Part 14 (1/2)
”Not wan bit, Miss, though I do belave now he do be lookin' for me.
Indade, Miss, I was not failin' well at all, at all. Sure, wasn't the little darlint missin', and between the sorrow at home and the failin'
in me heart, and the long walk, and the cowld mornin', and the sa.s.sy look the fellow gave me--”
”What were you doing that so offended him?” interrupted Hazel.
”Indade, I was just walkin' around Carbut Strate and Hood Strate for a little divarsion--not wan bit more or less, Miss--an' he axed me what I wanted. Says I to him, says I, respectful-like, 'Maybe yees can tell me did yees see a little girl strayin' about widout a home. A lady sint me to inquire.'
”He immejetly made some raymark, quick an' sharp-like, about the dam desavin' wimmen--”
”Oh!” Hazel exclaimed, interrupting him.
”Shocking!” exclaimed Constance.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Smith--”Indade Miss, Oi followed wid wan on the soule ave his plexus.”]
”Sure--and I beg yees pardon fir sayin' it, darlints, but that's just what he towld me and niver a wink whint wid it, the blackguard!
”I up and axed him who he'd be refarrin' to, because I had in my moind a sartin lady wid trouble ave her own.
”He says, says he, wid a snarl, 'None ave yees business.'
”Widout thinkin' whether he meant anything by it or not, I tould him he was a gintleman and a liar, too. So I did.”
”You insulted him!” exclaimed Hazel, astounded.
”Indade I did, Miss, in foine style, sure”--and he spoke softly to Hazel--”he got it right betwix the two eyes, and I followed it wid wan on the soule ave his plexis.”
”You did!” Hazel exclaimed, amazed, yet with an irrepressible smile that flickered about her pretty mouth.
”I did!” he replied gravely.
”Is the soul of one's plexus in his eyes, Smith?” interrogated Hazel.
”Sure, some say it do be the cramps; but I think it do be trouble ave the bowels, Miss,” he answered.
”Poor man!” exclaimed Constance, and she looked at Smith reproachfully.
He quickly turned to her with a disgusted look on his face, and slowly exclaimed, ”Yis mam!”
During the silence that followed Smith realized that he had spoken hastily and rude, and the disgust so palpably in evidence quickly merged into a look of grave concern.
His native wit, however, came to his aid in a singular apology.
”While the fellow hunted for a soft spot on the pavement, I called up a nearby doctor to help him,” he said.
”You shall be repaid,” Constance a.s.sured him in an absent manner.
”Plaise G.o.d, it will not be the 'dago' who'll do it!” he solemnly replied, and then he softly asked.