Part 6 (2/2)

They walked in the shadow. ”How long are you going to be in London, Rufus?” asked Nora softly.

”Who? I? Oh, I'm going right off to Greece. First train. There's going to be a war, you know.”

”A war? Why, who is going to fight? The Greeks and the--the--the what?”

”The Turks. I'm going right over there.”

”Why, that's dreadful, Rufus,” said the girl, mournfull and shocked. ”You might get hurt or something.”

Presently she asked: ”And aren't you going to be in London any time at all?”

”Oh,” he answered, puffing out his lips, ”I may stop in Londom for three or four days on my way home. I'm not sure of it.”

”And when will that be?”

”Oh, I can't tell. It may be in three or four months, or it may be a year from now. When the war stops.”

There was a long silence as the walked up and down the swaying deck.

”Do you know,” said Nora at last, ”I like you, Rufus Coleman.

I don't know any good reason for it either, unless it is because you are such a brute. Now, when I was asking you if you were to be in London you were perfectly detestable. You know I was anxious.”

”I--detestable?” cried Coleman, feigning amazement.

”Why, what did I say?”

”It isn't so much what you said--” began Nora slowlly.

Then she suddenly changed her manner.

”Oh, well, don't let's talk about it any more. It's too foolish. Only-you are a disagreeable person sometimes.”

In the morning, as the vessel steamed up the Irish channel, Coleman was on deck, keeping furtive watch on the cabin stairs. After two hours of waiting, he scribbled a message on a card and sent it below. He received an answer that Miss Black had a headache, and felt too ill to come on deck. He went to the smoking room. The three card-players glanced up, grinning.

”What's the matter?” asked the wine merchant. ”You look angry.” As a matter of fact, Coleman had purposely wreathed his features in a pleasant and satisfied expression, so he was for a moment furious at the wine merchant.

”Confound the girl,” he thought to himself. ”She has succeeded in making all these beggars laugh at me.” He mused that if he had another chance he would show her how disagreeable or detestable or scampish he was under some circ.u.mstances. He reflected ruefully that the complacence with which he had accepted the comrades.h.i.+p of the belle of the voyage might have been somewhat overdone. Perhaps he had got a little out of proportion. He was annoyed at the stares of the other men in the smoking room, who seemed now to be reading his discomfiture. As for Nora Black he thought of her wistfully and angrily as a superb woman whose company was honour and joy, a payment for any sacrifices.

” What's the matter? ” persisted the wine merchant. ” You look grumpy.”

Coleman laughed. ” Do I?”

At Liverpool, as the steamer was being slowly warped to the landing stage by some tugs, the pa.s.sengers crowded the deck with their hand-bags. Adieus were falling as dead leaves fall from a great tree. The stewards were handling small hills of luggage marked with flaming red labels. The s.h.i.+p was firmly against the dock before Miss Black came from her cabin.

Coleman was at the time gazing sh.o.r.eward, but his three particular friends instantly nudged him. ”What?” ”There she is?” ”Oh, Miss Black?” He composedly walked toward her. It was impossible to tell whether she saw him coming or whether it was accident, but at any rate she suddenly turned and moved toward the stern of the s.h.i.+p. Ten watchful gossips had noted Coleman's travel in her direction and more than half the pa.s.sengers noted his defeat. He wheeled casually and returned to his three friends. They were colic-stricken with a coa.r.s.e and yet silent merriment. Coleman was glad that the voyage was over.

After the polite business of an English custom house, the travellers pa.s.sed out to the waiting train. A nimble little theatrical agent of some kind, sent from London, dashed forward to receive Miss Black. He had a first-cla.s.s compartment engaged for her and he bundled her and her maid into it in an exuberance of enthusiasm and admiration.. Coleman pa.s.sing moodily along the line of coaches heard Nora's voice hailing him.

” Rufus.” There she was, framed in a carriage window, beautiful and smiling brightly. Every near. by person turned to contemplate this vision.

” Oh,” said Coleman advancing, ” I thought I was not going to get a chance to say good-bye to you.” He held out his hand.

” Good-bye.”

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