Part 27 (1/2)

Ellen tried to pull her hand away. ”Let my hand go this minute, Granville Joy,” she said, angrily.

The boy let her hand go immediately, and stood up, leaning over her.

”Don't be angry; I didn't mean any harm, Ellen,” he whispered.

”I shall be angry if you do such a thing again,” said Ellen. ”We aren't children; you have no right to do such a thing, and you know it.”

”But I thought maybe you wouldn't mind, Ellen,” said Granville. Then he added, with his voice all husky with emotion and a kind of fear: ”Ellen, you know how I feel about you. You know how I have always felt.”

Ellen made no reply. It seemed inconceivable that she for the minute should not know his meaning, but she was bewildered.

”You know I've always counted on havin' you for my wife some day when we were both old enough,” said the boy, ”and I've gone to work now, and I hope to get bigger pay before long, and--”

Ellen rose with sudden realization. ”Granville Joy,” cried she, with something like panic in her voice, ”you must not! Oh, if I had known! I would not have let you finish. I would not, Granville.”

She caught his arm, and clung to it, and looked up at him pitifully.

”You know I wouldn't have let you finish,” she said. ”Don't be hurt, Granville.”

The boy looked at her as if she had struck him.

”Oh, Ellen,” he groaned. ”Oh, Ellen, I always thought you would!”

”I am not going to marry anybody,” said Ellen. Her voice wavered in spite of herself; the young man's look and voice were shaking her through weakness of her own nature which she did not understand, but which might be mightier than her strength. Something crept into her tone which emboldened the young man to seize her hand again. ”You do, in spite of all you say--” he began; but just then a long shadow fell athwart the moonlight, and Ellen s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand away imperceptibly, and young Lloyd stood before them.

Chapter XXI

Granville Joy was employed in Lloyd's, and Robert had seen him that very day and spoken to him, but he did not recognize him, not until Ellen spoke. ”This is Mr. Joy, Mr. Lloyd,” she said; ”perhaps you know him. He works in your uncle's shop.” She said it quite simply, as if it was a matter of course that Robert was on speaking terms with all the employes in his uncle's factory.

Granville colored. ”I saw Mr. Lloyd this afternoon in the cutting-room,” he said, ”and we had some talk together; but maybe he don't remember, there are so many of us.” Granville said ”so many of us” with an indescribably bitter emphasis. Suddenly his gentleness seemed changed to gall. It was the terrible protest of one of the herd who goes along with the rest, yet realizes it, and looks ever out from his common ma.s.s with fierce eyes of individual dissent at the immutable conditions of things. Immediately, when Granville saw the other young man, this gentleman in his light summer clothes, who bore about him no stain nor odor of toil, he felt that here was Ellen's mate; that he was left behind. He looked at him, not missing a detail of his superiority, and he saw himself young and not ill-looking, but hopelessly common, clad in awkward clothes; he smelled the smell of leather that steamed up in his face from his raiment and his body; and he looked at Ellen, fair and white in her dainty muslin, and saw himself thrust aside, as it were, by his own judgment as to the fitness of things, but with no less bitterness. When he said ”there are so many of us,” he felt the impulse of revolution in his heart; that he would have liked to lead the ”many of us” against this young aristocrat. But Robert smiled, though somewhat stiffly, and bowed. ”I beg your pardon, Mr. Joy,” he said; ”I do remember, but for a minute I did not.”

”I don't wonder,” said Granville, and again he repeated, ”There are so many of us,” in that sullen, bitter tone.

”What is the matter with the fellow?” thought Robert; but he said, civilly enough; ”Oh, not at all, Mr. Joy. I will admit there are a good many of you, as you say, but that would not prevent my remembering a man to whom I was speaking only a few hours ago. It was only the half-light, and I did not expect to see you here.”

”Mr. Joy is a very old friend of mine,” Ellen said, quickly, with a painful impulse of loyalty. The moment she saw her old school-boy lover intimidated, and manifestly at a disadvantage before this elegant young gentleman, she felt a fierce instinct of partisans.h.i.+p.

She stood a little nearer to him. Granville's face lightened, he looked at her gratefully, and Robert stared from one to the other doubtfully. He began to wonder if he had interrupted a love-scene, and was at once pained with a curious, new pain, and indignant.

Then, too, he scarcely knew what to do. He had been sent to ask Ellen to come into the parlor.

”My aunt is in the house,” he said.

”Your aunt?”

”Yes, my aunt, Miss Lennox.”

Ellen gave a great start, and stared at him. ”Does she want to see me?” she asked, abruptly.

Robert glanced at Granville. He was afraid of being rude towards this possible lover, but the young man was quick to perceive the situation.

”I guess I must be going,” he said to Ellen.