Part 44 (1/2)
”Oh, you do?”
”Yes.”
”Don't you sometimes wonder,”--went on Helmsley slowly, keeping his gaze fixed on the fire--”why _I_ haven't told you all about myself?”
She met his eyes with a candid smile.
”No--I haven't thought about it!” she said.
”Why haven't you thought about it?” he persisted.
She laughed outright.
”Simply because I haven't! That's all!”
”Mary,”--he said, seriously--”You know I was not your 'father's friend'!
You know I never saw your father!”
The smile still lingered in her eyes.
”Yes--I know that!”
”And yet you never ask me to give an account of myself!”
She thought he was worrying his mind needlessly, and bending over him took his hand in hers.
”No, David, I never ask impertinent questions!” she said--”I don't want to know anything more about you than you choose to tell. You seem to me like my dear father--not quite so strong as he was, perhaps--but I have taken care of you for so many weeks, that I almost feel as if you belonged to me! And I want to take care of you still, because I know you _must_ be taken care of. And I'm so well accustomed to you now that I shouldn't like to lose you, David--I shouldn't really! Because you've been so patient and gentle and grateful for the little I have been able to do for you, that I've got fond of you, David! Yes!--actually fond of you! What do you say to that?”
”Say to it!” he murmured, pressing the hand he held. ”I don't know what to say to it, Mary!--except--G.o.d bless you!”
She was silent a minute--then she went on in a cheerfully rallying tone--
”So I don't want to know anything about you, you see! Now, as to Mr.
Reay----”
”Ah, yes!” and Helmsley gave her a quick observant glance which she herself did not notice--”What about Mr. Reay?”
”Well it would be nice if we could cheer him up a little and make him bear his poor and lonely life more easily. Wouldn't it?”
”Cheer him up a little and make him bear his poor and lonely life more easily!” repeated Helmsley, slowly, ”Yes. And do you think we can do that, Mary?”
”We can try!” she said, smiling--”At any rate, while he's living in Wiercombe, we can be friendly to him, and give him a bit of dinner now and then!”
”So we can!” agreed Helmsley--”Or rather, so _you_ can!”
”_We!_” corrected Mary--”_You're_ helping me to keep house now, David,--remember that!”
”Why I haven't paid half or a quarter of my debt to you yet!” he exclaimed.
”But you're paying it off every day,”--she answered; ”Don't you fear! I mean to have every penny out of you that I can!”