Part 33 (1/2)

”Over large, sir!” says my lady, also regarding it, and with her head at a critical angle, ”it could never be called--an elegant hand, could it?”

”Elegant!” snorted the Captain, ”I say pooh! I say pis.h.!.+ Sir, you must come in and sup with us, my house is near by. Good English beef and ale, sir.”

Barnabas hesitated, and glanced toward Cleone, but her face was hidden in the shadow of her hood, wherefore his look presently wandered to the finger-post, near by, upon whose battered sign he read the words:--

TO HAWKHURST. TO LONDON.

”Sir,” said he, ”I would, most gratefully, but that I start for London at once.” Yet while he spoke, he frowned blackly at the finger-post, as though it had been his worst enemy.

”London!” exclaimed the Captain, ”so you are still bound for the fas.h.i.+onable world, are ye?”

”Yes,” sighed Barnabas, ”but I--”

”Pish, sir, I say fiddle-de-dee!”

”I have lately undertaken a mission.”

”Ha! So you won't come in?”

”Thank you, no; this mission is important, and I must be gone;” and here again Barnabas sighed.

Then my lady turned and looked at Barnabas, and, though she uttered no word, her eyes were eloquent; so that the heart of him was uplifted, and he placed his hand upon the finger-post as though it had been his best friend.

”Why then, so be it, young sir,” said the Captain, ”it remains only to thank you, which I do, I say which I do most heartily, and to bid you good-by.”

”Until we meet again, Captain.”

”Eh--what, sir? meet when?”

”At 'Barnaby Bright,'” says my lady, staring up at the moon.

”In a month's time,” added Barnabas.

”Eh?” exclaimed the Captain, ”what's all this?”

”In a month's time, sir, I shall return to ask Cleone to be my wife,”

Barnabas explained.

”And,” said my lady, smiling at the Captain's perplexity, ”we shall be glad to see him, shan't we, dear? and shall, of course, refuse him, shan't we, dear?”

”Refuse him? yes--no--egad! I don't know,” said the Captain, running his fingers through his hair, ”I say, deuce take me--I'm adrift; I say where's the Bo'sun?”

”Good-by, sir!” says my lady, very seriously, and gave him her hand; ”good-by.”

”Till 'Barnaby Bright,'” said Barnabas.

At this she smiled, a little tremulously perhaps.