounding.
“looks better for it already,” commented the delighted uncle gutton. “he'll soon get fat on 'em.”
“not too many at first,” advised the watery-eyed young man. “looks to me as if he's got a weak stomach.”
i think, had the meal lasted much longer, i should have made a dash for the street; the contemplation of such step was forming in my mind. but miss sellars, looking at her watch, declared we must be getting home at once, for the which i could have kissed her voluntarily; and, being a young lady of decision, at once rose and commenced leave-taking. polite protests were attempted, but these, with enthusiastic assistance from myself, she swept aside.
“don't want any one to walk home with you?” suggested uncle gutton. “sure you won't feel lonely by yourselves, eh?”
“we shan't come to no harm,” assured him miss sellars.
“p'raps you're right,” agreed uncle gutton. “there don't seem to be much of the fiery and untamed about him, so far as i can see.”
“'slow waters run deep,'” reminded us aunt gutton, with a waggish shake of her head.
“no question about the slow,” assented uncle gutton. “if you don't like him—” observed miss sellars, speaking with dignity.
“to be quite candid with you, my girl, i don't,” answered uncle gutton, whose temper, maybe as the result of too much cold pork and whiskey, seemed to have suddenly changed.
“well, he happens to be good enough for me,” recommenced miss sellars.
“i'm sorry to hear a niece of mine say so,” interrupted uncle gutton. “if you want my opinion of him—”
“if ever i do i'll call round some time when you're sober and ast you for it,” returned miss sellars. “and as for being your niece, you was here when i came, and i don't see very well as how i could have got out of it. you needn't throw that in my teeth.”
the gust was dispersed by the practical remark of brother george to the effect that the last tram for walworth left the oval at eleven-thirty; to which he further added the suggestion that the clapham road was wide and well adapted to a row.
“there ain't going to be no rows,” replied uncle gutton, returning to amiability as suddenly as he had departed from it. “we understand each other, don't we, my girl?”
“that's all right, uncle. i know what you mean,” returned miss sellars, with equal handsomeness.
“bring him round again when he's feeling better,” added uncle gutton, “and we'll have another look at him.”
“what you want,” advised the watery-eyed young man on shaking hands with me, “is complete rest and a tombstone.”
i wished at the time i could have followed his prescription.
the maternal sellars waddled after us into the passage, which she completely blocked. she told me she was delight-ted to have met me, and that she was always at home on sundays.
i said i would remember it, and thanked her warmly for a pleasant evening, at miss sellars' request calling her ma.
outside, miss sellars agreed that my presentiment had proved correct—that i had not shone to advantage. our journey home on a tramcar was a somewhat silent proceeding. at the door of her room she forgave me, and kissed me good night. had i been frank with her, i should have thanked her for that evening's experience. it had made my course plain to me.
the next day, which was thursday, i wandered about the streets till two o'clock in the morning, when i slipped in quietly, passing miss sellars' door with my boots in my hand.
after mr. lott's departure on friday, which, fortunately, was pay-day, i set my desk in order and confided to minikin written instructions concerning all matters unfinished.
“i shall not be here to-morrow,” i told him. “going to follow your advice.”
“found anything to do?” he asked.
“not yet,” i answered.
“suppose you can't get anything?”
“if the worst comes to the worst,” i replied, “i can hang myself.”
“well, you know the girl. maybe you are right,” he agreed.
“hope it won't throw much extra work on you,” i said.
“well, i shan't be catching it if it does,” was his answer. “that's all right.”
he walked with me to the “angel,” and there we parted.
“if you do get on to the stage,” he said, “and it's anything worth seeing, and you send me an order, and i can find the time, maybe i'll come and see you.”
i thanked him for his promised support and jumped upon the tram.
the o'kelly's address was in belsize square. i was about to ring and knock, as requested by a highly-polished brass plate, when i became aware of pieces of small coal falling about me on the doorstep. looking up, i perceived the o'kelly leaning out of an attic window. from signs i gathered i was to retire from the doorstep and wait. in a few minutes the door opened and his hand beckoned me to enter.
“walk quietly,” he whispered; and on tip-toe we climbed up to the attic from where had fallen the coal. “i've been waiting for ye,” explained the o'kelly, speaking low. “me wife—a good woman, paul; sure, a better woman never lived; ye'll like her when ye know her, later on—she might not care about ye're calling. she'd want to know where i met ye, and—ye understand? besides,” added the o'kelly, “we can smoke up here;” and seating himself where he could keep an eye upon the door, near to a small cupboard out of which he produced a pipe still alight, the o'kelly prepared himself to listen.
i told him briefly the reason of my visit.
“it was my fault, paul,” he was good enough to say; “my fault entirely. between ourselves, it was a damned silly idea, that party, the whole thing altogether. don't ye think so?”
i replied that i was naturally prejudiced against it myself.
“most unfortunate for me,” continued the o'kelly; “i know that. me cabman took me to hammersmith instead of hampstead; said i told him hammersmith. didn't get home here till three o'clock in the morning. most unfortunate—under the circumstances.”
i could quite imagine it.
“but i'm glad ye've come,” said the o'kelly. “i had a notion ye did something foolish that evening, but i couldn't remember precisely what. it's been worrying me.”
“it's been worrying me also, i can assure you,” i told him; and i gave him an account of my wednesday evening's experience.
“i'll go round to-morrow morning,” he said, “and see one or two people. it's not a bad idea, that of jarman's. i think i may be able to arrange something for ye.”
he fixed a time for me to call again upon him the next day, when mrs. o'kelly would be away from home. he instructed me to walk quietly up and down on the opposite side of the road with my eye on the attic window, and not to come across unless he waved a handkerchief.
rising to go, i thanked him for his kindness. “don't put it that way, me dear paul,” he answered. “if i don't get ye out of this scrape i shall never forgive meself. if we damned silly fools don't help one another,” he added, with his pleasant laugh, “who is to help us?”
we crept downstairs as we had crept up. as we reached the first floor, the drawing-room door suddenly opened.
“william!” cried a sharp voice.
“me dear,” answered the o'kelly, snatching his pipe from his mouth and thrusting it, still alight, into his trousers pocket. i made the rest of the descent by myself, and slipping out, closed the door behind me as noiselessly as possible.
again i did not return to nelson square until the early hours, and the next morning did not venture out until i had heard miss sellars, who appeared to be in a bad temper, leave the house. then running to the top of the kitchen stairs, i called for mrs. peedles. i told her i was going to leave her, and, judging the truth to be the simplest explanation, i told her the reason why.
“my dear,” said mrs. peedles, “i am only too glad to hear it. it wasn't for me to interfere, but i couldn't help seeing you were making a fool of yourself. i only hope you'll get clear off, and you may depend upon me to do all i can to help you.”
“you don't think i'm acting dishonourably, do you, mrs. peedles?” i asked.
“my dear,” replied mrs. peedles, “it's a difficult world to live in—leastways, that's been my experience of it.”
i had just completed my packing—it had not taken me long—when i heard upon the stairs the heavy panting that always announced to me the up-coming of mrs. peedles. she entered with a bundle of old manuscripts under her arm, torn and tumbled booklets of various shapes and sizes. these she plumped down upon the rickety table, and herself upon the nearest chair.
“put them in your box, my dear,” said mrs. peedles. “they'll come in useful to you later on.”
i glanced at the bundle. i saw it was a collection of old plays in manuscript-prompt copies, scored, cut and interlined. the top one i noticed was “the bloodspot: or the maiden, the miser and the murderer;” the second, “the female highwayman.”
“everybody's forgotten 'em,” explained mrs. peedles, “but there's some good stuff in all of them.”
“but what am i to do with them?” i enquired.
“just whatever you like, my dear,” explained mrs. peedles. “it's quite safe. they're all of 'em dead, the authors of 'em. i've picked 'em out most carefully. you just take a scene from one and a scene from the other. with judgment and your talent you'll make a dozen good plays out of that little lot when your time comes.”
“but they wouldn't be my plays, mrs. peedles,” i suggested.
“they will if i give them to you,” answered mrs. peedles. “you put 'em in your box. and never mind the bit of rent,” added mrs. peedles; “you can pay me that later on.”
i kissed the kind old soul good-bye and took her gift with me to my new lodgings in camden town. many a time have i been hard put to it for plot or scene, and more than once in weak mood have i turned with guilty intent the torn and crumpled pages of mrs. peedles's donation to my literary equipment. it is pleasant to be able to put my hand upon my heart and reflect that never yet have i yielded to the temptation. always have i laid them back within their drawer, saying to myself, with stern reproof:
“no, no, paul. stand or fall by your own merits. never plagiarise—in any case, not from this 'little lot.'”
